Looking back 12 years

 The old blogs are gone - Singing in the reign and Clayboy. The videos of Lamentations are gone - the YouTube subscriber deleted the account.

I thought I might try to write about my personal theology - there are 282 posts of mine labeled such - good grief. It's a book project.

12 years ago, translating Lamentations for perhaps the first time, it is the same me but I am not sure I recognize myself. I was more transparent then perhaps. Is opacity solidness Mr Lewis?

I am writing as I listen to the Easter vigil from Ely. I also heard today some of the 1725 St John Passion. Bach's extemporization on a chorale Himmel reiße is a knockout - more of his delight in structuring his music around the chorales. It was not in the version of the St John that I sang many times. And as evangelist twice before my vocal technique left me with my cancer treatments. But my language does not share these images fully. So at some point, I must write. I wonder if an SHV cantus firmus could survive such an accompaniment. Certainly the ancients were not working in a dominant-tonic model but some of those psalms could be used I think. Come on, real composers - take up my challenge and let me know.

Bass aria

Himmel reiße, Welt erbebe, fallt in meinen Trauerton,
sehet meine Qual und Angst, was ich, Jesu, mit dir leide!

Ja, ich zähle deine Schmerzen, o zerschlagner Gottessohn,
ich erwähle Golgatha für die schnöde Weltgebäude.

Werden auf den Kreuzeswegen deine Dornen ausgesät,
weil ich in Zufriedenheit mich in deine Wunden senke,
so erblick ich in dem Sterben, wenn ein stürmend Wetter weht,
diesen Ort, dahin ich mich täglich durch den Glauben lenke.

Soprano chorale

Jesu, deine Passion ist mir lauter Freude,

deine Wunden, Kron, und Hohn meines Herzens Weide.

Meine Seel auf Rosen geht, wenn ich dran gedenke, 

in dem Himmel eine Stätt mir deswegwn schenke!

Score is here.