The highly acclaimed American Kantorei [1] will return to perform the St. John Passion [2] Version II (1725) by Johann Sebastian Bach at 3 p.m. Palm Sunday, March 29, in the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus on the Concordia Seminary campus at 801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO 63105. The public is invited to this Service of Sacred Music.
Under the direction of Dr. Maurice Boyer, the Kantorei’s chorus, soloists and orchestra, joined by the Concordia Seminary Children’s Choir, will sing and proclaim the account of Jesus’ crucifixion from the Gospel according to St. John, interspersed with hymn stanzas and sung commentary. This performance of Bach’s Version II (1725) commemorates the 300th anniversary of its premiere in Leipzig, Germany.
Bach’s St. John Passion Version II (1725) is distinctly different from the original St. John Passion 1724 score performed by the Kantorei at the Seminary in 2024. From its new opening chorus, replacement arias and a more elaborate closing choral arrangement, Bach’s Version II provides a different emotional arc and showcases Bach’s experimentation of the piece which led to subsequent versions.
“The music of Bach’s St. John Passion so beautifully tells the story of Holy Week and invites us again to consider our Lord’s suffering and death on our behalf,” said Dr. Jon Vieker [3], dean of Chapel. “Concordia Seminary is pleased to invite the St. Louis community to join us for this extraordinary musical presentation free of charge. Everyone is welcome!”
The St. John Passion is part of the annual Concordia Seminary Music Series [4].
About Concordia Seminary
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis provides Gospel-centered graduate-level theological education for pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and other leaders in the name of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) [5]. To learn more, visit csl.edu [6].