L010fs

S T E P H E N B A R K E R

THE

PASSION
A C C O R D I N G T O S A I N T J O H N

FULL SCORE

www.sbarker.net
 Narrator - Tenor or Baritone
Jesus - Bass
Woman - A soprano from within the choir
Peter - A bass from within the choir
One of the Police - A tenor from within the choir
Slave - An alto from within the choir
Pilate - Tenor
Priests, Police, Crowd, Soldiers - SATB Choir

This book contains the full score with all sung parts.
A separate choir score is available of the SATB choir parts and solos that are sung by members of the choir. It
contains the full text and notated cue lines to aid pitching of entries.

The Passion according to St John is traditionally sung or read on Good Friday. Many composers have set the
text; some, like Victoria more suited to liturgical use, based on plainchant recitations of the diologue, with a
choir taking the role of the soldiers and the crowd. Others, like Bach, use the texts to create a substantial
choral work with arias, choruses and chorales; this setting is very much in the style of the former. Most of the
parts are recited to plainsong-style melodies - not the traditional tones, but orginal to this setting. An SATB
choir takes on the role of Priests, Police, Crowd and Soldiers. Some of the roles are small, and should be sung
by members of the choir, whereas others should be sung be soloists ideally stood apart from the choir.

All of the solo parts should be chanted following a natural speech rhythm, but with clarity. In contrast, the
SATB chorus parts should be sung with a rhythmical determination and at all times re ecting the drama of
the text being sung; sing “Crucify him!” as if you really mean it!

Used in its full version, this is quite a substantial work, and while I feel that this should be how it is used (if
we can't give an extra few minutes on Good Friday then when can we?) if a shorter version is required then,
following the opening sentence, Part One could be cut and only Part Two (chapter 19) sung.

The First Sunday of Lent, 2018

First performed on Good Friday 2018 in St Stephen's Church, Canterbury, England.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council
of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 THE

PASSION
A C C O R D I N G T O S A I N T J O H N

The Gospel according to St John STEPHEN BARKER

Chapters 18 & 19 (NRSV) (b. 1977)


Narrator                 
The Pas - sion of our Lord Je - sus Christ ac - cord - ing to Saint John.

PA R T O N E
Chapter 18


Narrator                   
Je - sus went out with his dis - ci - ples ac - cross the Kid - ron val - ley to a


                     
place where there was a gar - den, which he and his dis - ci - ples en - tered. Now Ju - das, who

   
                 
be - trayed him, al - so knew the place, be - cause Je - sus of - ten met there with his dis - ci -


                    
- ples. So Ju - das brought a de - tach - ment of sol - diers to - ge - ther with po - lice from the


                   
chief priests and the Pha - ri - sees, and they came there with lan - terns and tor - ches and wea -

Copyright © 2018, Stephen Barker. All rights reserved.

www.sbarker.net
ISMN 979-0-708122-15-9 (Full score)
ISMN 979-0-708122-19-7 (SATB Choral Score)
4 The Passion according to Saint John


                    
- pons. Then Je - sus, know - ing all that was to hap - pen to him, came for - ward and asked


  
them,

Jesus
         
Whom are you look - ing for?


   


Narrator

They an - swered,


 
         
 

     
Je - sus of Na - za - reth.

           
Priests and Police


Narrator     
Je - sus re - plied,

Jesus
    
I am he.

 
Narrator                  
Ju - das, who be - trayed him, was stand - ing with them. When Je - sus said to


                 

them, “I am he,” they stepped back and fell to the ground. A - gain he asked them,
 The Passion according to Saint John 5

Jesus
         
Whom are you look - ing for?


    


Narrator

And they said,



        
    

     
Je - sus of Na - za - reth.

            
Priests and Police


Narrator     
Je - sus an - swered,

Jesus
                
I told you that I am he. So if you are look - ing for me,

     
let these men go.


Narrator                    
This was to ful - ll the word that he had spo - ken, “I did not lose a sin - gle

 
                 
one of those whom you gave me.” Then Si - mon Pe - ter, who had a sword,


             
drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear.
6 The Passion according to Saint John

 
           
The slave’s name was Mal - chus. Je - sus said to Pe - ter,

Jesus
                   
Put your sword back in - to its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Fa -

      
- ther has gi - ven me?

 
Narrator                     
So the sol - diers, their of - - cer, and the Jew - ish po - lice ar - rest - ed Je - sus


                      
and bound him. First they took him to An - nas, who was the fa - ther - in - law of Cai - a - phas,


                     
the high priest that year. Cai - a - phas was the one who had ad - vised the Jews that it was


                      
bet - ter to have one per - son die for the peo - ple. Si - mon Pe - ter and an - o - ther dis - ci -


                    
- ple fol - lowed Je - sus. Since that dis - ci - ple was known to the high priest, he went with Je -


                     
- sus in - to the court - yard of the high priest, but Pe - ter was stand - ing out - side at the gate.


