Crossing over
to the sunny side of the street
St John's Passion
Bach gazes on divinity,
The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
1.
Liturgy of Good Friday
Aspirations
and prayers
As I came in they were commencing
The part of the service
In which an enormous wooden cross
Is brought in and set before the altar
The clergy then the congregation
Went up in succession to kneel down
and put upon it their hands
Reverend Doctor Mauricio
The three main vocalists standing,
White-beard Philip Saunders sings
the words of Jesus,
Bass voice Paul Tavernier sings Pilate's
Jesus dies on the cross
Joshua Black
Standing at the eagle lectern,
Sings the role of the Evangelist
Narrating as it were
I know the archlute player
Theorbo to us hep cats,
Howard's Jewish
But then so was Saint Paul
Like many of us here
Jesus has snow on the roof today
Jesus is taken down from the cross
Tenor Kyle Stegall
Bach provided him with soaring sustained notes
and God gave him the gift to hit them
Bringing up the reserved hosts
Candles I'd noticed
A-lit in a side altar
Alto solo
Frankie Mansfield
Poised and perfect
The foreboding cross
The Saints were wiped out
The crisis of illumination
Dr. David Farr
Conducts
the brilliant denouement
My heart has joined in
and I've taken Communion
We are borne aloft with Christ
Jesus is laid in the tomb
2.
The Altar
Piece de Resistance
The Clergy and the main vocalists
Formally approach the cross
Though three people strained to carry it in,
Solid heavy wood
Rev Mauricio single-handedly
Picks it up
Puts it on his shoulder
And carries it all around
The Stations of the Cross
He is not only a Man of God,
He's a man
Someone to get in line behind
3.
Le Clavier
An exquisite harpsichord
Where fine art and craftmanship meet
Kathleen McIntosh
on the ivories,
Brilliantly
Baroque inlay interior
I sat close as I could
To hear Bach's inventions
Played just so
4.
What would Jesus Smoke?
Jesus and his cousin
Rolling a smoke
25 March 2016
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