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March 15, 2015The Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis

2014–2015 Series

Schedule of ConcertsBACH AT THE SEM – 2014-2015 Dr. Maurice Boyer, Music Director

OCTOBER 19, 2014, 3:00 p.m. (TRINITY 24) J. S. Bach: Chorus from BWV 137, Lobe den Herrn, den mächtigen König; Cantata BWV 33, Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ; Soprano aria from BWV 10, Meine Seele erhebt den Herren; Cantata BWV 74, Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten; Chorus from BWV 69, Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele

DECEMBER 14, 2014, 3:00 p.m. (ADVENT 3) Michael Praetorius: Works for brass; J. S. Bach: Cantata BWV 62, Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland; Alto aria from BWV 147, Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben; Cantata BWV 36, Schwingt freudig euch empor

MARCH 15, 2015, 3:00 p.m. (LENT 4) J. S. Bach: Sinfonia from BWV 75, Die Elenden sollen essen; Cantata BWV 187, Es wartet alles auf dich; Chorus from BWV 102, Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben; Cantata BWV 72, Alles nur nach Gottes Willen

MAY 17, 2015, 3:00 p.m. (EASTER 7)J. S. Bach: Missa in g-moll, BWV 235; Sinfonia from BWV 42, Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats; Cantata BWV 249, Oster-Oratorium

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 www.csl.edu

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Bach at the SemMarch 15, 2015, 3:00 p.m.

Fourth Sunday in Lent

Dr. Maurice Boyer, Music Director

The American KantoreiDr. Jeral Becker, Assistant Conductor

In Nomine Jesu

Cantata: Es wartet alles auf dich, BWV 187 Johann Sebastian Bach (Everything depends on you) Part I1. Chorus2. Bass Recitative (David Berger) 3. Alto Aria (Stephanie Ruggles)

Part II 4. Bass Aria (Jeffrey Heyl)5. Soprano Aria (Emily Truckenbrod) 6. Soprano Recitative (Emily Truckenbrod)7. Chorale

Chorale Prelude: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, BWV 1116 Johann Sebastian Bach

Hymn: “What God Ordains is Always Good”

The assembly stands to sing the hymn provided on page 10.

Chorus: Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben, BWV 102 Johann Sebastian Bach (Lord, Your eyes look for faith)

“Sinfonia,” on Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan Johann Sebastian Bach from Die Elenden sollen essen, BWV 75

The offerings to be received at this time support the Bach at the Sem concert series.

Cantata: Alles nur nach Gottes Willen, BWV 72 Johann Sebastian Bach (All solely according to God’s will)

1. Chorus2. Alto Recitative-Arioso-Aria (Katharine Lawton Brown)3. Bass Recitative (David Berger)4. Soprano Aria (Marita Hollander) 5. Chorale

Soli Deo Gloria

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Program Notes

“He wants to sweeten your cross”God’s Will in God’s Time

Lent is a time of reflection and self-examination, but also one of hope in the light of God’s love revealed in Christ. It is a time of pruning away “distraction” to still the heart, enabling it to grow in contemplation upon the central mystery of the Christian faith: “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Cor. 5:19). It is a time for going inward and quieting down to prepare for following Jesus through the events of Holy Week. It is a yielding of one’s self-will to God, a sinking of one’s will into God’s will (BWV 187), just as Christ did in the Garden of Gethsemane. In Leipzig in Bach’s time, Lent just as Advent was a tempus clausum, a period during which there was no concerted music, i.e., with instrumental accompaniment. There are no cantatas per se for this season. Today’s works, however, in their reflective tone, embody the spirit of Lent.

These works are related in a number of ways. Apart from BWV 75’s Sinfonia, they were all written in 1726. By this time and only since arriving in Leipzig (1723), Bach will have already produced some 122 cantatas, the first version of the Magnificat (BWV 243a, E-flat), the first two versions of the St John Passion, as well as, in all likelihood, a fair amount of the St Matthew Passion—a staggering achievement. Bach is at the height of his powers.

Additionally, Bach will later cull movements from each cantata and refashion them into his Mass in G minor, which will be performed here on May 17. His having done so points to a deeper connection. There is indeed a unifying thread weaving through the whole fabric of today’s program. It is that of perceiving the signs or traces of God’s sustaining and renewing activity in the created order: God’s will in God’s time.

