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2014–2015 Series
MaY 17, 2015
The Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus
at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis
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Schedule of Concerts
23rd Season
BACH AT THE SEM – 2015-2016
Dr. Maurice Boyer, Music Director
OCTOBER 4, 2015, 3:00 p.m.
(PENTECOST 19, TRINITY 18)
J. S. Bach: Chorus from BWV 96, Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn; Duet for soprano & alto, ”Herr,
du siehst statt guter Werke,” from BWV 9, Es ist das Heiland kommen her; Cantata BWV 67, Halt im
Gedächtnis Jesum Christ; Chorus from BWV 148, Bringet dem Herrn die Ehren seines Namen
DECEMBER 13, 2015, 3:00 p.m.
(ADVENT 3)
J. S. Bach: Organ prelude on Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1; Cantata BWV 61, Nun komm,
der Heiden Heiland; Aria for bass, “Johannis freudenvolles springen,” from BWV 121, Christum wir sollen
loben schon; Cantata BWV 40, Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes; Chorus from BWV 1, Wie schön
leuchtet der Morgenstern
FEBRUARY 7, 2016, 3:00 p.m.
(TRANSFIGURATION)
J. S. Bach: Cantata BWV 127, Herr Jesu Christ, wahr Mensch und wahrer Gott; Concerto for violin in A
minor, BWV 1041, movement 2; Aria for alto with chorale, “Ich folge dir nach,” from BWV 159, Sehet!
Wir gehen hinauf gen Jerusalem; Cantata BWV 161, Komm, du süße Todesstunde; Cantata BWV 23,
Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn
MAY 15, 2016, 3:00 p.m.
(PENTECOST)
J.S. Bach: Cantata BWV 11, Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen; Aria for bass, “Es ist vollbracht,” from BWV
159, Sehet! Wir gehen hinauf gen Jerusalem; Organ prelude on Komm, heiliger Geist; Cantata BWV 34,
O ewiges Feuer
We are grateful to the “Friends of Bach at the Sem” for their continuing generosity that makes the
Bach at the Sem series possible.
Special thanks to:
Wayne Coniglio and “Eye-full Tower Records” for supporting Bach at the Sem by contributing a
portion of the fees related to the archival-only recording of the program.
Concordia Seminary is privileged to make J. S. Bach’s music available to the St. Louis community,
and invites your generous support for these uplifting concerts. If you have not received mailings from
Bach at the Sem and would like to be placed on the mailing list, please call 314-505-7009.
/BachAtTheSem
@BachAtTheSem
bach.csl.edu
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Bach at the Sem
May 17, 2015, 3:00 p.m.
Seventh Sunday of Easter
The American Kantorei
Dr. Jeral Becker, Assistant Conductor
In Nomine Jesu
Sinfonia: from Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats, BWV 42
Missa in G-Moll, BWV 235
(Mass in G minor)
Kyrie
1. Kyrie (Chorus)
Gloria
2. Gloria in excelsis Deo (Chorus)
3. Gratias agimus (Bass Aria – Jeffrey Heyl)
4. Domine Fili (Alto Aria – Stephanie Ruggles)
5. Qui tollis (Tenor Aria – Scott Kennebeck)
6. Cum Sancto Spiritu (Chorus)
Johann Sebastian Bach
Hymn: “This Joyful Eastertide”
The assembly stands to sing the hymn provided on page 9.
or in Lutheran Service Book (LSB) 482
Adagio and Fugue in D minor
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
The offerings received at this time support the Bach at the Sem concert series
Osteroratorium: Komm, eilet und laufet, BWV 249
(Easter Oratorio: Come, hasten and run)
1. Sinfonia
2. Adagio
3. Chorus
4. Recitative (Emily Truckenbrod, Katharine Lawton Brown, Scott Kennebeck, Jeffrey Heyl)
5. Soprano Aria (Emily Truckenbrod)
6. Recitative (Katharine Lawton Brown, Scott Kennebeck, Jeffrey Heyl)
7. Tenor Aria (Scott Kennebeck)
8. Recitative (Emily Truckenbrod, Katharine Lawton Brown)
9. Alto Aria (Katharine Lawton Brown)
10. Recitative (Jeffrey Heyl)
11. Chorus
Soli Deo Gloria
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Program Notes
Both of today’s pieces fall into a category that has long
Chorus – “Gloria in excelsis Deo”
plagued their valuation: that of parody. As re-workings
Aria – “…Domine Deus, Rex coelestis…”
of pre-existing material, they have unjustly been
Aria – “…qui tollis peccata mundi…”
perceived as lesser utterances. Thankfully, in recent
Aria – “…tu solus sanctus…”
years they have gained greater appreciation as the
Chorus – “Cum Sancto Spiritu”
subtleties of Bach’s remodeling or remolding of his
own works have been further explored and better
In the G minor Mass, this cruciform structure of the
understood.