                    
So the o - ther dis - ci - ple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the wo -
 The Passion according to Saint John 7


                  
- man who guard - ed the gate, and brought Pe - ter in. The wo - man said to Pe - ter,

 
Woman               
You are not al - so one of this man’s dis - ci - ples, are you?


Narrator    
He said,

 
Peter
  
I am not.


Narrator                    
Now the slaves and the po - lice had made a char - coal re be - cause it was cold,


                    
and they were stand - ing a - round it and warm - ing them - selves. Pe - ter al - so was stand -


                   
- ing with them and warm - ing him - self. Then the high priest ques - tioned Je - sus a - bout his


              
dis - ci - ples and a - bout his teach - ing. Je - sus an - swered,

Jesus
                   
I have spo - ken o - pen - ly to the world; I have al - ways taught in sy - na -

           
         
-gogues and in the tem - ple, where all the Jews come to - ge - ther. I have said no - thing in
8 The Passion according to Saint John

                 
se - cret. Why do you ask me? ask those who heard what I said to them;

       
they know what I said.


Narrator                    
When he had said this, one of the po - lice stand - ing near - by struck Je - sus on

 
     
the face, say - ing,

    
One of the Police       
Is that how you an - swer the high priest?


Narrator       
Je - sus an - swered,

Jesus
                   
If I have spo - ken wrong - ly, tes - ti - fy to the wrong. But if I have spo -

         
-ken right - ly, why do you strike me?


Narrator                  
Then An - nas sent him bound to Cai - a - phas the high priest. Now Si - mon Pe -


            
- ter was stand - ing and warm - ing him - self. They asked him,
 
The Passion according to Saint John 9

    
  

                      
      
 
  
        
You, you, you, you are not al - so one of his dis - ci - ples, are you?

    
Police

  
          
You,

       
 
  


Narrator       
He de - nied it and said,

 
Peter
  
I am not.


Narrator                     
One of the slaves of the high priest, a re - la - tive of the man whose ear Pe - ter

 
   
had cut off, asked,


Slave            
Did I not see you in the gar - den with him?

 
Narrator                
A - gain Pe - ter de - nied it, and at that mo - ment the cock crowed.


 
                  
Then they took Je - sus from Cai - a - phas to Pi - late’s head - quar - ters. It was ear - ly in


                   
the morn - ing. They them - selves did not en - ter the head - quar - ters, so as to a - void
 10 The Passion according to Saint John

 
               
rit - ual de - le - ment and to be a - ble to eat the Pas - so - ver.


          
So Pi - late went out to them and said,

         
Pilate    
What ac - cu - sa - tion do you bring a - gainst this man?


   


Narrator

They an - swered,


  
             

 

   
If this man were not a cri - mi - nal,

   
Priests and Police

           
  




             
        

                 
we would not have hand - ed him o - ver to you.

 
      

 
Narrator       
Pi - late said to them,

   
Pilate           
Take him your - selves and judge him ac - cord - ing to your law.
 The Passion according to Saint John 11




Narrator     

The Jews re - plied,

   not per 

   
             
We are - mit - ted


 
  
We are not per - mit - ted, to put,

       
                    
Priests and Police We are not per - mit - ted, we are not per - mit - ted

  


  


We are not per - mit - - ted

 
      
            
 
 
 one to 
         
to put an - y death.


    
  
 


Narrator                    
(This was to ful - ll what Je - sus had said when he in - di - ca - ted the kind of

 
                    
death he was to die.) Then Pi - late en - tered the head - quar - ters a - gain, sum - moned Je -


    
-sus, and asked him,

  
Pilate      
Are you the King of the Jews?


    

Narrator

Je - sus an - swered,
12 The Passion according to Saint John

Jesus
                  
Do you ask this on your own, or did o - thers tell you a - bout me?


Narrator       
Pi - late re - plied,

      
Pilate              
I am not a Jew, am I? Your own na - tion and the chief priests have hand -

    
            
- ed you o - ver to me. What have you done?


Narrator       
Je - sus an - swered,

Jesus
                 
My king - dom is not from this world. If my king - dom were from this world,

                       
my fol - low - rs would be ght - ing to keep me rom be - ing and - ed o - ver to the Jews. But

            
as it is, my king - dom is not from here.


Narrator      
Pi - late asked him,


Pilate       
So you are king?
 The Passion according to Saint John 13


Narrator      
Je - sus an - swered,

Jesus
                    
You say that I am King. For this I was born, and for his I came in - to

                
  
the world, to tes - ti - fy to the truth. Ev’ - ry - one who be - longs to the truth

      
list - ens to my voice.


