Justin Appel

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today’s readings include a long passage from Luke chapter 7 about St. John the Baptist. The verses in question contain Jesus’ assessment of John:

“What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ‘see, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’”

This seems a perfect opportunity to refer to anthems on the subject of John the Baptist. One relatively unknown example is the Anthem of St John the Baptist by Arvo Pärt, commissioned by the Choir of St John’s College, Oxford. This work focuses on the first meeting between John and Jesus, recounted in John 1:29-34.

This evocative anthem incorporates an introspective ‘desert music’ figure in the organ part and occasionally chromatic choral parts, but the whole piece retains a solidly tonal, ‘diatonic’ sound. In fact, some of the progressions sound a bit like Baroque music, but then dissolve into a unique ‘Pärtian’ vocabulary. In all, the Pärt’s musical language remains sparce and meditative, echoing the ascetic environment associated with St John.

I hope you enjoy hearing this work, possibly for the first time.

Yours in Christ,
Justin