Gloria is embedded in the overall harmonic unfolding.
In the Baroque Period, the succession of keys had
In the corpus of Bach’s oeuvre, one encounters at least
allegorical significance. Increasing numbers of
three types of parodies: from secular to secular, secular
sharps or decreasing numbers of flats implied ascent.
to sacred, and sacred to sacred, but never sacred to
Conversely, fewer sharps or increasing flats signified
secular. Today’s program gives examples of the sacreddescent (see diagram below).
to-sacred type (the Mass) and the secular-to-sacred type
(the Oratorio). With the latter, the situation is elusive,
but one can aver that the sacred text embodies more
fully the richness of the music. With the Mass, one
stands on firmer ground. Here, the Latin text is subtly
backlit by the original German text. Such layering
creates multiple strata of meaning, semantic polyphony.
On March 15, the American Kantorei performed the
three cantatas that form the basis of the present work.
MASS IN G MINOR
All were composed within a few months of each
other in 1726: January 27, August 4, and August 25
Sometime between 1737-8 and 1747-8, J.S. Bach
(see below for the provenance of each movement).
composed four concerted Missae: F major (BWV 233),
A major (BWV 234), G minor (BWV 235) and G major
Kyrie – BWV 102/1
(BWV 236). Unlike the B minor Mass, these so-called
Gloria
Lutheran Masses, or Missae breves, comprise only the
Gloria in excelsis Deo – BWV 72/1
Kyrie and the Gloria of the Ordinary of the Mass. While
Gratias agimus tibi – BWV 187/4
no actual performance dates are on record, it is known
Domine Deus – BWV 187/3
that in Bach’s time in Leipzig a concerted setting of
Qui tollis – BWV 187/5
these portions of the liturgy would have been expected
Cum Sancto Spiritu – BWV 187/1
on primary festival days: Advent Sunday, Christmas,
Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity and a few other
KYRIE
celebrations. It is therefore probable that these pieces
For the Kyrie, Bach turned to the masterful opening
were heard on a number of occasions before the end of
chorus from Cantata BWV 102 (“Herr, deine Augen sehen
the composer’s life.
nach dem Glauben” – Lord, Your eyes look for faith).
The original text from Jeremiah portrays God as seeking
All four Masses follow a similar structure: a threefaith in His people. Finding none, He tries by all means
part Kyrie—either seamlessly flowing or with pauses
to call His own back, but without success. Backlit by
between sections—and a five-part Gloria. While the
such words, the plea for mercy gains in poignancy and
latter’s text is not broken up the same way in each
specificity: one asks for mercy for having wandered
piece, what remains consistently at the center, in the
away in lack of faith. Throughout the original movement,
second aria, is the One who takes away the sins of the
“Herr!” (Lord) is uttered imploringly. Here, it fittingly
world, the Christ. This overall symmetrical design, of
becomes “Kyrie” (Lord). Bach must have felt that text
which Bach makes much use in his oeuvre, is crossand music were so well matched that little revision was
shaped or chiastic, from the Greek letter X ([ch]), the
needed. In effect, the movement is exactly the same
first letter of Christ in Greek.
length as its predecessor and remains largely untouched
apart from necessary adjustments to suit the new text
and some details of voice leading.
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GLORIA
“Domine Fili”
At the heart of the Gloria and more broadly of Christian
theology stands the Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes
away the sins of the world to redeem humanity. Bach
underlines this Christo-centrism by placing the present
text/aria at the point of articulation of the Gloria. It is
the axis around which everything else turns.
“Gloria in excelsis Deo”
For the first section of the Gloria, Bach turned to the
opening movement of BWV 72 (“All solely according
to God’s will”). Here, the original 17-bar instrumental
introduction is abandoned, and the chorus bursts in
immediately with the joyous song of the angels. It is
astonishing how well the new text fits the affect of
the pre-existing music. Ebullient upward melismatic
material is given to “Gloria in excelsis Deo” and
“Laudamus te.” “Adoramus te” is in longer note
values. The most strikingly potent marriage of text and
music is for “Et in terra pax.” In Cantata BWV 72, the
corresponding text is “God’s will should calm me.”
