Recently a certain writer looked up some of the greatest composers that had the nerve and whit to serve God in their music. Johann Sebastian Bach, perhaps the greatest composer of all time, comes to mind now. Sure Bach wrote some of the most famous piano collections ever to be mastered by students along with other secular work. His sacred works however are as stunning jewels that are made for worship. Most of the composers of this time period typically wrote for masses. His B Minor Mass and His St. Matthew Passion are among the most popular of all of his sacred works, giving glory to God the father, God the son and the Holy spirit. Throughout his career, he spent a good deal of time writing worship music and playing as organist and chief director of churches.
“St. John Passion” is also another, although slightly less popular passion but deals with the word that Jesus said to peter about drinking of the cup. There are a few sections where the English orchestra plays with a high-ranking boy’s choir that adds a greatness and a sleekness to the piece. At this moment, the listener shall be in heaven and rejoicing with the Father over salvation that has been wrought with only God’s goodness.
Later on in the St. John Passion there is a section where the alto singer in the choir talks about the depths of her transgression and sin. She’s pleading with Jesus for a way out of it—as we all are at some point in our lives. The piece (“St. John’s Passion”, and in fact other passions by bach) is really an opera of the seasons of the book of John and what the gospels highlight. On the whole, Bach was a master of his time, playing and writing tunes, hymns and songs that would make him one of the greatest, if not the greatest composer of all time.