These musical sermons make plain that God’s will for humanity is healing and communion with Him—it is grace. Cantata 187 defines this as sinking one’s will into God’s will, waiting for the Lord. In Cantata 102, it is interpreting signs of God’s fierce love. According to Cantata 72, it is knowing that Christ wants to sweeten one’s cross. God’s will is mercy and love—return to Him.

In his Calov Bible, which is here in the Seminary Library, Bach wrote in the margin next to 2 Chronicles 5: “N.B. Where there is devotional music, God with his

grace is always present” [emphasis mine]. Each strand of material in these intricate polyphonic textures has a different effect, which accounts for the extraordinarily layered emotional response the works evoke in the listener. Astonishing compositional skill anchored in profound understanding here creates musical utterances that lead from paralyzing anxiety to lustral serenity in the light of God’s grace.

Cantata: Es wartet alles auf dich, BWV 187

Composed for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity, BWV 187 was performed on August 4, 1726, and represents the third and final cantata written for this Sunday. As we will hear on May 17, Bach later reused the opening chorus and all three arias in the “Gloria” of his Mass in G minor (BWV 235).

This cantata is a musical sermon on the Gospel of the day: the feeding of the four thousand (Mark 8:1-9). Bi-partite in structure, its libretto grounds the affirmation of God’s abiding care for His creation in the witness of the two Testaments. Part I presents the objective dimension of God’s faithful involvement in the workings of the natural order (references to the Psalms). With Part II, the lens focuses in to reveal how this care extends to the particularity of the individual’s situation (the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6:31-32). With the final chorale, the lens opens out again.

Although in two parts, the cantata is in fact a mirror structure in which the bass aria (movement 4) functions as the mirror in the following schema:

Chorus - Recit - Aria - ARIA - Aria - Recit - Chorale

Chorus, bass aria, and chorale inhabit the same key: G minor, the home key one might say. The opening chorus affirms God as creator and sustainer of all things. The bass aria presents Christ Himself relating this reality to the crowds gathered to hear Him. The final chorale prays for the gift of the Holy Spirit. The arc is Trinitarian: from Father to Son to Holy Spirit. It is noteworthy that the bass aria’s placement shows Bach’s understanding that Christ is the center, He is the “the radiance of God’s glory and the representation of his being” (Hebrews 3:1), the Mediator.

Before turning to individual movements, it should be added that the aforementioned structural mirror operates also at a deeper level, below the surface, in the overall harmonic planning of the cantata. Ascent in the

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first half is answered by descent in the second half; each is followed by a return to the opening key (see below). God’s care over creation is affirmed and elevated (alto aria). It is mediated through the Christ (bass aria) and brought down to the individual (soprano aria).

The opening chorus, as with most of Bach’s cantatas, contains in nuce the substance of the entire work: all things are in God’s care and what is needed is granted in God’s time. This assertion is borne out in the music. The motive that most permeates the texture, from the opening instrumental ritornello to the final bar, is associated with the words “es wartet.” Everything thus “waits upon the Lord.”

The tri-partite structure of this movement follows an ABC pattern. A is freely imitative polyphony, with each line of text given its own thematic material. B is a choral fugue whose subject carries the words “When You give it (food) to them…” and countersubject “When You open Your hand…” The fugue’s rigor is a fitting evocation of God’s ordered activity. C is essentially a telescoped recapitulation of the entire movement. Much of the movement unfolds over a walking bass line, symbolic of “being on the way.” Waiting is not stasis, it is pilgrimage.

Pondering the workings of the natural order, the bass recitative asks in the end: Who is in control? A monarch? Gold? In answering the question, Bach thwarts expectations. In effect, the recitative’s cadence in D major would seem to call for a return to G. Instead, by turning to B-flat major for the alto aria, which is not a natural resolution from D, Bach subtly but clearly answers the bass’s question: “No, rather it is You, O Lord.”

