SKU: A0.1115979

An easy piano arrangement of Bach's 'Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring.' The inner voices have been removed, whilst still retaining the melody and a simplified bassline. About the arranger: I have been playing and teaching piano for over 20 years, and hold a degree in music from Oxford University. I'm on a mission to make piano accessible to everyone who wants to enjoy the beauty of playing.

SKU: A0.1283479

Bach: Aria 'Mache dich, mein Herze, rein' for Bass Solo and Chamber Baroque Orchestra from the St Matthew Passion (BWV 244).

Discover timeless music with the Bach classic - 'Mache dich, mein Herze, Rein'! Enjoy the intricate and vibrant performance of the piece from the renowned Netherlands Bach Society. Perfect for both professional orchestras and soloists – as well for the joy of schools performing the revered composer's masterpiece. Get the perfect accompaniment for your performance with the authentic sheet music available now!

The aria 'Mache dich, mein Herze, rein' from the St Matthew Passion (BWV 244), performed here by the Netherlands Bach Society and conducted by Jos van Veldhoven for All of Bach. The St Matthew Passion tells the story of the last days of Jesus. He is betrayed, tried, crucified and buried. The lyrics were compiled by Picander (the pseudonym of Christian Friedrich Henrici), probably in close consultation with Bach himself. For their theme, they took the story as told by St Matthew the Evangelist. As different groups or people have their say, the singers get different roles – Christ, Judas, Peter, a slave girl, the pupils, the high priests, the people and the soldiers, etc. At key moments in the story, Bach and Picander added chorales and arias as a reflection of the biblical story. The action is suspended and the events are placed in the theological context of Bach’s day. The chorale lyrics and melodies come from the Lutheran hymn book, and were well known to the congregation in Leipzig. Even though Bach’s harmonies were new, everyone would have recognised the melody and the words. The lyrics for the opening and closing choruses and the arias were brand new, however. Both the arias and the chorales often link up seamlessly with the evangelical words. 

Advanced Intermediate
Format: Concert, 9 x 12 inches
51 pages

Program Notes

Mache dich, mein Herze, rein is a deeply poignant and emotional piece from the renowned work by Johann Sebastian Bach, St Matthew Passion (BWV 244). Written as a part of the 16th passion oratorio as a love song sung by Jesus to his disciples, this piece brilliantly conveys the struggle of redemption and longing for peace.


Accompanied by a chamber baroque orchestra, the stark vocal line is delivered with an intense intricacy by the bass solo. Each note is carefully laden with sincere emotion, imbuing within the words a sense of longing and deep sorrow. As the piece progresses, the reprise of the chorus adds a layer of reflection to the message, driving home the power of the connection between Christ and his disciples.


Mache dich, mein Herze, rein is a highly moving and truly remarkable piece of music that has rightly earned a place amongst Bach's most renowned works. Mache dich, mein Herze, rein is one of the most stunningly tender and moving chorales from Johann Sebastian Bach's monumental oratorio the St Matthew Passion (BWV 244). Originally written with a full choral accompaniment for the Easter Week Vespers of 1729, Bach's skilful reworking of the melody for bass and chamber baroque orchestra in the St Matthew Passion gives the solo voice a unique poignancy and fragility. The Lutheran chorale on which Bach based his composition speaks of hearts needing to be cleansed of sin and sorrow as they prepare to meet the Savior - an idea timeless in its poignancy and universality. Bach's arrangement is akin to a prayer of reflection and contemplation, the music's restrained dynamics and sighing counterpoint creating an atmosphere of resignation and acceptance. Mache dich, mein Herze, rein is a sublime masterpiece of sacred music, truly embodying the spirit of Easter.

SKU: A0.1234273

I offer an arrangement of Bach’s all-time favourite Jesus, Joy of Man’s Desiring for solo acoustic or classical guitar. I have arranged the piece in 4/4 time in a folk-fingerpicking style giving it something of an American folk-country character, perhaps verging on a gospel. The arrangement follows the original as faithfully as possible with the melody and choral sections interwoven. 

I think the piece survives the time-change operation beautifully, retaining the joyful and praiseful character of Bach’s original. The piece is a joy to play and to listen to.

The arrangement is accessible to intermediate to advanced students of acoustic or classical guitar. Any student of guitar who has mastered the basics of thumb-index-middle fingerpicking  (thumb, thumb, index, middle, thumb, index) will have fun with the piece.

I give extensive left hand fingering accompanied by tabs as a guide to the intermediate students of guitar. Right hand fingering is given for the first playing of the repetitive passages and in passages where it might be difficult for the performer to find appropriate  fingering. Otherwise I expect the fingering to be more or less self-evident, leaving it to the individual taste and style of the interpreting guitarist.

I have set the tempo to Presto for the arrangement to keep close to lively nature of the original, but the arrangement can also be played much slower, somewhere around Metronome 130. This results in a shift in mood towards a ragtime blues, verging on a spiritual. This great music is a never-ending source of inspiration.

The piece is a nice follow-up to my folk-fingerpicking arrangements for Freight Train and The Entertainer.