It had been pointed out last March that two quarter
notes (“al-les” – all) permeate nearly every bar of the
movement. The figure has been altered in the choral
parts to accommodate the three syllables of “Gloria,”
but the orchestra still utters this figure throughout. The
symbolism is that all creation sings “Glory to God in
the highest.”
This aria is a substantial revision of the alto aria from
BWV 187. Bach does not merely “paste” a new text
upon pre-existing material. Rather, the entire fabric
of the aria—instrumental accompaniment, vocal line,
structure—is reworked. The original aria depicts God’s
“crowning the year with good,” fructifying the land, and
“by [His] grace, [bestowing] goodness upon all.” For the
new aria, Bach retains the lean instrumentation (oboes
and strings), the settled key (B-flat major) and the
easily lilting meter (3/8). Overall affect is thus preserved.
However, in addition to many detailed alterations, the
composer extends the aria’s length by 38 bars, from
171 to 209. Furthermore, the harmonic vocabulary is
substantively chromaticized, and the overall harmonic
trajectory becomes one of steady downward progression
into increasing numbers of flats. Beginning in B-flat
major, it unspools downward the whole way to the
parallel minor, B-flat minor (6 flats), only to be pulled
back up quite suddenly to B-flat major in the last 12
bars. In Baroque theoretical discourse, flat keys were
termed “mollis” (soft) and sharp keys “durus” (hard).
This “flat-ward” descent embodies the abasement of
the Son of God who made Himself weak to redeem
humanity “from below,” from within.
“Gratias agimus tibi”
In its original context (BWV 187/4), this movement
was in G minor and also sung by a bass, who, as the
Vox Christi, exhorts not to worry about what one may
eat, drink, or wear because “your heavenly Father”
already knows about these needs. While it would not
have been necessary to do so (the Mass is in G minor),
Bach nonetheless chooses to transpose the aria down a
fourth to D minor. While the tessitura of the vocal line
drops, the choice of keys represents in fact a harmonic
ascent (as seen above). The harmonic ascent may well
be depictive of the height of the “Domine Deus, Rex
coelestis” (Lord God, King of Heaven) but also of
the lifting up of thanks. This offering up of gratitude
is further evinced in Bach’s rewriting of one of the
recurring thematic strands played by the violins at
cadential points. In the cantata, this line is a descending
figure in direct correspondence with the notion of
God’s bestowal of care. In the Mass, Bach uses the
same material but inverts it into an ascending figure.
Furthermore, the kinship of the German and Latin texts
is plain: the Father of the German text, who knows the
needs of His children, is the Mass’s “Pater omnipotens,”
the One who is revealed through the Vox Christi—the
Father is known through the Son.
One might add that, despite the manifold revisions’
darker hues, the bright original text and its generous
affect bespeaking mercy echo through the new setting—
even if only for Bach and those who perceive the
provenance of the new work. Behind the plea for mercy
addressed to the “Lamb of God” stands God’s abundant
and merciful provision. Humanity’s fundamental plea
has been answered, its fundamental need having been
met/ encountered in Christ.
“Qui tollis peccata mundi”
For the next two lines of text, Bach recasts the soprano
aria of BWV 187 (“God cares for all life”) as a tenor
aria. Instrumentation (oboe and basso continuo) and key
(E-flat major) remain the same.
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This aria and the “Domine Fili,” out of which it flows,
are textually connected: they deal with the identity
of the One who takes away the sins of the world and
give voice to the community’s prayer for mercy. Bach
solidifies their unity by relating them harmonically:
the alto aria’s B-flat is the dominant of the tenor aria’s
E-flat. While the former explores the lowest harmonic
depths of the entire Mass at the micro level, i.e., within a
single movement, the latter is the lowest harmonic point
at the macro level, i.e., in the overall unfolding of the
Mass. It further depicts symbolically the abasement of
the Christ. However, being in the major mode, its affect
is sweetened. With nothing but musical means, Bach
highlights that this is Good News.
The final chord of the movement, and of the Mass, is a
mere quarter note long (just like the final chord of the
Easter Oratorio) with no fermata extending its length.
In Cantata BWV 187/1, the text is about everything
waiting upon the Lord, who will provide in due season.
