This Lent, I'm taking Bach's set of eleven variations on the Passiontide hymn 'Sei gegrűsset, Jesu gűtig' (BWV 768), which date from around 1710, when the 25-year-old Johann Sebastian was employed at Weimar Castle. To go with them, I'm playing all bar one of the Passiontide chorale preludes from the 'Little Organ Book', also composed at Weimar a couple of years later.
Wednesday 10th February - Ash Wednesday
Prelude: Sei gegrűsset, Jesu gűtig (chorale) - Bach
Communion: O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig (BWV 618) – Bach
Postlude: Sei gegrűsset, Jesu gűtig (Variation 1) - Bach
Sunday 14th February - The First Sunday of Lent
Prelude: Sei gegrűsset, Jesu gűtig (Variation 2) - Bach
Communion: Christe, du Lamm Gottes (BWV 619) – Bach
Postlude: Sei gegrűsset, Jesu gűtig (Variation 3) - Bach
Sunday 21st February - The Second Sunday of Lent
Prelude: Sei gegrűsset, Jesu gűtig (Variation 4) - Bach
Communion: Christus, der uns selig macht (BWV 620) - Bach
Postlude: Sei gegrűsset, Jesu gűtig (Variation 5) - Bach
Sunday 28th February - The Third Sunday of Lent
Prelude: Sei gegrűsset, Jesu gűtig (Variation 6) - Bach
Communion: Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund (BWV 621) – Bach
Postlude: Sei gegrűsset, Jesu gűtig (Variation 7) - Bach
Sunday 6th March - The Fourth Sunday of Lent (Mothering Sunday)
Prelude: Sei gegrűsset, Jesu gűtig (Variation 8) - Bach
Communion: Wir danken dir, Herr Jesu Christ, dass du fűr uns gestorben bist (BWV 623) - Bach
Postlude: Sei gegrűsset, Jesu gűtig (Variation 9) - Bach
Sunday 13th March - The Fifth Sunday of Lent
Prelude: Sei gegrűsset, Jesu gűtig (Variation 10) - Bach
Communion: Hilf Gott, dass mir's gelinge (BWV 624) - Bach
Postlude: Sei gegrűsset, Jesu gűtig (Variation 11) – Bach
Sunday 20th March - Palm Sunday
Prelude: Processional to Calvary ('The Crucifixion') – Stainer
Stainer wrote his well-known oratorio in 1887. Although the composer himself described it as 'rubbish', the work has remained popular with amateur choirs.
Communion: He was despised ('Messiah') – Handel
The middle section uses a text from today's Old Testament reading
Postlude: In tears of grief (St. Matthew Passion) - Bach
Thursday 24th March - Maundy Thursday
Prelude: Schműcke dich, O liebe Seele (BWV 654) – Bach
Bach's setting of hymn 257 in AMNS is from the 'Eighteen Chorale Preludes', which he compiled towards the end of his life.
Communion: Ave verum corpus - Mozart
Friday 25th March - Good Friday
Prelude: Herzlich thut mich verlangen (BWV 727) – Bach
The tune, also known as the 'Passion Chorale' was originally set to a secular love song, 'My heart is distracted by a gentle maid', in Hans Leo Hassler's 'Lustgarten Neuer Deutscher Gesang', 1601.
Postlude: Lie still (St. John Passion) - Bach
Saturday 26th March – Easter Vigil
Postlude: Hallelujah Chorus ('Messiah') - Handel
Sunday 27th March - Easter Day
Music including two choir anthems:
Sing choirs of heaven! – Richard Shephard
A metrical version of the Easter Proclamation.
Rejoice, the Lord is King – Malcolm Archer
A bouncy setting of Charles Wesley's hymn by a former Organist and Director of Music at St Paul's Cathedral,