Many concert announcements are accompanied by notes written by the Music Director, T. Herbert Dimmock , giving his personal comments on the music. The following is a collection of the more recent of these Director’s Notes:

• Cantata 4
• Cantata 29
• Cantata 67
• Cantata 80
• Cantata 140
• Cantata 191
• Christmas Oratorio (First Cantata)
• Christmas Oratorio (Second Cantata)
• Christmas Oratorio (Fifth Cantata)
• St. John Passion

Cantata 4: Christ lag in Todesbanden

In the pantheon of Bach’s music, a handful of pieces have risen to the top. These works have become beloved for their beauty and life-changing message. Cantata 4, “Christ lag in Todesbanden,” is one of those rare and highly-esteemed works. I believe that it owes its popularity to the exhilarating way in which Bach concludes each section of the work with a fast and highly rhythmic setting of the word ‘hallelujah.’

Cantata 29: Wir Danken Dir

The melody begins gently and then grows and grows and grows into an overflowing expression of endless gratitude. Later, Bach used this work as “Dona nobis pacem” in the B Minor Mass.

Cantata 67: Halt im Gedächtnis Jesum Christ

Cantata 67 was one of the first Bach Cantatas that I studied with my teacher, the great Bach expert, Helmuth Rilling. While studying the intricacies of the work with Maestro Rilling, I learned that it was one of his favorites. Rilling was the first person in the world to record the complete choral music of JS Bach. I have come to love Cantata 67 for many of the same reasons that Rilling expressed to me: Bach’s tremendous creativity (especially as evidenced in the imaginative aria for Bass, full orchestra and choir) and the exhilarating use of the trumpet.

Cantata 80: Ein feste Burg ist Unser Gott

The German Reformation was begun in 1517 when a priest named Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on indulgences on a church door in Wittenberg. What followed is well known. A movement which originated in a modest desire to reform the Roman Catholic Church led to the revolutionary establishment of a series of “Reformed Churches.” Notable among these “Protestants” were the Baptist Church, the Presbyterian Church and – of course – the Lutheran Church in Germany. Johann Sebastian Bach was required to furnish a cantata based on the scriptural readings of the day approximately 50 times each year. Certain occasions called for special effort: Christmas, Easter, the installation of the town council (who were Bach’s bosses) and, of course, Reformation Day (celebrated on October 31 each year). Cantata 80, “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott” (“A mighty fortress is our God”) is one of two Reformation Cantatas written by Bach. It is interesting for several reasons. First of all, Bach based the entire cantata on Luther’s famous hymn tune by the same name. [Martin Luther was a man of many talents. Among these was his skill as a composer of hymn texts and hymn tunes. "Ein feste Burg is unser Gott" is easily Luther's best known hymn and, even now, 500 years later, one of the best loved hymns around the world.] The hymn tune may be heard in the opening chorus, the arias and the closing chorale. Cantata 80 is somewhat unusual because it exists in two versions. The version being performed today is the original version penned by J. S. Bach. This version was the result of a score written by Bach in 1723 to which 228 bars of music in the stile antico were added later. (After Bach’s death, his son, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, embellished his father’s masterpiece by adding three festive trumpets and timpani to the score. Though the Wilhelm Friedemann version is still commonly heard, we have chosen J. S. Bach’s final version for today’s performance.) Cantata 80 is remarkable for Bach’s contrasting styles music contained within the full score. The work begins in stile antico. This is contrasted later with the more modern style of music of his day. As is so often the case with the music of Bach, we find that these choices were not only deliberate but – more importantly – were made to further a theological point through the music. Bach wanted his listeners to realize that God is God for all time. Rather than making his point with the text, Bach makes that point through his choices of musical style. God is the God of the past (symbolized by the “old” style music – stile antico). God is also the God of the present and will be the God of our future (symbolized by Bach’s contrasting choice of “modern,” forward-looking music). Throughout the entire work, Bach focuses on many of the great themes of the Reformation. A mighty church on earth has the important mission of destroying the forces of evil and the devil here on earth. Bach paints fascinating pictures in sound to show this struggle. For example, the devil is depicted as the lowest of all life with sinuous music that crawls along the bottom of the page. At precisely the moment this musical idea is introduced, the entire choir joins together in a great exclamation of sound as they promise to destroy this “old satanic foe.”

Cantata 140: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme

It is easy to see why Cantata 140 is a great audience favorite. The large orchestra and choir present a beautiful chorale (“hymn”) tune over and over again surrounded by at times lively, imaginative and powerful musical accompaniment. The popularity of Cantata 140 began immediately after it was written by Bach. It was one of the first cantatas to be published and a relatively large number of manuscript copies suggest that it was widely performed in the late 18th century. Bach, himself, must have deeply loved this cantata. During his lifetime a local publisher asked him to pick six of his favorite arias to be published in arrangements for organ. These works, the “Schubler Chorale Preludes” are widely considered among the finest of the all the master’s compositions. Of those six, the chorale from “Wachet Auf” is undoubtedly the best known and beloved.