There, the short final chord opens up onto the rest of
the cantata, where substantiation of God’s provision is
given. Here, Bach might have added a fermata to bring
summative finality. Instead he chooses not to alter the
ending, which opens up onto silence. The wind of the
Spirit blows whither it will…
EASTER ORATORIO
The genesis of the Easter Oratorio is complex due in
part to the multiplicity of the source materials and the
historical record. The work originated during Lent 1725
(February 23) as a secular cantata in celebration of the
Duke of Weiβenfels’ birthday. Within a few weeks, it
was refashioned into a sacred cantata for performance
on Easter Sunday (April 1, 1725), three days after the
second version of the St. John Passion. Over time,
Bach would revisit and revise the piece for one more
secular and three sacred occasions. The second known
performance of the sacred version was in 1738, for
which he created a fair copy of the score, referring to
it for the first time as an “Oratorio.” Between 1743
and 1746, he returned to the piece once more for final
revisions, the most notable of which was assigning the
A section of the third movement to the chorus rather
than two soloists (tenor and bass).
The regal French Overture’s A section reminds the
listener that the One who takes away the sins of the
world is King. Employing modest forces (tenor, oboe,
and bass line), Bach shows that this King redefines
royalty. Behind the B section’s fleet-footed lightness in
3/8 meter is the text of the original aria: “Vanish you
anxieties; His faithfulness keeps me also in mind.” The
One who “alone is the Lord, is the Most High, Jesus
Christ” has indeed heard the pleas for mercy.
“Cum Sancto Spiritu”
This movement is a reworking of the first movement
of Cantata BWV 187, “Everything waits upon You,”
whose expansive instrumental introduction (27-bar) has
been eliminated in favor of a 7-bar introductory choral
statement. Beginning in C minor, the relative minor
of the previous movement’s key (E-flat), it eventually
wends its way upward to the Mass’s opening key, G
minor, finally cadencing on a G major chord. Apart
from this alteration, a few minor changes and the natural
adjustments necessitated by the change of text, the
movement remains to a great extent untouched.
The poet for the original cantata was Picander (pen
name of Christian Friedrich Henrici) who would go on
to collaborate with Bach for a number of years. It is
conjectured, though not proven, that Bach commissioned
him to write a new text for the existing music. Despite
the degree of Bach’s involvement (if any) remaining
lost to history, it is possible to entertain the notion that
Bach may have guided the poet along in the process.
The German text has to do with God sustaining His
creation and providing what it needs “in due season.”
In choosing BWV 187/1 for the “Cum Sancto Spiritu,”
Bach reveals his rich theological understanding. In
effect, the persons of the Trinity – Father, Son and
Holy Spirit – are also known respectively as Creator,
Redeemer, and Sustainer. While speaking of text
painting in a parodied work may be a bit of a tenuous
endeavor, it seems possible to suggest that the fugue
subject in BWV 187/1, “When You give to them, they
gather,” with its repeated quarter notes and fast-moving
sixteenth notes becomes depictive of the wind of the
Spirit in this new setting.
The Gospel reading for Easter Sunday in the Historical
Lectionary is Mark 16:1-8, the shorter ending of the
Gospel. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and
Salome arrive at the tomb to embalm Jesus. There, they
are met by a young man who tells them that Jesus is not
there – He has risen from the dead. The man enjoins them
to share the news with “the disciples and Peter.” The
women run away trembling and amazed (or in
astonishment; the Greek word “ecstasis” did eventually
yield the word “ecstasy”). There are no post-resurrection
appearances in Mark.
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Unlike the Passions, where an Evangelist tells the story
directly from Scripture and soloists reflect upon it in
arias, the Easter Oratorio is a poetic paraphrase of the
Easter narrative. While the libretto alludes to all the
Gospels, it does not unfold chronologically or even
logically. In fact, it re-imagines what it may have been
like for the anxious followers of Jesus who, confounded
by the harrowing events of the preceding days, did not
yet know what to make of them or how to fathom the
news of their master and friend’s resurrection.
If one accepts that the first three movements act as one,
then the tenor aria finds itself at the heart of the Oratorio.
Here, Peter beholds the shroud, or more literally
the “sweat cloth” (viz. Jesus’ brow sweating drops
of blood in Luke’s Gospel). Alluding to Revelation
22:4 – “And God shall wipe all tears from their eyes,
and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor
crying” – the soloist asserts in a startling image that
the very cloth that absorbed Jesus’ sweat will provide
ultimate consolation. The cloth stands metonymically
for Christ’s suffering and travail to vanquish death and
redeem humanity. Death has become but a slumber.
