description St. John Passion (MacMillan) Overview
The St. John Passion is a large-scale choral work composed by Scottish composer James MacMillan in 2007 and 2008. Written for soloists, chorus, and orchestra, the piece sets the biblical passion narrative in English, drawing text from the Gospel of John. It was commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra, the Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
The work received its premiere in London and has since become a frequently performed contemporary sacred composition.
help St. John Passion (MacMillan) FAQ
Who composed the St. John Passion by James MacMillan?
The work was composed by Scottish composer James MacMillan in 2007 and 2008. It sets the Passion narrative from the Gospel of John in English.
What forces does MacMillan's St. John Passion use?
It is a large-scale choral work for soloists, chorus, and orchestra. The chorus carries much of the dramatic and devotional weight while the soloists represent key voices in the narrative.
Which Gospel text does the work set?
The piece uses the Passion account from the Gospel of John. MacMillan presents that biblical narrative in English rather than using the traditional Latin text of many earlier Passion settings.
How is MacMillan's St. John Passion related to Bach's work?
Both works set the Gospel of John and use soloists, chorus, and orchestra to tell Christ's Passion. MacMillan's composition is a modern English-language work, not a new arrangement of Johann Sebastian Bach's 1724 St. John Passion.
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