Cantata 191: Gloria in excelsis Deo

Cantata 191 (Glory to God in the highest), one of Bach’s most exhilarating, virtuosic pieces, features three trumpets and timpani in blazingly uplifting music. Bach later used the same music for the “Gloria” in the B Minor Mass.

First Cantata from the Christmas Oratorio: Jauchzet frohlocket, auf preiset die Tage

The Christmas Oratorio

Bach wrote just three oratorios: The Ascension Oratorio, The Easter Oratorio and the best-known Christmas Oratorio. The Christmas Oratorio is actually a collection of six cantatas written for the Christmas through Epiphany celebrations in Leipzig in 1734/35. One cantata would have been performed on Christmas Day, the second cantata on the day after Christmas, the third on the third day of Christmas, the fourth on the Feast of the Circumcision, the fifth on the first Sunday in the New Year and the six and final cantata on the Feast of Epiphany. The six cantatas cover the biblical narrative of the angelic annunciation of the birth of a Messiah, the birth of Jesus, the adoration of the shepherds, the official naming of Jesus and the visit of the Wise Men who journeyed from the east. As is typical in an oratorio, the narrative is carried by a tenor whom Bach calls the “Evangelist.” All the other soloists are simply identified by their voice part (soprano, alto, tenor or bass). The chorus’ role is similar to that of the evangelist and the other soloists: they further the story and explore the emotions that it stirs up. Actually, Bach did not so much compose the Christmas Oratorio as compile it as much of the material found in the work came from earlier material (including some of which is now lost to us). In assembling a work that was actually the combination of a series of shorter, self-contained works, Bach was following a well established tradition of the Lubeck Abendmusiken as these musicians regularly put together five-part oratorio cycles of shorter works. Bach achieved a unity between his six cantatas in large part through the unifying use of the “evangelist,” who tells the story through recitative in each cantata. As he does in all his church cantatas, Bach begins with either a large chorus or a Sinfonia which is then followed by a chorus. Each cantata closes with a chorale which represents the congregation’s reaction to the story which has just been told through music.

Second Cantata from the Christmas Oratorio: Und es waren Hirten in derselber Gegend

The Christmas Oratorio

Bach wrote just three oratorios: The Ascension Oratorio, The Easter Oratorio and, best-known of the three, The Christmas Oratorio. The Christmas Oratorio is more accurately described as a collection of six cantatas written for the Christmas through Epiphany celebrations in Leipzig in 1734/35. One cantata would have been performed on Christmas Day, the second cantata on the day after Christmas, the third on the third day of Christmas, the fourth on the Feast of the Circumcision, the fifth on the first Sunday in the New Year and the six and final cantata on the Feast of Epiphany. The six cantatas cover the biblical narrative of the angelic annunciation of the birth of a Messiah, the birth of Jesus, the adoration of the shepherds, the official naming of Jesus and the visit of the Wise Men who journeyed from the east. As is typical in an oratorio, the narrative is carried by a tenor whom Bach calls the “Evangelist.” All the other soloists are simply identified by their voice part (soprano, alto, tenor or bass). The chorus’ role is similar to that of the evangelist and the other soloists: they further the story and explore the emotions that it stirs up. Actually, Bach did not so much compose the Christmas Oratorio as compile it as much of the material found in the work came from earlier material (including some of which is now lost to us). In assembling a work that was actually the combination of a series of shorter, self-contained works, Bach was following a well established tradition of the Lübeck Abendmusiken, as these musicians regularly put together five-part oratorio cycles of shorter works. Bach achieved a unity between his six cantatas in large part through the unifying use of the “evangelist,” who tells the story through recitative in each cantata. As he does in all his church cantatas, Bach begins with either a large chorus or a Sinfonia which is then followed by a chorus. Each cantata closes with a chorale which represents the congregation’s reaction to the story which has just been told through music. The second part of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio is the most lovable and intimate of all the six cantatas. Bach begins with a Sinfonia which calls upon flutes, oboes and English horns to set up a gentle pastoral music that permeates the entire work. The Evangelist then begins to the story of the shepherds in the fields, making clear Bach’s reason for the use of the woodwind instruments so often associated with shepherds. I am particularly fascinated by one detail that Bach employs in the opening movement. As noted above, the woodwinds depict the shepherds in the fields – the first to hear the story of Jesus’ birth. The angels who delivered that message are depicted by the strings in the orchestra. Bach opens the movement with these two groups being quite separate. However, as the piece progresses they come closer together until at the end, they are united in the musical story of the universal celebration of the holy birth. Later in this cantata the chorale tune “Vom Himmel hoch,” one of the most beloved of the chorales associated with Christmas, leads us into a gorgeous slumber song for our alto soloist, flute, and strings. Here Bach depicts the divinity of the baby by using the flute to hover above the alto voice creating a musical halo. The cantata ends with a second verse of “Vom Himmel hoch” accompanied by same musical motives Bach so effectively used in the opening Sinfonia.