Given the aria’s text, one may have expected a setting evincing strength and might, possibly sung by the bass—in lesser hands, a likely scenario. Instead, the aria is given to the alto voice, whose warmth is often associated with words of consolation. Furthermore, couched in an easy triple meter, its straightforward utterance is a breath of fresh air after the complexity of the opening movement. The expressive tone is one of simplicity and gentleness—this Lord is King of all, but not as one would expect. Quiet affirmation that God is in control gives confidence to the anxious soul.

Between Parts I and II, there would have been an hour-long sermon on the Gospel of the day. Opening Part II, the bass as “Vox Christi” (voice of Christ) utters Jesus’ very words from the Sermon on the Mount about not worrying “for your Heavenly Father knows that you need all that.” Bach’s musical choices here again are illuminating. At a surface level, the text would seem to call for a gentle aria in a major key, with a generously spun melody, and possibly an instrumental obbligato line. Instead, Bach opts for a return to G minor, a trio of equal parts (bass singer, unison violins and basso continuo), and simple unadorned thematic material. Bach eschews a warm embracive tone in order to say, “Yes, God comforts, and does so faithfully, but not in the way we think he ought. He does so in His way and in His time.”

As seen above, the soprano aria is the lowest harmonic point in the cantata. It also employs the smallest instrumentation (oboe solo and basso continuo) and highest voice part, one suggesting vulnerability and childlike trust. Furthermore, it unfolds as a tri-partite French Overture (ABA’), A and A’ being slow and ceremonial, B light and in a faster tempo.

The French Overture was associated with the entrance of royalty—initially Louis XIV of France, the Sun King—and was lavishly orchestrated (viz. Bach’s own Orchestral Suites). Employing here modest forces, Bach shows that this King redefines royalty—He is gentle and, as the Scriptures say, enters on a colt, in quiet nobility.

The first utterance of the oboe is two wide descending intervals followed by a fluid and long-breathed line. The same pattern is taken up by the soprano when she enters with the words “God cares for all life.” The downward gesture suggests bestowal of care, God coming down in and among humanity. Fluidity bespeaks of the generosity and breadth of God’s love. Soprano and oboe unfolding at the same pitch level, often in entwined imitation, show what God does: He regenerates humanity from within.

As is typical for a French overture, the B section is in a faster tempo in triple meter. It is all lightness because the weight of worry has been lifted. The return of the A section seals the identity of the one who faithfully bestows “many gifts of fatherly love” and has made the cares to vanish: the King himself.

G minorG minor

Bx major

Ex majorG minor

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Throughout the cantata, one witnesses a process of diminishing orchestration from movements 1 to 5: all forces (#1), strings and oboe (#3), unison violins (#4), and oboe solo (#5). From the lowliness of the aria (#5), the soprano accompanied recitative gradually wends its way to B-flat major. Its tone is simple childlike trust that God “also determines my part.” The string accompaniment represents God’s enfolding of the one who holds to Him “with childlike trust.” From a place of lowly destitution, one is met and clothed with God’s faithfulness. One rises, not by self-will but yielding to God’s abiding care.

The final chorale, all voices and instruments now joined together, is the community’s response. A reminder of God’s generosity becomes the occasion for thanks and praise as well as a prayer for the Spirit’s gift of right understanding that one might recognize the signs of God’s providing, of His love. Chorus: Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben, BWV 102

Bach’s third and final cantata for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity was first heard on August 25, 1726. In the late 1730s, Bach will refashion its opening chorus into the “Kyrie” of the Mass in G minor.

In the day’s Gospel reading (Luke 19:41-48), Jesus looks out over Jerusalem and weeps in lament over its not having recognized the signs of peace and “the time of [its] visitation from God.” He then drives out of the Temple those who have turned a house of prayer into a den of robbers. Quoting from the Prophet Jeremiah (5:3), the opening chorus of this cantata shows God fiercely striving to bring His people from their hardened ways back to Himself.

In confronting this difficult text, Bach monopolizes on music’s ability to evoke simultaneously multiple layers of meaning: a fitting richness for something so wondrous, even paradoxical, as God’s dealings with humanity.

The manifold utterances of “Lord!”—variously in block chords, by a single part or in canon—recall the opening chorus of the St John Passion (1st version). There as here, the chorus’s opening sentence is not only a declarative statement, it is also a plea. Its imploring

tone suggests a crying out of those being sought by the Lord: “Do not cease from calling us back to You!”

