For the past thirty-six years, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church has become a hospitable place where the human spirit speaks through the arts. St. Paul’s Music, a self-supporting 501(c)(3) not for profit organization, has a three-fold purpose. First, the organization supports mission projects such as recordings and tours. Second, St. Paul’s Music supports the Choral Scholar Program of St. Paul’s Choir School that underwrites private music lessons to deserving youth. Third, the organization continues to feature choral masterworks performed by St. Paul’s Choir with orchestra, as well as professional artists from the Indianapolis area and around the world. St. Paul’s Music is an organization dedicated to sharing the arts with all people in our community. St. Paul’s Music presents Choral Masterworks of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Indianapolis Pro Musica with the Indianapolis Baroque Artists March 1, 2015, Sunday at 4:00 p.m. O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht, BWV 118 O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht O Jesus Christ, light of my life, Mein Hort, mein Trost, mein Zuversicht, My treasure, my comfort, my security; Auf Erden bin ich nur ein Gast I am only a guest on the earth Und drückt mich sehr der Sünden Last. and the burden of sin oppresses me greatly. Martin Behm (1557-1622); English translation ©Pamela Dellal Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, BWV 38 Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, Out of deep anguish I call to You, Herr Gott, erhör mein Rufen; Lord God, hear my cries; Dein gnädig Ohr neig her zu mir bow down Your gracious ear to me Und meiner Bitt sie öffne! and open it to my plea! Denn so du willt das sehen an, Since You behold, according to Your will, Was Sünd und Unrecht ist getan, what sin and injustice is done, Wer kann, Herr, vor dir bleiben? who can stand, Lord, before You? Martin Luther, 1524; English translation ©Pamela Dellal Hymn From deepest woe I cry to thee Sung by all Aus tiefer Not Please stand, if you are able, and sing the Hymn inserted into your program Concerto in D minor for Two Violins, BWV 1043 Dean Franke and Charles Morey, Violinists Vivace largo ma non tanto allegro Jesu, meine Freude, BWV 227 Jesu, meine Freude, O Jesus, my joy, Meines Herzens Weide, My heart’s pasture, Jesu, meine Zier, Jesus, my adornment, Ach wie lang, ach lange Oh how long, how long Ist dem Herzen bange, Has my heart been anxious Und verlangt nach dir! And longed for you. Gottes Lamm, mein Bräutigam, Lamb of God, my bridegroom, Außer dir soll mir auf Erden On earth never will there be Nichts sonst liebers werden. Anything dearer to me than you. Es ist nun nichts Verdammliches Now there is no condemnation an denen, die in Christo Jesus sind, for those who are in Christ Jesus, die nicht nach dem Fleische wandeln, who walk not according to the flesh, sondern nach dem Geist. but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1) Unter deinem Schirmen Beneath your shelter Bin ich vor den Stürmen I am free from the storms Aller Feinde frei. Of all foes. Laß den Satan wittern, Let Satan storm, Laß den Feind erbittern, Let the Foe rage, Mir steht Jesus bei. Jesus stands by me. Ob es itzt gleich kracht und blitzt, Though thunder crack as lightning flashes, Ob gleich Sünd und Hölle schrecken: Though sin and hell spread terror, Jesus will mich decken. Jesus will shelter me. Denn das Gesetz des Geistes, For the law of the Spirit der da lebendig machet in Christo Jesu, which gives life in Christ Jesus hat mich freigemacht von dem Gesetz has set me free from the law der Sünde und des Todes. of sin and death. (Romans 8:2) Trotz dem alten Drachen, Despite the old Dragon! Trotz des Todesrachen, Despite the jaws of Death! Trotz der Furcht dazu! Despite fear as well! Tobe, Welt, und springe— Though the world rage and spring to attack: Ich steh hier und singe Here I stand and sing In gar sichrer Ruh. In securest repose. Gottes Macht halt mich in acht; God’s might watches out for me. Erd und Abgrund muß verstummen, Earth and Abyss must fall speechless, Ob sie noch so brummen. However much they keep growling. Ihr aber seid nicht fleischlich, But you live not by the flesh sondern geistlich, but by the Spirit, so anders Gottes Geist in euch wohnet. if indeed God’s Spirit dwells in you. Wer aber Christi Geist But anyone who does not have nicht hat, der ist nicht sein. the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. (Romans 8:9) Weg mit allen Schätzen! Away all treasures! Du bist mein Ergötzen, You are my