Programme Notes and Prefaces

Bach St Matthew Passion - (Novello edition ed. N. Jenkins)

'The first translation of the St. Matthew Passion: Helen Johnston's lasting legacy'
A talk given by Neil Jenkins on the 150th anniversary of the work's 1st performance in England.

Preparing a New English Edition of Bach's St. Matthew Passion

Program notes on Neil's new English translation of this work.

Bach St Matthew Passion - A Preface

Bach St John Passion - (Novello edition ed. N. Jenkins)

The first person to translate a Bach Passion into English was Helen Johnston (1813-1887), who produced a St. Matthew Passion text for Sir William Sterndale Bennett's 1862 edition....

Bach Christmas Oratorio - (Novello edition ed. N. Jenkins)

Although Bach's Christmas Oratorio (1734) has been as popular a work for choirs and choral societies to perform as his two Passions, it has striven against Handel's Messiah as the obvious work to choose for a Christmas performance....

Bach Easter Oratorio - (Novello edition ed. N. Jenkins)

Bach composed many pieces of celebratory music during his time in Leipzig. As these were only destined to receive one performance it is not surprising to find movements from them reappearing in the church cantatas which he had to provide each week...

Bach Ascension Oratorio - (Novello edition ed. N. Jenkins)

During the 1730s Bach set about preparing a library of music to meet all the needs of the Church year at the Leipzig churches for which he provided the music....

Bach Magnificat in D - (Novello edition ed. N. Jenkins)

Bach's D major Magnificat has long been known as one of his finest short choral works and is frequently performed on festive occasions....

Bach Magnificat in E flat - (Novello edition ed. N. Jenkins)

Bach's D major Magnificat has long been known as one of his finest short choral works and is frequently performed on festive occasions. His earlier version of the work, in the key of E flat major, is no mere transposition and deserves to be better known....

Bach B Minor Mass (Novello edition ed. N. Jenkins)

A talk given at the premiere of this edition on the origin of the mass. Bach's B Minor Mass seems to have been written with no discernible purpose in mind. It springs from a Lutheran rather than a Catholic tradition...

Bach B Minor Mass Preface

Scholars have debated endlessly over Bach's reasons for compiling the Mass in B minor.

Schutz The Christmas Story - (Novello edition ed. N. Jenkins)

Schütz composed this work towards the end of a long and full life, during which he brought the musical style of Giovanni Gabrieli and other influential Italian composers northwards to the Protestant Courts of Kassel, Dresden and Copenhagen....

Haydn The Creation (King's Music edition ed. N. Jenkins)

Programme Note on preparing a new English text for The Creation.

Text of Haydn The Creation

Text of Haydn The Seasons

Handel The Brockes Passion

A new English edition edited by Neil Jenkins.

Haydn The Seven Last Words

Mendelssohn Christus

Mendelssohn Psalm 13

with improved text by Neil Jenkins