The words, “you strike them,” would baldly suggest heavy hammered blows and jarring dissonance. Bach instead weaves a delicate staccato figure into a complex imitative texture colored by rich harmonies redolent with pleasing dissonance (7ths and 9ths) moving back and forth from major to minor. These choices confound expectations. The lightness conjures the tapping gesture of a parent trying to wake a slumbering child. Lest the picture veer into sentimentality, Bach sets “but they do not feel it” as a downward sequence of suspensions expressive of God’s own quiet grieving at “their” unfeeling. Thus, Bach counterbalances seeming thematic ease with contrapuntal and harmonic complexity. The sophistication of the musical language seeks to capture the many and varied ways in which God “taps” those who have wandered off the path. In its harmonic inventiveness, it also conjures a sense of urgency. Thus, God appears not as an angry judge, but as a Father yearning for the return of His loved ones.

Another instance of vivid text painting is found in the fugue subject associated with the words: “They have a face harder than a rock / and are not willing to be converted.” Hardness is evoked by three angular leaps, two of which are tritones, (once known as “the devil in music”), descending then ascending. By contrast, the unwillingness “to be converted” is given an anodyne downward stepwise sequential pattern, depictive of aimless wandering. Eventually, individual parts join in pairs singing benign thirds unspooling in contrary motion. Bach here shows a keen understanding of “not converting.” At the core, it is less being combative than being lost in a herd-like pattern of meandering or downward spiraling.

In the Book of Jeremiah, the text ends in starkness: “[they] are not willing to be converted.” Bach however returns to the verse’s opening words for the final cadence:“Lord, your eyes look for faith!” In fact, the musical material that is associated with this first line of text permeates the movement. A look at the overall unfolding of this complex structure reveals the text to be treated as follows: line 1 / lines 2-3 / line 1 / lines 4-5 / all-line 1A / B / A / C / A’

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By punctuating the movement with line 1, Bach captures the extent and pervasiveness of God’s “seeking out.” A further musical sign of this persistence is captured vividly, yet subtly within the texture, in the insistent and fast-moving half-step motive. God will not be deterred from calling His loved ones to wakefulness.

Cantata: Alles nur nach Gottes Willen, BWV 72

The third of four surviving cantatas for the Third Sunday of Epiphany, BWV 72 was first performed on January 27, 1726. Its opening will later be revised in the “Gloria” of the Mass in G minor.

The Gospel of the day would have been two parallel stories of healing and faith: that of a leper and that of the centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:1-13). Both the leper and the centurion would have been considered outsiders to be shunned: the one for being ritually unclean, and the other for being a Roman soldier. To Jesus, their condition and vocation are irrelevant. Seeing faith surge forth so honestly into a plea for healing, He recklessly loves and, stretching out His hand, answers, “I will.” It is to this generous narrative that BWV 72 responds.

Bach opens this cantata with a vigorous and fleet-footed chorus in 3/4 time. Blustery 16th notes, kept as if chronometrically in time by quarter note chords, conjure a vivid tableau of turbulence alternating with calm, as well as calm within turbulence. In meter, thematic material, as well as effect, it recalls BWV 33 (“To You alone, Lord Jesus Christ”) performed here this past fall.

Bach uses two musical figures for the word “alles” (all). One is a series of fast moving sixteenth notes often canonically spun. Pictorial in nature, it suggests the turbulence in all things. By contrast, the other, a pair of quarter notes, is declarative in nature. Sung or played by some part of the ensemble in 89 of the movement’s 114 measures, it inflects the whole musical narrative together. Its omnipresence and its rhythmic steadiness suggest that it depicts “God’s will in all things.” This assertion is confirmed by its occurrence over and around all the lines of the text.

With the alto recitative, time stops—turbulence gives way to stillness. Building confidently on the recitative, the arioso unfolds with flowing ease in triple meter. The words, “Lord, as you will,” echo those of the leper in the Gospel. Their nine-fold repetition suggests the prayerful pattern of a litany in which the Kyrie is uttered in multiples of three. Another brief recitative leads into a spirited aria with an imitative string trio accompaniment (two violins and cello). The intricate counterpoint and the minor mode underline that the way is not easy (“thorns and roses”). But the fast tempo and sturdy vocal line evoke joyful abandon. The four sections flow seamlessly one into the other. Forming one continuous movement with a built-in accelerando, they enact a gradual welling up of confidence and willingness to believe.

