When I think of Bach and his death, the first thing that comes to mind is the closing chorale to his St. John Passion.  He closes this Passion with the final stanza of Martin Schalling’s hymn text “Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart.” (Starts at 8:58 in the YouTube video).

Lord, let at last Thine angels come,
To Abr’hams bosom bear me home,
That I may die unfearing;
And in its narrow chamber keep
My body safe in peaceful sleep
Until Thy reappearing.
And then from death awaken me,
That these mine eyes with joy may see,
O Son of God, Thy glorious face,
My Savior and my fount of grace.
Lord Jesus Christ, my prayer attend,
my prayer attend,
And I will praise Thee without end. (LSB 708, st. 3)

Bach’s setting has endeared me more and more to this hymn.  It is a hymn of trust, of hope, of comfort, and of joy for the Christian who looks to the gracious face and work of Christ in the midst of their own death and eventual resurrection.  For good reason, this hymn has accompanied many on the journey to their Savior.  At nearly every funeral I’m the organist for, I’ll play either the Walther or Krebs (usually both) organ settings of this hymn as pre-service music (along with pieces by Bach).

So today I thank God for the work and faith of Bach and the treasures he left behind that have enriched us (for me particularly the organ chorales and sacred choral music).  Here are several posts from the archive vault on Bach and one of my favorite musical pieces.  Soli Deo Gloria.

• J.S. Bach: Kantor for Today
• Bach in Today’s Parish: Still the Evangelist

Thanks for reading J.S. Bach: The Music Lives On.

“What Would Bach Do Today?” by Paul Grime

Dr. Grime (Dean of the Chapel at Concordia Theological Seminary) has a clever alternate title for his paper: WWJD: What Would Johann Do? It is a provocative question to consider and Dr. Grime explores the possibilities for today’s church musicians.  If I had to summarize it one sentence, it would be: Don’t operate with your blinders on.  Bach worked within and had an understanding of both the church and culture and sacred and secular.  While we now experience different circumstances from Bach, Grime doesn’t impose artificial limitations on the musician, but encourages exploration and freedom.

But it will only be through trial and error that we will be able to press on to that next fresh expression of the grace of God, using His incredible gift of music to awaken faith in our generation and the next. Bach would expect nothing less!

“The Global Importance of Bach Today” by Uwe Siemon-Netto

Given Uwe Siemon-Netto’s background as a reporter, it is not surprising that his paper reads like a feature article – an engaging article.  He shows how Bach’s music transcends cultures and social classes and “speaks” to all sorts of people.  Even Bach’s instrumental music, he contends, can bring people to Christianity.  But he also laments the apathy of the theological/musical heirs of Bach toward this musical tradition (specifically in reference to the sale of a certain radio station owned by a certain church body in a certain mid-western city).  Another enlightening reading opportunity.

Thanks for reading Bach in Today’s Parish: Still the Evangelist.

Organists take note: you might be envious of this practice organ.  He’s playing a 4 manual digital organ running Hauptwerk (a robust software program that “runs” the virtual pipe organ) with touch screen stop jams.  A very versatile instrument.   I’ll remain content with my 2-manual Allen practice organ.

Thanks for reading A Bach Gem From YouTube.

I found it thought provoking to read of a Japanese woman, who probably like many others, found what God’s love means to Christians, but has resisted the leap of faith.   Yet people still flock to listen to Bach.  Why?  Masaki Suzuki, founder and conductor of the Bach Collegium Japan, suggests that the Japanese want to know what “hope” means for Christians in this time of spiritual poverty.

Choir/musical directors take note: Masaaki Suzuki teaches the Scripture during rehearsals.  That’s a good thing to do even in a musical group composed of Christians — especially if we are rehearsing sacred music.  Our hope is in the Word and what Christ has done.

Thanks for reading Bach and Japan.

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

Thanks for reading J.S. Bach: Kantor for Today.

One of the points Cholak brings out in the cantata analysis is the intimate relationship between text and music.  The music was not indifferent — it helped to support and interpret the text.

. . . the Gottestienst experience is not a mono-sense experience, but that our Lord engages all of our first article gifts to convey his love.  It is not just something to be read, but becomes alive in the very eyes, ears, and all our members he has given us.

P.S.  The complete works of Bach on 155 CDs are available from Amazon for $90.99 – only $0.58/CD!  60 of those CDs contain the cantatas.  I can’t vouch for the performance quality, but I still have enjoyed listening to the treasures of Bach.

Thanks for reading Bach’s Road to Leipzig.

Over the last two weeks I have been reading “Music for the Church: The Life and Work of Walter E. Buszin” by Kirby L. Koriath with 10 essays by Walter E. Buszin. As a brief summary, Buszin (1899-1973) was a Lutheran theologian, church musician, music editor, hymnologist, teacher, and liturgical scholar whose scholarly output is quite amazing. In some respects his work was more widely known outside of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) despite being a professor at Concordia Seminary, music editor at Concordia Publishing House, and being on the Synod’s Commission on Worship, Liturgics, and Hymnology for 26 years.

This book presents today’s generation of pastors and church musicians with wise counsel on church music and liturgy. Buszin’s life shows a “mission of restoration and renewal in Lutheran church music and worship” (pg 27). He was deeply concerned that his church, the Lutheran church, had abandoned its fine heritage and replaced it with an unworthy and substandard successor. His life and words are still timely because he dealt with many of the same issues we encounter today – quality of hymnody, liturgy, choral and instrumental music.

As I read the book, I realized how I, as a church musician, have been shaped by Buszin without really knowing it. Buszin promoted the use of the chorale in hymnody, choral music, and organ music and seemed to be instrumental in bringing the sacred works of the “Golden Age of Lutheran Music” (16th – 18th centuries) to light. Besides relying extensively on this era of music for my weekly service playing, I have been shaped by my favorite modern Lutheran composers who write music on the chorales — Benjamin Culli, Kevin Hildebrand, Jeffrey Blersch, Kenneth Kosche, John Behnke, Michael Burkhardt, and Paul Manz. And finally, the Organist Workshops and Good Shepherd Institute at Concordia Theological Seminary introduced me to the thoughts of Buszin and helped me better understand and live my vocation as a church musician.

I hope that I might reflect, if only a glimmer, the passion that Buszin had for Lutheran church music and worship.

Thanks for reading Walter E. Buszin – Wise Counsel for Today.

One resource that was enlightening was from the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians in their Employment Guide on the Placement portion of their website. This Guide offers job descriptions of various church musician positions, but it also begins with a page in calligraphy entitled “Role of the Cantor.” This is what the ALCM has to say:

The Role of the Cantor

• The Cantor – the historical term among Lutherans – is the leader of the people’s song.
• The Cantor is responsible for leading the musical expression of the people — the assembly, choral groups, solo singers, and instrumentalists. Among whom organists have been especially important for Lutherans.
• The Cantor uses whatever musical resources are available, using them in a manner appropriate to the talents of those serving and the needs of the people who are served.
• The Cantor leads the earthly assembly in a foretaste of John’s vision of the heavenly in which all creatures give praise, honor, glory, and power to the Lamb.
• The Cantor’s work is a worthy service to God, God’s people, and the world.
• It is a high and holy calling.

This gives a bit of insight into the vocation of a Kantor.

Thanks for reading So What Does a Kantor Do?.