delight, Jesu, meine Lust! Jesus, my pleasure! Weg, ihr eitlen Ehren, Away, you empty honors, Ich mag euch nicht hören, I won’t listen to you. Bleibt mir unbewußt! Remail unknown to me! Elend, Not, Kreuz, Misery, adversity, cross, Schmach und Tod disgrace, and death Soll mich, ob ich viel muß leiden, will not, however much I must suffer, Nicht von Jesu scheiden. separate me from Jesus So aber Christus in euch ist, But if Christ is in you, so ist der Leib the body is indeed dead zwar tot um der Sünde willen; for the sake of sin; der Geist aber ist das Leben but the Spirit is life um der Gerechtigkeit willen. for the sake of justification. (Romans 8:10) Gute Nacht, Good night, O Wesen, das die Welt erlesen, O ways of the world— Mir gefällst du nicht! You do not please me. Gute Nacht, ihr Sünden, Good night, sins, Bleibet weit dahinten, stay way back, Kommt nicht mehr ans Licht! Come no more into the light. Gute Nacht, du Stolz und Pracht! Good night, pomp and pride! Dir sei ganz, du Lasterleben, Once and for all, you life of iniquity, Gute Nacht gegeben. I bid you good night! So nun der Geist des, If now the Spirit of him der Jesum von den Toten who awakened Jesus auferwecket hat, from the dead in euch wohnet, so wird auch derselbige, dwells in you, then the same one der Christum von den Toten who awakened Christ auferwecket hat, from the dead eure sterblichen Leiber lebendig machen, will give life to your mortal bodies to this end, um des willen, daß sein Geist in euch wohnet. that his Spirit live in you. (Romans 8:11) Weicht, ihr Trauergeister, Yield, mournful spirits, Denn mein Freudenmeister, For my master of joy, Jesus, tritt herein. Jesus, steps in. Denen, die Gott lieben, To those who love God, Muß auch ihr Betrüben Even their afflictions Lauter Wonne sein. Must be pure bliss. Duld ich schon hier Spott und Hohn, Though here I endure scorn and ridicule, Dennoch bleibst du auch im Leide, Still, even in suffering, you, Jesus Jesu, meine Freude. Remain my joy. Johann Franck At age 38, Johann Sebastian Bach moved his family to the culturally vibrant city of Leipzig, where he was to remain until his death at age 65 in 1750. The previous five years were spent in relative isolation as Kapellmeister at the musically rich court in rural Cöthen, where he completed much of his instrumental works – including the Concerto in D minor for two violins. There he had no liturgical duties, and absorbed the latest fashions in Italian and French music, whose imprint were to have a lasting effect on all his future compositions. Moving to Leipzig proved to be a difficult and challenging move, yet out of this final stage in his life he produced his most revered, structurally taut, and inspiringly beautiful music as Cantor of St. Thomas Church. The position he held there was a civic appointment, requiring music not just for church services (such as the cantata “Aus tiefer Not,” BWV 38), but for official festivals for the city of Leipzig and for funerals of prominent townspeople. Such funerals are presumably the occasions that produced the single movement cantata “O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht,” BWV 118, and the monumental motet “Jesu, meine Freude,” BWV 227. The resident boychoir at St. Thomas school was required to sing for extra services and ceremonies outside the usual Sunday services at two of the main Leipzig churches, the Thomaskirche and the Nikolaikirche. The original scoring of “O Jesu Christ” used portable wind instruments to accompany the choral parts, suggesting that it may have been performed outdoors either at a graveside service, or outside the home of the bereaved family. Bach later scored the work for strings and oboes; this “indoor” version is performed here. “Aus tiefer Not” would be familiar to any churchgoer in 18th century Lutheran Germany, as it was one of the prototypes of the new chorale form; Martin Luther himself paraphrased the text and published the tune in 1524, appearing in the earliest Lutheran Hymnal. Bach takes the chorale melody unadorned in the upper voices and weaves counterpoint in each lower voice. The miracle of “Jesu, meine Freude” has as much to do with the creativity of the text arrangement as the music itself. In one of Bach’s most meticulously planned moves, the entire work displays symmetry in the form of choral variations, alternating chorale-based material with free motet sections. A trio for upper voices in the first half of the work, for example, is balanced in the second half with a trio for lower voices. In the center of the work is a magnificent fugue, at once erudite and effervescent.