Concluding Bach's Johannes-Passion, the poignant chorale 'Ach Herr, laß dein lieb Engelein' asks for Jesus to be laid to rest in the comfort of Abraham before the triumphal conquering of death and the second coming.

In all of the angst, pain, and confusion of the Johannes-Passion, from the opening chorus of 'Herr, unser Herrscher' to 'Es ist vollbracht', Bach chooses to end with hope; simply through a plain, jubilant E-flat major chord, rather than the disturbing suspension in the Matthäus-Passion.

Bach toned down later performances of the Johannes-Passion after complaints from the Town Council following its premier in 1724. A new chorus replaced 'Herr, unser Herrscher' with the smoother and more hamonically-friendly 'O Mensch bewein dein Sünde', which later featured in the Matthäus-Passion, and only in 1749 was the original revived.

I'm writing this just after getting home from my local Good Friday service in Wandsworth where the John Passion was performed. It is a difficult and painful story, to listen to or take part in. Bach understands this so when you hear those words, 'Ach Herr', it all washes away as balm to those wounds.

Zimmermann Band
Chris Jeanes

Soprano - Caroline Halls
Countertenor - Tristram Cooke
Tenor - Jonathan Hanley
Bass - Stuart O'Hara

Violin 1 - Will McGahon
Violin 1 - Maxim Del Mar
Violin 2 - Alice Poppleton
Viola - Francesca Gilbert
Cello - Camilla Morse-Glover
Double Bass - Josie Jobbins
Theorbo - Jonatan Bougt
Organ - Oliver Doyle

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