The trial before Pontius Pilate 12. Soldiers crown Jesus with thorns, mocking him 6. Soldiers mock Jesus 13. Death of Jesus, followed by an earthquake 8. Death of Jesus 15.
Chief priests demand the tomb be sealed.
Although the overall scope of St. Matthew's story is broader, individual scenes in St. John's version are longer, most notably, Christ's trial before Pilate. The tradition of setting the Passion story to music is almost as old as the gospels themselves. From the earliest times of formalized church music, the Passions were chanted by the priests. Since the texts are so long, many large portions of the Passion were performed on a reciting tone, were the words were sung rapidly without a set rhythm and without changing pitch. As music evolved, so did the composition of Passions.