In its initial version, the Easter Cantata (BWV 249a),
the soloists were characters in the biblical narrative:
Mary the mother of James (soprano), Mary Magdalene
(alto), Peter (tenor), and John (bass). These names
appear neither in the 1738 autograph score nor in any
materials thereafter. Today, although we will largely be
performing the final version of the piece, we will retain
the names of the characters for dramatic reasons.
The impassioned alto aria turns to the Gospel of John.
There, Mary Magdalene finds the tomb empty and,
believing that Jesus’ body has been taken away (stolen),
weeps. Eventually Jesus Himself comes to her and asks
her why she is weeping. Not recognizing Him, she
pleads with the man to tell her where the body of Jesus
has been taken so that she can take it away herself. All
Jesus needs to do is call her by her name for her to
recognize Him.
The opening three movements (Sinfonia-AdagioChorus) function as a unit, something of a hybrid
concerto. The outer movements, dance-like in 3/8, depict
the running to the tomb and capture the exhilaration
brought about by the news of Jesus’ rising from the
dead. The inner movement is inward and plangent—the
significance of the last days hasn’t fully registered. The
text of the third movement enjoins the listener to rush to
the cavern that held Jesus. This is an allusion to Luke’s
Gospel where, in response to the startling news, Peter
runs to the tomb to see for himself. The “laughing and
jesting” of the B section is a reference to Psalm 126:
The final movement, bi-partite in structure, erupts
grandly with joy in 4/4 meter. Its B section then
returns to the fast-paced 3/8 meter of the first and
third movements, with voices entering canonically as
if ecstatically interrupting one another. It bursts forth
and rushes to its end. Returning to the Gospel of Mark,
one can see that it has no neat ending: it doesn’t wrap
things up. The lens having first increasingly narrowed
and the vice tightened toward the Crucifixion, in the
final lines of the Gospel, the lens opens wide and
the vice forcefully releases. In the ensuing silence,
the echoes of all that has transpired reverberate like
aftershocks. The trembling is not only fear or terror, it is
also unfathomable expectation – shaking with wonder.
With no fermata on the final chord, the Easter Oratorio
similarly opens out onto the victory of “the Lion of Judah.”
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy; […]
The Lord has done great things for us and
we rejoiced.
After this jubilant triptych, the four recitatives and three
arias zoom in on individual characters and their dealing
with the significance of Jesus’ death. Mary the mother
of James (soprano) wonders what she is to do with the
spices she has brought. Embalming with myrrh is an
act of caring for the deceased one and, in a sense, also
a way of finding comfort in handling the body of the
departed. Addressing her own anxious soul, she comes
to understand that only recognizing this death as victory
(“blazing with laurel”) will still her anguished heart.
Maurice Boyer
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Text and Translation
Messe in G moll, BWV 235
Mass in G Minor – J. S. Bach
5. Aria (Tenor)
Qui tollis peccata mundi,
Thou that takest away the sins of the world,
suscipe deprecationem nostram.
Receive our prayer.
Qui sedes ad dexteram patris,
Thou that sittest at the right hand of the Father,
miserere nobis.
have mercy upon us.
Quoniam tu solus sanctus,
For Thou only art holy;
tu solus Dominus,
Thou only art the Lord;
tu solus altissimus Jesu Christe.
O Jesus Christ, art most high,
1. Chorus (S A T B)
Kyrie eleison,
Lord, have mercy,
Christe eleison,
Christ, have mercy,
Kyrie eleison.
Lord, have mercy.
2. Chorus (S A T B)
Gloria in excelsis Deo,
Glory be to God on high,
et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.
and on earth peace to men of good will.
Laudamus te, benedicimus te,
We praise Thee, we bless Thee.
adoramus te, glorificamus te.
We worship Thee, we glorify Thee.
6. Chorus (S A T B)
Cum Sancto Spiritu in gloria Dei Patris, amen.
with the Holy Ghost in the glory of God
the Father. Amen.
3. Aria (Bass)
Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam
gloriam tuam.
We give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory.
Domine Deus, Rex coelestis,
O Lord God, heavenly King,
Deus Pater omnipotens,
God the Father Almighty,
Kommt, eilet und laufet. BWV 249:
Come, Hurry and Run
Oster-Oratorium: Easter Oratorio – J. S. Bach
1. Sinfonia
2. Adagio
3. Chorus (S A T B)
Kommt, eilet und laufet, ihr flüchtigen Füße,
Come, hurry and run, you swift feet,
Erreichet die Höhle, die Jesum bedeckt!
reach the cave that sheltered Jesus !