The succeeding bass recitative, Vox Christi, presents the heart of the matter: “It is His [Jesus] way that His merciful hand is ever most willingly outstretched.” The turn of phrase, “under the lowly roof of poor hearts He will not scorn graciously to enter,” is a direct reference to the day’s Gospel. The centurion, recognizing in Jesus the One who can heal his dying servant, pleads for help. In spite of the man’s being a Roman, Jesus answers that He will come and cure him. Genuinely stunned, the centurion responds, “I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed.” Jesus in turn says, “Go; let it be done for you according to your faith.”

Bach’s burrowing into texts to uncover their underlying meaning has been pointed out above. Here, as in many other instances, he poignantly confounds expectations. In the hands of a less insightful composer, this text might have yielded a slow and earnest meditation. Instead, Bach opts for a joyful and quick tempo. He pairs the childlike voice of a soprano (in his time, it would have been a child) paired with the oboe, as in BWV 187. Weaving the two parts in and out of patterns of imitation and sweetly flowing parallel thirds, he portrays the ways in which Jesus works—anticipating, following, holding. In Bach’s hands, the aria becomes the occasion for exuberance in knowing that “Jesus wants to do this, he wants to sweeten my cross.”

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Dr. Maurice Boyer, Music DirectorDr. 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.

Canonically twined violin lines in dialogue with oboe and soprano, cross accents (displaced downbeats), and syncopated figures depict the afflictions, the “cross,” while the tonality of C major embodies the “sweetening.” In setting “many afflictions,” Bach chooses a descending sequential pattern, one portraying the idea of being weighed down. To express “and rest still in His arms,” cross accents, syncopations, and imitative polyphony cease, the tempo relaxes, and the voice finally rests in a fermata. Throughout the aria, the phrase, “He wants to sweeten your cross,” is set in many varied forms, pointing to the myriad ways in which Jesus will perform this sweetening. The final phrase is uttered over a pedal point and, ending without fermata, opens out into the communal response of the chorale.

The cantata closes with the first verse of “Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit,” which Bach uses at the point in the St Matthew Passion when Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane says, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” In the end, yielding to God transfigures both will and understanding. It grants the faith to pray, without ceasing, “Your will be done.”

Maurice Boyer

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Es wartet alles auf dich, BWV 187Everything depends on You – J. S. Bach

1. Chorus (S A T B)Es wartet alles auf dich, Everything waits upon You [O Lord]daß du ihnen Speise gebest zu seiner Zeit. so that You give them food in due season.Wenn du ihnen giebest, When You give it to them,so sammlen sie, then they gather;wenn du deine Hand aufthust,when You open Your hand,so werden sie mit Güte gesättiget. then they will be satiated by Your kindness.

2. Recitative (Bass)Was Creaturen hältWhat created things are contained Das große Rund der Welt!by the great circle of the world!Schau’ doch die Berge an,Look at the mountains,da sie bei tausend gehen;how they are ranged in their thousands.Was zeuget nicht die Flut?What do the waters not generate?Es wimmeln Ström und Seen.Streams and lakes are teeming with life.Der Vögel großes HeerThe great flock of all types of birdsZieht durch die Luft zu Feld.flies through the air into the fields.Wer nähret solche Zahl, und werWho feeds such a number, and whoVermag ihr wohl die Nothdurft abzugeben?is capable of providing well for their needs?Kann irgend ein Monarch nach solcher Ehre streben?Can any monarch lay claim to such an honour?Zahlt aller Erden GoldCan all the gold of earthIhr wohl ein einig Mahl? buy them a single meal?

3. Aria (Alto)Du Herr, du krönst allein das Jahr mit deinem Gut.You, Lord, You alone crown the year with Your good.Es träufet Fett und SegenRichness and blessing trickle Auf deines Fußes Wegen,on the paths of Your feet,Und deine Gnade ist’s, die alles Gutes thut.and it is Your grace that bestows goodness upon all.

