Bob Chilcott St John Passion

SATB and soloists (soprano, tenor, and two baritones), with organ or small ensemble Chilcott's mighty setting of words from the Gospel of St John is a dramatic yet optimistic retelling of the Passiontide story. As with Bach's great Passion settings, the role of the Evangelist is taken by the tenor soloist, who provides a melodious narrative throughout the work, in arioso style. The words of Jesus and Pilate are performed by solo baritones. Within the narrative, the SATB chorus becomes a crowd or a group of soldiers, commenting on the story in short outbursts, although the larger role of the choir is to perform the four meditations and five hymns that support the story. For the meditations-two of which include soprano solos-Chilcott has selected English poems from the 13th to the early 17th centuries.The five well-known hymn texts are set to new, original melodies, which are also intended for performance by an audience or congregation.

S. A. T. B. f Je - sus

S. A. T. B. f Je - sus of Na - za- reth, Je Je - - f Je - sus, Je - sus of Na - za - reth, Je sus, sus sus, of Na - za- reth, 40 Je - sus, Je - sus of Na za ff - - reth. - ff 7 f Ped. ff 44 mp calmer EVANGELIST mp Je p - sus an JESUS p 3 p - swered, I have told you that I am 3 Man. Ped. 47 he: if 3 3 there -fore ye seek me, let these go their way: EVANGELIST mp That the for online perusal only 51 3 say - ing might be ful - filled, which he spake, Of mp Man. mf them which thou ga - vest me have I lost mf

8 54 none. more agitated f f Then Si 3 - mon Pe - ter hav - ing a sword drew it, and 57 3 3 smote the high priest’s ser - vant, and cut off his right ear. for online perusal only 59 calmer mf The ser - vant’s name was Mal - chus. Then mp said Je - sus un - to mf mp 62 3 Pe - ter, JESUS mp Put 3 3 up thy sword in - to the sheath: the cup which my Ped.