Lachen und Scherzen
Laughter and banter
Begleitet die Herzen,
accompany our hearts,
Denn unser Heil ist auferweckt.
for our Saviour is raised from the dead.
Kommt, eilet und laufet, ihr flüchtigen Füße,
Come, hurry and run, you swift feet,
Erreichet die Höhle, die Jesum bedeckt!
reach the cave that sheltered Jesus !
4. Aria (Alto)
Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe,
O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ,
Domine Deus, agnus Dei, Filius Patris.
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.
Qui tollis peccata mundi,
Thou that takest away the sins of the world,
miserere nobis.
have mercy upon us.
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4. Recitative (A S T B)
Mary Magdalene
O kalter Männer Sinn!
O men of cold heart,
Wo ist die Liebe hin,
where has the love gone
Die ihr dem Heiland schuldig seid?
that you owe to the Savior ?
Mary, mother of James
Ein schwaches Weib muß euch beschämen!
A weak woman puts you to shame!
Peter
Ach, ein betrübtes Grämen
Ah, a distressing grief
John
Und banges Herzeleid
and anxious heartache
Peter, John
Hat mit gesalznen Tränen
has, with salty tears
Und wehmutsvollem Sehnen
and melancholy longing,
Ihm eine Salbung zugedacht,
intended an anointing for Him,
Mary Magdalene; Mary, mother of James
Die ihr, wie wir, umsonst gemacht.
which you, as we, have prepared in vain.
6. Recitative (T B A)
Peter
Hier ist die Gruft
Here is the tomb,
John
Und hier der Stein,
and here the stone
Der solche zugedeckt.
that covered it.
Wo aber wird mein Heiland sein?
But where might my Savior be?
Mary Magdalene
Er ist vom Tode auferweckt!
He has risen from the dead!
Wir trafen einen Engel an,
We met an angel
Der hat uns solches kundgetan.
who proclaimed this to us.
Peter
Hier seh ich mit Vergnügen
I behold here with delight
Das Schweißtuch abgewickelt liegen.
the shroud [lit. sweat-cloth] lying unwound.
7. Aria (Tenor – Peter)
Sanfte soll mein Todeskummer
Gently shall my death’s sorrow be
Nur ein Schlummer,
only a slumber,
Jesu, durch dein Schweißtuch sein.
Jesus, through Your shroud [lit. sweat-cloth].
Ja, das wird mich dort erfrischen
Yes, that will refresh me there
Und die Zähren meiner Pein
and the tears of my suffering
Von den Wangen tröstlich wischen.
it will wipe comfortingly from my cheeks.
Sanfte soll mein Todeskummer
Gently shall my death’s sorrow be
Nur ein Schlummer,
only a slumber,
Jesu, durch dein Schweißtuch sein.
Jesus, through Your shroud.
5. Aria (Soprano - Mary, mother of James)
Seele, deine Spezereien
Soul, your spices
Sollen nicht mehr Myrrhen sein.
need no longer be myrrh,
Denn allein
for only
Mit dem Lorbeerkranze prangen,
with the crowning of the laurel wreath
Stillt dein ängstliches Verlangen.
will your anxious longing be calmed.
Seele, deine Spezereien
Soul, your spices
Sollen nicht mehr Myrrhen sein.
need no longer be myrrh.
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8. Recitative / Arioso (S A)
Mary, mother of James ; Mary Magdalene
Indessen seufzen wir
Meanwhile we sigh
Mit brennender Begier:
with ardent desire:
Ach, könnt es doch nur bald geschehen,
Ah, might it only soon happen,
Den Heiland selbst zu sehen!
to see the Savior Himself!
10. Recitative (Bass - John)
Wir sind erfreut,
We are overjoyed
Daß unser Jesus wieder lebt,
that our Jesus lives again
Und unser Herz,
and our heart,
So erst in Traurigkeit zerflossen und geschwebt
at first dissolved and suspended in grief,
Vergißt den Schmerz
forgets the pain
Und sinnt auf Freudenlieder;
and imagines songs of joy;
Denn unser Heiland lebet wieder.
for our Savior lives again.
9. Aria (Alto - Mary Magdalene)
Saget, saget mir geschwinde
Tell me, tell me quickly,
Saget, wo ich Jesum finde,
tell where I may find Jesus
Welchen meine Seele liebt!
whom my soul loves!