Part II

4. Aria (Bass)Darum sollt ihr nicht sorgen noch sagen:Therefore you should not be anxious nor say:Was werden wir essen, What shall we eat,was werden wir trinken, what shall we drink,womit werden wir uns kleiden?with what shall we clothe ourselves?Nach solchem Allen trachten die Heiden.The gentiles strive after all such things.Denn euer himmlischer Vater weiß,For your Heavenly Father knows daß ihr dies Alles bedürfet. that you need all this.

5. Aria (Soprano)Gott versorget alles Leben,God cares for all lifeWas hienieden Odem hegt.that draws breath here belowSollt’ er mir allein nicht geben,Would He not give to me aloneWas er allen zugesagt?what He has promised to all?Weicht, ihr Sorgen, seine TreueBe gone, you anxieties; His faithfulnessIst auch meiner eingedenkkeeps me also in mindUnd wird ob mir täglich neueand from day to day is made new for meDurch manch’ Vaterliebs Geschenk.through many gifts of fatherly love.

Text and Translation

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6. Recitative (Soprano)Halt ich nur fest an ihm mit kindlichem VertrauenIf only I can cling to Him with the trust of a childUnd nehm’ mit Dankbarkeit, was er mir zugedacht,and take with gratitude what He has planned for me,So werd’ ich mich nie ohne Hilfe schauen,then I shall see myself as never without help,Und wie er auch vor mich die Rechnung hab’ gemacht.and [I shall see] also how for me He has made reckoning.Das Grämen nützet nicht, die Mühe ist verloren,Grieving is no use; the effort is wastedDie das verzagte Herz um seine Nothdurft nimmt;that the despondent heart takes about its needs;Der ewig reiche Gott hat sich die Sorge auserkoren,God, who is ever rich, has taken these cares upon Himself,So weiß ich, daß er mir auch meinen Theil bestimmt.so I know that He also determines my portion.

7. Chorale (S A T B)Gott hat die Erd’ schön zugericht’t,God has set up the earth in such a wayLäßts an Nahrung mangeln nicht;that He will not allow food to be lacking;Berg und Thal, die macht er naß,mountain and valley He makes moistDaß dem Vieh auch wächst sein Gras;so that grass may also grow for the cattle.Aus der Erden Wein und BrotFrom the earth wine and breadSchaffet Gott und giebt’s uns satt,God creates and gives us enoughDaß der Mensch sein Leben hat. so that man may have his life.

Wir danken sehr und bitten ihn,We give great thanks and pray to HimDaß er uns geb’ des Geistes Sinn,that He may give us the Spirit’s mindDaß wir solches recht versteh’n,so that we may rightly understand,Stets nach sein’n Geboten geh’n,ever walk according to His commandments,Seinen Namen machen großmake great His nameIn Christo ohn’ Unterlaß:in Christ without ceasing.So sing’n wir recht das Gratias.Then justly we sing, “Gratias!” [Thanks!]

Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben!, BWV 102Lord, Your eyes look for faith! – J. S. Bach

1. Chorus (S A T B) [from Jeremiah 5:3]Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben!Lord, Your eyes look for faith! Du schlägest sie, aber sie fühlen’s nicht; You strike them, but they do not feel it.du plagest sie, aber sie bessern sich nicht.You torment them, but they do not improve themselvesSie haben ein härter Angesicht denn ein FelsThey have a face harder than a rockund wollen sich nicht bekehrenand are not willing to mend their ways.

Alles nur nach Gottes Willen, BWV 72All solely according to God’s will – J. S. Bach

1. Chorus (S A T B)Alles nur nach Gottes Willen,All solely according to God’s will,So bei Lust als Traurigkeit,both in pleasure and sorrow,So bei gut als böser Zeit.both in good and bad times.Gottes Wille soll mich stillenGod’s will should calm meBei Gewölk und Sonnenschein.in clouds and sunshine.Alles nur nach Gottes Willen!Everything according to God’s will!Dies soll meine Losung sein.This should be my watchword.

2. Recitative, Arioso, Recitative, Aria (Alto)O selger Christ, der allzeit seinen Willen O blessed Christian, who at all times sinks his willIn Gottes Willen senkt, es gehe wie es gehe,in God’s will, come what may,Bei Wohl und Wehe.in prosperity and adversity.

