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300 years on from its first performance, Hannah French explores Johann Sebastian Bach's masterful St John Passion, one of the most dramatic and ambitious pieces of religious music ever written.

The St John Passion was the crowning glory of Bach's first year in the top musical job in Leipzig, music that shattered the enforced silence of Lent in the town and brought the story of Jesus's arrest, trial and execution to life in a way no music had ever done before. Considering the piece within its original context, Hannah examines the role it played in the Good Friday Vespers service at St Nicholas's Church in Leipzig, and how it connected musically and theologically with the thousands of worshippers there in 1724.

She also places the music in the context of Johann Sebastian's personal life: his faith, his family, his job and his employers. Was Bach breaking the terms of his contract when he created such a powerful (and lengthy) piece? Did his eldest son, 13-year-old Wilhelm Friedemann, sing a solo? What relationship did Bach's second wife Anna Magdalene, a professional singer over 15 years his junior, have with this music?

From its awesome opening to the restful final chorus, through stunning arias and contemplative chorales, Hannah selects some highlights from the St John Passion to tell the story of this 300-year-old musical masterpiece.

Producer: David Fay.