Fifth Cantata from the Christmas Oratorio: Ehre sie dir, Gott gesungen

The Christmas Oratorio

Bach wrote just three oratorios: The Ascension Oratorio, The Easter Oratorio and the best-known Christmas Oratorio. The Christmas Oratorio is actually a collection of six cantatas written for the Christmas through Epiphany celebrations in Leipzig in 1734/35. One cantata would have been performed on Christmas Day, the second cantata on the day after Christmas, the third on the third day of Christmas, the fourth on the Feast of the Circumcision, the fifth on the first Sunday in the New Year and the six and final cantata on the Feast of Epiphany. The six cantatas cover the biblical narrative of the angelic annunciation of the birth of a Messiah, the birth of Jesus, the adoration of the shepherds, the official naming of Jesus and the visit of the Wise Men who journeyed from the east. As is typical in an oratorio, the narrative is carried by a tenor whom Bach calls the “Evangelist.” All the other soloists are simply identified by their voice part (soprano, alto, tenor or bass). The chorus’ role is similar to that of the evangelist and the other soloists: they further the story and explore the emotions that it stirs up. Actually, Bach did not so much compose the Christmas Oratorio as compile it as much of the material found in the work came from earlier material (including some of which is now lost to us). In assembling a work that was actually the combination of a series of shorter, self-contained works, Bach was following a well established tradition of the Lubeck Abendmusiken as these musicians regularly put together five-part oratorio cycles of shorter works. Bach achieved a unity between his six cantatas in large part through the unifying use of the “evangelist,” who tells the story through recitative in each cantata. As he does in all his church cantatas, Bach begins with either a large chorus or a Sinfonia which is then followed by a chorus. Each cantata closes with a chorale which represents the congregation’s reaction to the story which has just been told through music. For his first Christmas at Leipzig, Bach wrote a series of six cantatas, later collected into the “Christmas Oratorio”. The fifth cantata of this set is one of the best beloved for its powerful uplifting melodies.

St. John Passion

The story of Christ’s suffering and death is known as the Passion of Christ. Since the earliest days of the church, Christians have read and reenacted the passion story on Good Friday and/or Passion Sunday. By the fourth century, this custom had been firmly established within the church. Beginning at about the eight century, the words of Jesus were emphasized by having the priest sing them in the more elaborate style of plainsong (chant) as opposed to the recitative form of the rest of the story. As years went by, the performances of the passion became ever more elaborate. By the twelfth century, the story was generally told by three clergy — one each representing Jesus, the crowd and the narrator. In the years that followed music grew more sophisticated, as did the settings of the passion. By the fifteenth century the crowds were often sung by entire choirs in an elaborate style. Priests would still chant the parts of Jesus and the other characters. It comes as no surprise that Bach took the setting of the passion to heretofore undreamed of heights of expression, feeling, and theological insight. In Bach’s setting of the Passion according to St. John, we find all the musical forms of the high Baroque being utilized. The “Evangelist” sings the story word for word right out of John’s gospel as a recitative. Other soloists interrupt the flow of the story with poignant arias, affording the listener the opportunity to meditate on the emotions that the actions of the unfolding story suggest. Bach uses his choir in two ways: as the crowd in the story – and to provide a commentary at the beginning and end of the passion. Most of the choruses are highly dramatic, forcefully exploiting the terror and the anger of a group of people who cry out in hatred for bloodshed. Bach’s congregation would also have been involved, as they (probably) joined in the singing of chorales (or hymns) which represent a reaction to the story as it unfolds. Bach designed the hymns to interrupt the unfolding story with a response representing a mature Christian’s reaction to the Passion as it unfolded. Thus, when Judas betrays Jesus, the hymn that follows proclaims that not just Judas, but every person who has sinned, has betrayed Jesus. In a similar manner, at the moment of Jesus’ death, the hymn speaks of the miracle of salvation, the depth of the sacrifice, and is full of wonder that Jesus would die to save all humanity. Bach wrote three passions: one each on the gospels of Mark, John, and Matthew. The Passion according to St. Mark has been lost. As alluded to above, Lutheran congregations understood “performances” of sacred music to be a highly-developed form of worship. Martin Luther noted: “It was not without reason that the fathers and prophets wanted nothing else to be associated as closely with the Word of God as music. Therefore we have so many hymns and Psalms where the message and the music join to move the listener’s soul. (emphasis, mine) After all, the gift of language combined with the gift of song was only given to man to let him know that he should praise God with both words and music, namely, by proclaiming through music and by providing sweet melodies with words.”