Bach St John Passion: Resources
There’s more than one way to learn: you can use websites and recordings that are especially set up for learning, while some people prefer to listen to non-specialised recordings, possibly playing along. Below are some good choices for both of these.
If you have any suggestions, let us know on contact@swlcs.org.uk! (Or just talk to Matt at rehearsal.)
Learning Websites and Recordings
Firstly, there is Cyberbass - a free website that can play all the choral parts. You can play them together (“Tutti”) or select your voice part to be emphasised. The rendition is basic (MIDI files with organ/piano sounds), but clear. They have some paid-for links on the website too, but you don’t need to use them to make use of the website.
Also, there is John Fletcher Music - a mixture of free and paid options. This link will take you to a free set of St John Passion resouces, but you will need to register with the site here first. NB: those free resources split the music into the “traditional” 40 sections, not the 68 of the Novello score: see below for how these line up with each other.
And the other major site is Choraline - paid, offering more polished renditions, available via CD, a download or an app - the cost is £10-£14 depending on which you choose.
Which to choose? All have their fans. But I advise trying out the free options (John Fletcher Music, Cyberbass) before paying for Choraline, since plenty of people seem perfectly happy with them.
General Online Recordings
Some people (myself included) like to listen to recordings while commuting, following the score. There are many recordings out there; feel free to select your personal favourite. But if you would like a steer, I recommend considering a remastered recording of King’s College Choir and Philomusica of London, directed by David Willcocks, dating all the way back to 1960. Why? Because it combines two important virtues:
It’s easy to find the bit you want, because it is in English: most recordings are, naturally, in German.
You can play along on a keyboard, because It is at Concert Pitch: and this is why I’ve picked a 1960 recording. Nowadays, recordings of the St John are pretty much always at Baroque Pitch (a semitone lower than Concert Pitch) - but a 1960 performance is old enough to pre-date that fashion (a change driven by the Early Music Revival)
Here are links to the recording for Spotify and YouTube (the latter with ads, alas).
A final note on listening to recordings: pretty much any recording of the St John (the above one included) will tend to split the music into the “traditional” 40 sections rather than the 68 sections of our Novello score. Read on for how these line up with each other.
Matching up our score’s 68 sections with the “normal” 40 sections
Our Novello score splits the St John Passion up into 68 sections. But the “usual” split, used by all recordings and some learning websites, is into only 40 sections: this can make it hard to locate a particular Novello section that you want to practice, particularly if the 40 section titles are in German!
Here’s how the two numbering systems correspond: if you’re frequently referencing a 40-section resource or recording, it might be worth lightly pencilling the 40-section numbers in the contents page of your Novello score.
Herr, unser Herrscher, dessen Ruhm in allen Landen herrlich ist → 1: Lord and Master
Jesus ging mit seinen Jüngern über den Bach Kidron → 2: Jesus went forth
O große Lieb', o Lieb' ohn' alle Maße → 7: O mighty love
Auf daß das Wort erfüllet würde → 8: That the saying might be fulfilled
Dein Will' gescheh', Herr Gott, zugleich → 9: Thy will, O God
Die Schar aber und der Oberhauptmann → 10: Then the band and the chief captain
Von den Stricken meiner Sünden → 11: Chains of bondage
Simon Petrus aber folgete Jesu nach → 12: And Simon Peter followed Jesus
Ich folge dir gleichfalls mit freudigen Schritten → 13: I follow in gladness
Derselbige Jünger war dem Hohenpriester bekannt → 14: Now that disciple was known
Wer hat dich so geschlagen → 15: Ah! whence this hatred shown Thee!
Und Hannas sandte ihn gebunden zu dem Hohenpriester Kaiphas → 16: Now Annas had sent him bound
Ach, mein Sinn → 19: Ah! my soul
Petrus, der nicht denkt zurück → 20: Peter in forgetfulness
Christus, der uns selig macht → 21: He, Whose life was as the light
Da führeten sie Jesum von Kaiphas vor das Richthaus → 22: Then led they Jesus
Ach großer König, groß zu allen Zeiten → 27: O King of glory
Da sprach Pilatus zu ihm → 28: Pilate therefore said unto him
Betrachte, meine Seel', mit ängstlichem Vergnügen → 31: Come, ponder, O my Soul
Erwäge, wie sein blutgefärbter Rücken → 32: Behold Him : See!
Und die Kriegsknechte flochten eine Krone von Dornen → 33: And the soldiers plotted a crown of thorns
Durch dein Gefängnis, Gottes Sohn, muß uns die Freiheit kommen → 40: O Christ, Thy fetters mean release
Die Juden aber schrieen → 41: But the Jews cried out
Eilt, ihr angefochtnen Seelen → 48: Haste, haste poor souls ensnared
Allda kreuzigten sie ihn → 49: And there they crucified him
In meines Herzens Grunde → 52: Thy name is shining on me, Lord
Die Kriegsknechte aber, da sie Jesum gekreuziget hatten, nahmen seine Kleider → 53: The soldiers therefore
Er nahm alles wohl in acht → 56: See Him now, the Righteous One
Und von Stund' an nahm sie der Jünger zu sich. → 57: And from that hour…
Es ist vollbracht! → 58: All is fulfilled
Und neiget' das Haupt und verschied. → 59: And he bowed his head
Mein teurer Heiland, laß dich fragen → 60: Jesu, Thou by toilsome death
Und siehe da, der Vorhang im Tempel zerriß in zwei Stück → 61: And behold, the veil of the Temple was rent
Mein Herz, in dem die ganze Welt bei Jesu Leiden gleichfalls leidet → 62: My heart, behold the world intent
Zerfließe, mein Herze, in Fluten der Zähren → 63: O heart, melt in weeping
Die Juden aber, dieweil es der Rüsttag war → 64: The Jews therefore
O hilf, Christe, Gottes Sohn → 65: Help us, O Thou Son of God
Darnach bat Pilatum Joseph von Arimathia → 66: And after this, Joseph
Ruht wohl, ihr heiligen Gebeine → 67: Lie still, O sacred limbs
Ach Herr, lass dein' lieb' Engelein → 68: Ah! Lord, when my last end is come