Today the church commemorates Kantor Johann Sebastian Bach, a gifted musician and servant of the church. Because of his combined musical creativity and fidelity to Christ, he has become known as the Fifth Evangelist.
Kantor Resch, in an essay in the first journal of the Good Shepherd Institute (which by the way is available as a complimentary download), mentions that Bach’s “unbelievable source of faithful confession, of teaching and admonishing, of prayer, of praise and thanksgiving, and of healing and comfort–has become a hidden treasure.” He goes on to write,
It is time for a sacred music reformation. It is time for coming home to a practice that is just waiting for pastors, kantors, church musicians, choirs, instrumentalists to pick up, learn well, teach lovingly to their people, and begin using again. We need to wake up to what we have! (The Gift of the Church’s Song: Sacred Music as Healing and Comfort, 96).
As a point of reference Resch quotes a selection from an article by Calvin Stapert entitled “Celebrating Bach’s Legacy to the Church: After 250 years, he still preaches powerfully through his music.” This is a worthwhile article to read — applying Bach and his philosophy and practice to our very day.
- Bach chorale harmonizations are without equal. We can make greater use of them than we do.
- Bach’s chorale preludes should be central to church organists’ repertoires. And they need not be limited to organ. Many of them can be arranged for instrumental ensembles.
- Although much of Bach’s vocal music is difficult, it includes movements that can be learned well by choirs of modest abilities.
- Those who compose new music for the church should study Bach’s music intensely. When Mozart first heard one of Bach’s motets, he exclaimed, “now, there is something one can learn from.” If Mozart could learn from Bach, then Bach has something to teach any composer.
- Not only composers can learn from Bach. We all can. Careful, devotional listening to his sacred vocal works–the cantatas, passion, and motets–can be wonderfully nourishing. No other composer wrote music that so vividly conveys the gospel and plumbs its depths of meaning.
Has this whetted your appetite for Bach? Well have the folks at the Good Shepherd Institute got something for you! The topic for this year’s conference is “Bach in Today’s Parish: Still the Evangelist”.
Before you finish reading, I’d like to share two of my favorite pieces from Bach. The first is the concluding chorale from the St. John Passion — Lord, Let at Last Thine Angel Come. The second is the organ chorale prelude on Wachet Auf (Wake, Awake). Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD5N0Ubpvns?t=8m58s