On Tuesday, April 12, The White Lake Chamber Music Society’s Winter Lecture Series closes out the season with a 7PM presentation by Robert Swan on Bach’s St. John Passion. Mr. Swan will lead us through this beautiful work with highlights of selected recorded examples.

The St. John Passion, BWV 245, is a setting of the Passion story as related in St John’s Gospel. It was first performed on Good Friday 7, April 1724 in Leipzig’s Nikolaikirche. “Passion” refers specifically to the story of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. Accounts of the Passion are found in the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Compared with the St. Matthew Passion, the St. John Passion has been described as more extravagant, with an expressive immediacy, at times more unbridled and less “finished”. (Steinberg 2005, p. 22) While writing the St John Passion, Bach intended to retain the congregational spirit of the worship service. The text for the body of the work is taken from the Gospel of John chapters 18 and 19. To augment these chapters, which he summarized in the music, Bach used an elaborate body of commentary consisting of hymns, which were often called chorales, and arias. What gives the work its distinct character and flavour is reflected in St John’s foremost intention: to provide a cosmic explanation for the phenomenon of Christ, concentrating on Christ as the eternal and omnipresent ruler rather than on his suffering. It is a theme that is established in the opening chorus. (Published on March 29, 2021, by Jeremy Nicholas)

This exceptional presentation will take place at 7 PM at the Book Nook & Java Shop, 8744 Ferry St. in Montague. Free-will donations will be accepted.  A live stream option on Zoom will be available also.

For more information, please call 231-329-3056 or visit us online at www.whitelakemusic.org

Join us by Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9926703620