Audiobook Title:
Sing To The Glory of God
By: Richard Paul

But over the last half-century, music directors, singers and even audiences have begun to raise troubling questions about some of the most widely recognized pieces in the repertoire, especially Bach?s Passions of St. Matthew and St. John. The problems are etched into the librettos, which contain dangerous anti-Judaic images, which have their point of origin in the Gospels themselves.

Confronted with the challenge of singing words that have been historically used to sanction hate, many chorus members are refusing to participate. Others have swallowed hard and sing pieces in their original German, hoping their audiences won?t notice the words. And some have begun to develop educational resources to identify and respond to the problems of religious intolerance.

Throughout the hour, Sandy Ungar, scholars and musicians provide a historical and literary context to guide the listener through a tangle of charges and counter-charges. Into the conversation, producer Richard Paul has woven the music that lies at heart of the dilemma.