Herr, so du willt, so muß sich alles fügen!Lord, as You will, so must everything happen!Herr, so du willt, so kannst du mich vergnügen!Lord, as You will, you can make me content!Herr, so du willt, verschwindet meine Pein!Lord, as You will, my pain vanishes!

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Herr, so du willt, werd ich gesund und rein!Lord, as You will, I become healthy and pure!Herr, so du willt, wird Traurigkeit zur Freude!Lord, as You will, sorrow shall turn to joy!Herr, so du willt, find ich auf Dornen Weide!Lord, as You will, I find pasture from thorns!Herr, so du willt, werd ich einst selig sein!Lord, as You will, I shall one day be blessed!Herr, so du willt (laß mich dies Wort im Glauben fassenLord, as You will (let me seize this word in faithUnd meine Seele stillen!)and calm my soul!)Herr, so du willt, so sterb’ ich nicht,Lord, as You will, I shall not die,

ob Leib und Leben mich verlassen,though body and life forsake me,Wenn mir dein Geist dies Wort ins Herze spricht!if Your Spirit speaks this word to me in my heart!

Mit Allem, was ich hab und bin,With all that I have and amWill ich mich Jesu lassen,I want to abandon myself to Jesus.Kann gleich mein schwacher Geist und SinnAlthough my weak spirit and mind cannotDes Höchsten Rath nicht fassen;grasp the counsel of the Highest,Er führe mich nur immer hinmay He always lead me alongAuf Dorn- und Rosenstraßen!the ways of thorns and roses!

4. Recitative (Bass)So glaube nun!Therefore now believe!Dein Heiland saget: Ich wills tun!Your Saviour says: I want to do it!Er pflegt die GnadenhandIt is His way that His merciful handNoch willigst auszustrecken,is ever most willingly stretched out.Wenn Kreuz und Leiden dich erschrecken,When cross and suffering terrify you,Er kennet deine Noth und löst dein Kreuzesband.He knows your distress and loosens the bonds of your cross.

Er stärkt, was schwach,He strengthens what is weak,Und will das niedre Dachand under the lowly roofDer armen Herzen nicht verschmähen,of poor hearts He will not scornDarunter gnädig einzugehen.graciously to enter.

5. Aria (Soprano)Mein Jesus will es thun, er will dein Kreuz versüßen.My Jesus wants to do this, he wants to sweeten your cross.Obgleich dein Herze liegt in viel Bekümmernissen,Although your heart lies amid many afflictions,Soll es doch sanft und still in seinen Armen ruh’n,it will rest gently and calmly in His armsWenn es der Glaube faßt; mein Jesus will es thun!if faith holds it fast. My Jesus wants to do this!

6. ChoraleWas mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit,What my God wills, may that always happen;Sein Will, der ist der beste,His will is what is best.Zu helfen den’n er ist bereit,He is ready to help thoseDie an ihn glauben feste.who believe firmly in Him.Er hilft aus Noth, der fromme Gott,He helps those in need, the kind God,Und züchtiget mit Maßen.and chastises with moderation.Wer Gott vertraut, fest auf ihn baut,He who trusts in God, on Him firmly builds,Den will er nicht verlassen.him will He [God] never forsake.

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What God Ordains Is Always Good, LSB 760

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The American Kantorei

Chorus

Orchestra

Violin IWanda Becker, ConcertmasterCynthia BowermasterJane Price

Violin II Kaoru Wada, PrincipalMarilyn Park EllingtonMargret Heyl

ViolaLaura Reycraft, PrincipalStephen Luehrman

CelloCatherine Lehr Ramos

Double BassFrederick DeVaney

Oboe / Oboe d’amoreAnn Homann, PrincipalEileen Burke

BassoonRobert Mottl

Positiv (Continuo) OrganMelissa Niemeyer

Chapel OrganJohn Walsh

SopranoEmily Truckenbrod, Principal Jean BaueKathryn CrumrineKatherine GastlerMegan GlassKrista HartmannMarita HollanderCamille MarolfJenny MaskeLynn D. Morrissey

