Festival Finale with John Finney and the Blue Hill Bach Virtual Chorus and Orchestra
Festival Music Director John Finney brings the insights and inspiration of his popular Bach’s Lunch lecture-demonstrations to this exloration of the origins and history of the “Passion Chorale” – best known as O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden (O Sacred Head now Wounded).
Selected Further Listening
A congregation in Germany singing the traditional version (by Johann Crüger) of the Advent hymn “Wie soll ich dich empfangen?”
Other Cantatas by J. S. Bach in which the Passion Chorale melody appears.
First movement of J. S. Bach’s Cantata No. 25 “Es ist nichts gesundes an meinem Leibe.” (The Passion Chorale is played by an additional instrumental ensemble, on top of the full chorus and orchestra.)
First movement of J. S. Bach’s Cantata No. 135 “Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder.” (The Passion Chorale melody is sung by the bass voice of the chorus, in long tones.)
Second movement (“Ich folge dir nach”) of J. S. Bach’s Cantata No. 159 “Sehet, wir geh’n hinauf gen Jerusalem.” (The Passion Chorale melody is sung by the soprano soloist, above the alto soloist’s melody)