Narrator        
Pi - late asked him,

   
Pilate  
What is truth?

  
Narrator                
Af - ter he had said this, he went out to the Jews a - gain and told them,

        
Pilate           
I nd no case a - gainst him. But you have a cus - tom that I re - lease some -

        
              
- one for you at the Pas - so - ver. Do you want me to re - lease for you the King of the Jews?


Narrator       
They shout - ed in re - ply,
 
14 The Passion according to Saint John

 
  

           
 
        
Not this man, but Bar - rab - bas!

        
Crowd

  
 


Narrator          
Now Bar - rab - bas was a ban - dit.

PA R T T W O
Chapter 19


Narrator                   
Then Pi - late took Je - sus and had him ogged. And the sol - diers wove a crown


                    
of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a pur - ple robe. They kept com -


      


- ing up to him, say - ing,

 
        
         

     
Hail, hail, King of the Jews!

     
  
Soldiers

 
 
 The Passion according to Saint John 15


Narrator                  
and stri - king him on he face. Pi - late went out a - gain and said to them,

       
Pilate             
Look, I am bring - ing him out to you to let you know that I nd no case

   

a - gainst him.

 
Narrator                
So Je - sus came out, wear - ing the crown of thorns and the pur - ple robe.


       
Pi - late said to them,

    
Pilate 
Here is the man!

 
            


Narrator


When the chief priests and the po - lice saw him, they shout - ed,

    
     
Cru - - ci - - fy him!

   
          
  
     
Cru - - ci - fy him! Cru - ci - fy him! Cru - ci - fy him!

            
Crowd


Cru - ci - fy him! Cru - ci - fy him!

     
    
  

Cru - ci - fy him! Cru - ci - fy!
 16 The Passion according to Saint John


Narrator      
Pi - late said to them,

    
Pilate             
Take him your - selves and cru - ci - fy him; I nd no case a - gainst him.


    


Narrator

The Jews an - swered him,

  
              
              


          
Crowd

    
We have a law, and ac - cord - ing to that law he ought to

              





We


          
    
  


               
die be - cause he has claimed to be the Son of God.

      
    
 


Narrator                  
Now when Pi - late heard this, he was more a - fraid than e - ver. He en - tered

  
        
his head - quar - ters a - gain and asked Je - sus,

  
Pilate   
Where are you from?
 The Passion according to Saint John 17

 
Narrator               
But Je - sus gave him no an - swer. Pi - late there - fore said to him,

      
Pilate             
Do you re - fuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to re -

      
   
-lease you, and power to cru - ci - fy you?


      
Narrator

Je - sus an - swered him,

Jesus
                   
You would have no power o - ver me un - less it had been gi - ven you from a -

                       
- bove; there - fore the one who hand - ed me o - ver to you is guil - ty of a great - er sin.


               


Narrator

From then on Pi - late tried to re - lease him, but the Jews cried out,


      
                

             
If you re - lease this man, you are no friend of the

    
Crowd

     
 


18 The Passion according to Saint John

 
  
     
        
              


         
 
em - pe - ror. Ev’ - ry - one who claims to be a king sets him -

              




  


      
           

    
     
- self a - gainst the em - pe - ror.

     



   
Narrator              
When Pi - late heard these words, he brought Je - sus out - side and sat on the


                    
judg - e’s bench at a place called The Stone Pave - ment, or in He - brew Gab - ba - tha. Now

 
             
it was the day of Pre - pa - ra - tion for the Pas - so - ver;


           
and it was a - bout noon. He said to the Jews,

    
Pilate      
Here is your King!


Narrator    
They cried out,
 
The Passion according to Saint John 19


      
            
     
A - way with him! A - way with him!


 
 
A - way with him! A - way, a - way with him!

        
                
Crowd

 
A - way with him! A - way with him! A - way, a - way with him!

    



A - way with him! A - way with him!

  
     
      
 
 
    
Cru - ci - fy him!

         
 



Narrator      
Pi - late asked them,

   
Pilate       
Shall I cru - ci - fy your King?

 
      


Narrator


The chief priests an - swered,

      
                 

         
We have no king but the em - pe - ror.

          
Priests

      


 
                  
 
Narrator

Then he hand - ed him o - ver to them to be cru - - - - ci - ed.

