The Great Passion: James Runcie

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Intoxicating, insightful and revelatory, he brilliantly tackles the difficult task of using words to capture the intricacies of Bach’s fervent work on the beautiful, groundbreaking masterpiece, St Matthew Passion. Yet, in language which largely eschews technical terms, Runcie still manages to describe several of Bach’s works uncannily well, not least the Great Passion of the title. But somehow, out of the extremely difficult living conditions in the 18th century, incredible beauty erupted that still resonates 3 centuries later. The tension remains between the precious moment that is charged with meaning and the years that slip through our fingers. It explores grief and music, and how music helps to cope with grief - in this case resulting in a masterpiece of musical composition.

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There was heartfelt hatred of other religions and denominations, and a heavy reliance on literal Scripture to uplift one in this harsh culture: again, mostly relying on a better outcome in heaven. It will be Lent soon enough, and we will be lost in the winds of winter; but Advent lasts just as long in the year, and its message is eternally optimistic.As Stefan watches the work rehearsed, he realises he is witness to the creation of one of the most extraordinary pieces of music that has ever been written. Runcie’s Grantchester Mysteries series, which opened in the 1950s, has reached the ’70s in the superior sixth entry (after 2016’s Sidney Chambers and the Dangers of Temptation). King uses the phrase keeping it on the down-low in a way that suggests he probably doesn’t understand how this phrase is currently used—and has been used for quite a while. JSB is a workaholic with a deeply spiritual vein, but can also be jealous, short-tempered and, on occasion, arrogant.

The Great Passion: : James Runcie: Bloomsbury Publishing

We are—well, ask Bigfoot, as Brooks does in this delightful yarn, following on his bestseller World War Z (2006). And never appreciated more either by those of us who live within the close depths of present current good-byes. The Great Passion is a wonderfully rich, audacious and, to me, surprising novel; surprising because all I have previously read of James Runcie’s work are his Granchester detective novels, charming investigations of Crime Light, which might be taken as a sort of homage to what is known as Golden Age mysteries. I am hopeful that this little review will encourage some of you to pick up this masterpiece historical fiction. The horrendous things in our American culture are hidden away (executions, Guantanamo, the outrageous abuse of families trying to immigrate to the U.The cantor, Johann Sebastian Bach, notes the boy’s beautiful singing voice and ability on the organ. Maybe the pandemic gave us a clue to what it was like to live with mortality on a scale familiar to the 18th century.

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The author successfully depicts the circumstances of a large and blended family, headed by a benign despot and genius. Matthew Passion (we were required to submit two pages, but I wrote 45 pages, because I was so in love with this thing), and the opening: the chorus inviting us to hear the story of Jesus' execution, still makes me cry. Joyous, revelatory, and deeply moving, The Great Passion is an imaginative tour de force that tells the story of what it was like to sing, play, and hear Bach's music for the very first time. If the joy provided by the birth of our Lord is infinite, then so must be the variations, Monsieur Silbermann! The novel takes place in 1727-28 in Leipzig where Johann Sebastian Bach is cantor (essentially music director, conductor, and composer all in one) at a cathedral school.What is clear to me is that James Runcie has used both his actual skills and knowledge of musical composition but also of organ construction to give his story very considerable additional substance. And yet, this culture promoted virtue, love, forgiveness (only if you were a member of the Protestant faith), and weirdly, excellence in music.