Since Bach’s birthday falls on Good Friday this year, we leave our traditional Bach Birthday Bash dinner-and-a-concert format to present one of the towering masterpieces of western music and the Lutheran tradition.

In a letter to the Leipzig town electors Bach promised church music that "shall not last too long" and "shall be of such a nature as not to make an operatic impression, but rather incite the listeners to devotion." In his St. John Passion, Bach skimps on neither the drama nor the devotion, sweeping the listener into the story of Jesus' crucifixion. The narrative, told mostly by the Evangelist, is regularly interrupted with arias and chorales that reflect on the mystery of Jesus’ life and death. The Passion will be sung in English by Canticum Novum, the Redeemer Choir, guest soloists and orchestra, conducted by David Hansen.

Join the Redeemer Choir or Canticum Novum now to be part of this challenging and inspiring musical work.