TenorScott Kennebeck, PrincipalJeral Becker, Associate PrincipalGreg GastlerThomas Jarrett (Jerry) BolainBill LarsonSteve Paquette

AltoKatharine Lawton Brown, PrincipalStephanie Ruggles, Assistant PrincipalDanielle GinesMona HauserSarah J. LudwigAshley Mommens Amy WillAnna WoellLisa Young

BassJeffrey Heyl, PrincipalDavid Berger, Associate PrincipalJoe BeranGary LessmannDan Maske Greg UpchurchKyle Will

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Welcome to Bach at the Sem!The generation that designed and built the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus did well, I think. The high vaulted ceiling invites our thoughts upward to the unseen God. This afternoon Dr. Maurice Boyer, the American Kantorei, and our musicians focus our stillness upon the greatness of the Creator and creation. Through J.S. Bach’s Es Wartet Alles auf Dich, “Everything Depends on You,” we are reminded of the wonders of nature, timely in these March days as we await the fullness of spring. And in Alles nur nach Gottes Willen, “All solely according to God’s Will,” Bach uses nature to provide metaphors for all the experiences of the Christian’s life of faith. May this afternoon’s concert lift your thoughts to the highest heavens and comfort you with the divine presence in your life. “He strengthens what is weak, and under the lowly roof of poor hearts He will not scorn graciously to enter” (Bass Recitative). Our thanks to Director Boyer and the talented musicians who give of their time and talent for our blessing. I thank you for attending and for supporting Bach at the Sem. Concordia Seminary’s goal is to enrich our community through this series and we thank you for your presence and gifts to help make that happen.

Dale A. MeyerPresident

Join Us!

A Special Reception with Dr. Maurice BoyerMusic 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!

Join one of the country's best a cappella choirs for our 59th season!

Mendelssohn & Judith BinghamOctober 5 • 3pmSt. Louis Abbey • 500 S Mason Road • Creve Coeur • 63141

Juan Gutierrez de Padilla & Heitor Villa-LobosNovember 9 • 3pmSt. Cecilia Catholic Church • 5418 Louisiana Ave • St. Louis • 63111

Palestrina & Herbert HowellsDecember 21 • 3pm First Presbyterian Church Kirkwood • 100 E. Adams Ave • Kirkwood • 63122

Milhaud & PurcellFebruary 15 • 3pm Christ Church Cathedral • 1210 Locust Street • St. Louis • 63103

Kodály & Vaughan WilliamsApril 12 • 3pm St. Mary of Victories Catholic Church • 744 S 3rd St • St. Louis • 63102

William Billings & Richard Rodney BennettMay 31 • 3pm Union Avenue Christian Church • 733 Union Blvd • St. Louis 63108

SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOWSubscribe and Save! For tickets or a brochure call

636-458-4343chamberchorus.org

Philip Barnes Artistic Director

2014~2015

season XIV

american chamber choraleamerican chamber chorale

2014 - 2015

O Holy Night with Christine Brewer

December 6Salem United

Methodist ChurchShalom House benefit

December 7Resurrection

Lutheran ChurchFeed My People benefit

RequiemMarch 7, 2015

St. Gabriel the Archangel

Catholic Church

with special guestsSt. Gabriel Chancel ChoirMary Beth Wittry, Director

Salem UMC Chancel Choir

O For !e Lov"... a concert in honor of women

and mothers

StephenMorton�������������������������������

Always and Foreverseason XIV

May 9, 2015

Venue TBAcheck website for details

americanchamberchorale.comFor tickets and information, visit americanchamberchorale.com

or call (314) 638-0793

resurrection joy april 19, 2015

Messiah Lutheran Church 2846 S Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63118

7 p.m.

featuring the choral sounds of concordia seminary

SINGERS OF JOY!

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Concordia Seminary801 Seminary PlaceSt. Louis, MO 63105 314-505-7000www.csl.edu

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

Concert Sponsor $10,000Conductor Sponsor $5,000Reception Sponsor $2,500

Friends of Bach at the Sem

Board Sponsor $1,000Guest Sponsor $500Friend Sponsor $100

For more information about sponsoring Bach at the Sem, please call 314-505-7009 or email bach@csl.edu.