Komm doch, komm, umfasse mich;
Come then, come, embrace me,
Denn mein Herz ist ohne dich
for without You my heart is
Ganz verwaiset und betrübt.
completely orphaned and distressed.
Saget, saget mir geschwinde
Tell me, tell me quickly,
Saget, wo ich Jesum finde,
tell where I may find Jesus
Welchen meine Seele liebt!
whom my soul loves!
11. Chorus (S A T B)
Preis und Dank
Praise and thanks
Bleibe, Herr, dein Lobgesang.
remain, Lord, Your song of praise.
Höll und Teufel sind bezwungen,
Hell and the devil are conquered;
Ihre Pforten sind zerstört.
their gates are destroyed.
Jauchzet, ihr erlösten Zungen,
Shout for joy, you rescued tongues,
Daß man es im Himmel hört.
that it may be heard in heaven.
Eröffnet, ihr Himmel, die prächtigen Bogen,
Open, you heavens, the splendid vaults!
Der Löwe von Juda kommt siegend gezogen!
The Lion of Judah comes, raised in triumph!
8
5/4/15 3:46 PM
This Joyful Eastertide LSB 482
9
5/4/15 3:46 PM
Dr. Maurice Boyer is associate professor of music at Concordia University Chicago (CUC), where he conducts the chamber
orchestra and Laudate, a women’s choir, and teaches all levels of Ear Training. Although born in the United States,
he began his musical training (piano, voice, and solfège) in Aix-en-Provence, France, where he lived until the age of 18.
Boyer earned a Bachelor of Music in sacred music, with piano as his principal instrument, and a Master of Music in
choral conducting at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey, where he also studied
theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in orchestral conducting from the
University of Maryland, College Park. His principal conducting teachers have been Joseph Flummerfelt, Kenneth
Kiesler, and James Ross.
Boyer also is artistic director of Aestas Consort of Chicago, the Heritage Chorale of Oak Park, and assistant conductor
of the Symphony of Oak Park River Forest. He has served as guest conductor of the Chicago Choral Artists and guest
chorus master for Chicago’s Music of the Baroque. Additionally, he has been chorus master of the New Jersey State
Opera and director of music at several churches.
10
5/4/15 3:46 PM
The American Kantorei
Chorus
Soprano
Emily Truckenbrod, Principal Jean Baue
Katherine Gastler
Megan Glass
Krista Hartmann
Marita Hollander
Camille Marolf
Jenny Maske
Alto
Katharine Lawton Brown, Principal
Stephanie Ruggles, Assistant Principal
Danielle Gines
Mona Hauser
Sarah J. Ludwig
Ashley Mommens
Anna Woell
Lisa Young
Tenor
Scott Kennebeck, Principal
Jeral Becker, Assoc. Principal
Greg Gastler
Thomas Jarrett (Jerry) Bolain
Bill Larson
Ryan Markel
Steve Paquette
Bass
Jeffrey Heyl, Principal
Joe Beran
Gary Lessmann
Dan Maske
Greg Upchurch
Michael Wenz
Kyle Will
Orchestra
Violin 1
Wanda Becker, Concertmaster
Christine Sasse
Tova Braitberg
Oboe / Oboe d’amore
Ann Homann, Principal
Oboe
Eileen Burke
Violin II
Kaoru Wada, Principal
Marilyn Park Ellington
Margret Heyl
Bassoon
Robert Mottl
Trumpet
John Korak, Principal
Robert Souza
Mary Weber
Viola
Sarah Borchelt, Principal
Stephen Luehrman
Timpani
Chris Treloar
Cello
Andrew Ruben
Positiv (Continuo) Organ
Melissa Niemeyer
Double Bass
Frederick DeVaney
Chapel Organ
David Johnson
Flute
Paula Kasica, Principal
Jennifer Adams
11
5/4/15 3:46 PM
Welcome to Bach at the Sem!
Today’s concert marks the close of Music Director Maurice Boyer’s inaugural
season. On behalf of Concordia Seminary, I am pleased to thank Dr. Boyer and
the American Kantorei for their leadership and excellence as Bach at the Sem
enters this new era in its valued contribution to our community. Following
the distinguished service of Maestro Robert Bergt and the interim conductors
after his death, the future now is filled with promise. For this promise to be
realized, for this wonderful series to continue, we express our appreciation for
your attendance today and seek your financial support, as you are able and in
appreciation for these concerts.
