(To ruin you an end of terror) for soprano, alto, tenor and bass, trumpet, strings and continuo

It is said that Bach’s musicians had precious little rehearsal time and often sight-read their performances. If this is true, the shock they must have suffered in the dim light of an autumn morning on 14 November 1725 would have been considerable: for the wild musical flurries that the cantor had written in their parts must have struck not a few with fear of the “terrible end” awaiting not just their mortal souls but also their musical careers. And no doubt many an unsuspecting church-goer would have emerged shaken to the core and desperately regretting their last round of boozing and cards…