20 The Passion according to Saint John


                     
So they took Je - sus; and car - ry - ing the cross by him - self, he went out to what is called


                    
The Place of the Skull, which in He - brew is called Gol - go - tha. There they cru - ci - ed him,


                    
and with him two o - thers, one on ei - ther side, with Je - sus be - tween them. Pi - late al -


                      
- so had an in - scrip - tion writ - ten and put on the cross. It read, “Je - sus of Na - za - reth,


                   
the King of the Jews.” Man - y of the Jews read this in - scrip - tion, be - cause the place

 
                      
where Je - sus was cru - ci - ed was near the ci - ty; and it was writ - ten in He - brew, in

 
               


La - tin, and in Greek. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pi - late,

 
  
               
         

       
     
      
Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I

   
Priests

 
   
 

The Passion according to Saint John 21

            
        

            
am the King of Jews.’

   

 
Narrator    
Pi - late an - swered,

       
Pilate    
What I have writ - ten I have writ - ten.


Narrator                   
When the sol - diers had cru - ci - ed Je - sus, they took his clothes and di - vi - ded


                     
them in - to four parts, one for each sol - dier. They al - so took his tu - nic; now the tu - nic


                   


was seem - less, wo - ven in one piece from the top. So they said to one a - no - ther,


  
           
     
Let us not tear it,

    

  
     
Let us not tear it, not tear it, but cast

         
            
Soldiers Let us not tear it, let us not tear it,

     

Let us not tear it, but

22 The Passion according to Saint John


           
         

             
lots for it to see who will get it.

     



 
Narrator                 
This was to ful - ll what the scrip - ture says, “They di - vi - ded my clothes a -


                  
- mong them - selves, and for my clo - thing they cast lots.” And that is what the sol - diers


                    
did. Mean - while, stand - ing near the cross of Je - sus were his mo - ther, and his mo - ther’s


                     
sis - ter, Ma - ry the wife of Clo - pas, and Ma - ry Mag - da - lene. When Je - sus saw his mo -


                    
- ther and the dis - ci - ple whom he loved stand - ing be - side her, he said to his mo - ther,

Jesus
        
Wo - man, here is your son.


        

Narrator

Then he said to the dis - ci - ple,

       
Jesus  
Here is your mo - ther.
 The Passion according to Saint John 23

 
Narrator               
And from that hour the dis - ci - ple took her in - to his own home.


              
Af - ter this, when Je - sus knew that all was now n - ished,


            
he said, (in or - der to ful - ll the scrip - ture),

 
Jesus    
I am thirs - ty.


Narrator                    
A jar full of sour wine was stand - ing there. So they put a sponge full of the


                     
wine on a branch of hys - sop and held it to his mouth. When Je - sus had re - ceived the


     
wine, he said,

       
Jesus   
It is - - - nished.

 
Narrator                   
Then he bowed his head and gave up his spi - rit. Since it was the day of Pre -


                    
- pa - ra - tion, the Jews did not want the bo - dies left on the cross du - ring the sab - bath,
24 The Passion according to Saint John


                     
es - pe - cial - ly be - cause that sab - bath was a day of great so - lem - ni - ty. So they asked


                      
Pi - late to have the legs of the cru - ci - ed men bro - ken and the bo - dies re - moved. Then


                      
the sol - diers came and broke the legs of the rst and of the o - ther who had been cru - i - ed


                     
with him. But when they came to Je - sus and saw that he was al - ead - y dead, they did not


                     
break his legs. In - stead, one of the sol - diers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood


                     
and wa - ter came out. (He who saw this has tes - ti - ed so that you al - so may be - lieve.


                    
His tes - ti - mo - ny is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.) These things oc - curred so


                 
that the scrip - ture might be ful - lled, “None of his bones shall be bro - ken.”


            
And a - gain a - no - ther pas - sage of scrip - ture says,

 
              
“They will look on the one whom they have pierced.”

If the account of the Burial of Jesus is read later in the service, then the Passion Gospel ends here; otherwise it continues:
 The Passion according to Saint John 25


                     
Af - ter these things, Jo - seph of A - ri - ma - the - a, who was a dis - ci - ple of Je - sus,


                      
though a se - cret one be - cause of his fear of the Jews, asked Pi - late to let him take a - way


                     
the bo - dy of Je - sus. Pi - ate gave him per - mis - sion; so he came and re - moved his bo -


                    
- dy. Ni - co - de - mus, who had at rst come to Je - sus by night, al - so came, bring - ing


                     
a mix - ture of myrrh and a - loes, weigh - ing a - bout a hun - dred pounds. They took the bo -


                      
- dy of Je - sus and wrapped it with the spi - ces in li - nen cloths, ac - cord - ing to the bu - ri -


                     
- al cus - om of the Jews. Now there was a gar - den in the place where he was cru - ci - ed,

 
                      
and in the gar - den there was a new tomb in which no one had e - ver been laid. And so,


             
be - cause it was the Jew - ish day of Pre - pa - ra - tion,


           
and the tomb was near - by, they laid Je - sus there.
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