Relatively untrained in music, I cannot grasp the genius of Bach’s music but
I can appreciate it, and do. What I do understand full well are Bach’s texts,
because they describe the emotions of life and faith, and in them I can see my
own spiritual struggles and journey to God. “We are delighted that our Jesus
lives once more and our hearts, at first dissolved and suspended in grief, forget
the pain and imagine songs of joy” (Easter Oratorio). Again, we thank you for
your presence. Please enjoy today’s concert.
Dale A. Meyer
President
Join Us!
A Special Reception with Dr. Maurice Boyer
Music Director for the Bach at the Sem Concert Series
After the 3:00 p.m. concert
Koburg Hall on the Seminary Campus
All are welcome!
12
5/4/15 3:46 PM
Always and Forever
O Holy Night
season XIV
December 6
Salem United
Methodist Church
Shalom House beneﬁt
with Christine Brewer
March 7, 2015
St. Gabriel the
Archangel
Catholic Church
Requiem
December 7
Resurrection
Lutheran Church
Feed My People beneﬁt
with special guests
St. Gabriel Chancel Choir
Mary Beth Wittry, Director
Salem UMC Chancel Choir
a concert in honor of women
O For !e Lov"...
and mothers
May 9, 2015
Venue TBA
check website for details
american chamber chorale
Stephen Morton
american
chamber chorale
��
season XIV
2014
- 2015
For tickets and information,
visit
americanchamberchorale.com
americanchamberchorale.com
or call (314) 638-0793
APPLAUSE!
Providing a showcase for the St. Louis arts to thrive
and flourish for years to come is the mission of
RAF-STL.
Philip Barnes
Artistic Director
Join one of the country's best a cappella
choirs for our 59th season!
2014~2015
Mendelssohn & Judith Bingham
Donate on-line today at rafstl.org/support-raf.
October 5 • 3pm
St. Louis Abbey • 500 S Mason Road • Creve Coeur • 63141
Juan Gutierrez de Padilla & Heitor Villa-Lobos
November 9 • 3pm
St. Cecilia Catholic Church • 5418 Louisiana Ave • St. Louis • 63111
Palestrina & Herbert Howells
December 21 • 3pm
First Presbyterian Church Kirkwood • 100 E. Adams Ave • Kirkwood • 63122
Milhaud & Purcell
February 15 • 3pm
Christ Church Cathedral • 1210 Locust Street • St. Louis • 63103
Kodály & Vaughan Williams
April 12 • 3pm
St. Mary of Victories Catholic Church • 744 S 3rd St • St. Louis • 63102
William Billings & Richard Rodney Bennett
May 31 • 3pm
Union Avenue Christian Church • 733 Union Blvd • St. Louis 63108
Follow us:
7711 Carondelet | Suite 302 | Saint Louis, MO 63105
314-881-3523 | RAFSTL.ORG
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Subscribe and Save! For tickets or a brochure call
636-458-4343
chamberchorus.org
5/4/15 3:43 PM
You Can Bless and Enrich Lives!
Bach’s amazing music continues to bless and enrich lives because people like you have not only appreciated the
music personally, but have made provisions to make it possible for new generations to experience the highest
quality performances of not only his music but also that of other master composers of the Christian musical
heritage. This wonderful music still touches the lives of people of all ages and all beliefs.
“Friends of Bach at the Sem” make it possible for children, students, families and members of the community to
be enriched by the professional, live performances that Bach at the Sem has delivered for 21 uplifting seasons.
With a full schedule of Sunday concerts featuring the American Kantorei, now is the perfect time for you to
experience the joy of being one of the patrons who make Bach at the Sem possible.
By becoming a “Friend of Bach at the Sem” you will have the satisfaction of enriching others just as you have
been blessed and enriched.
Pledges, checks, and credit card donations are welcomed. Please use the envelope provided.
Or, to ask questions or donate by phone, please call: 1-800-822-5287.
Bach at the Sem Sponsorship
Friends of Bach at the Sem
Concert Sponsor
Conductor Sponsor
Reception Sponsor
Board Sponsor $1,000
Guest Sponsor $500
Friend Sponsor $100
$10,000
$5,000
$2,500
For more information about sponsoring Bach at the Sem,
please call 314-505-7009, visit bach.csl.edu, or email [email protected].
x
Concordia Seminary
801 Seminary Place
St. Louis, MO 63105
314-505-7000
www.csl.edu
5/4/15 3:43 PM

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