Music for February 12, 2023 + The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

Vocal Music

Teach Me, O Lord – Thomas Attwood

Instrumental Music

Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier  – Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 731 (1685-1750)

Partita "Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten" – Georg Böhm (1661-1733):

Prelude in D Major, BWV 925 – Johann Sebastian Bach

Congregational Music (all hymns from The Hymnal 1982 with the exception of those marked “R” which are from Renew.)

Hymn 440 Blessed Jesus, at thy word (LIESTER JESU)

Hymn 635 If thou but suffer God to guide thee (WER NUR DEN LIEBEN GOTT)

Hymn R 115 God’s Holy ways are true and just (LAAST UNS ERFREUEN)

Hymn I will trust in the Lord (NEGRO SPIRITUAL)

Hymn R291 Go forth for God; go to the world in peace (GENEVA 124)

Psalm 119:1-8– (simplified Anglican chant by Jerome Meachan)

Teach Me, O Lord

Today's lesson from the Old Testament we hear this promise from God: If you obey my commandments and statutes, I will bless you with life. In today's Gospel reading, Jesus talks about a few of these commandments, and sheds new light on them.  

It is fitting that the psalm appointed for today is Psalm 119, the longest Psalm, which focuses on our love for the commandments (laws) of God. Psalm 119 begins "Happy are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!"

It's because of this thought that I chose today’s anthem with text from Psalm 119, a simple, direct rendering of the words "Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes." It was written by English composer and musician Thomas Attwood, who was very active in the musical life of England, holding posts as chamber musician to the Prince of Wales, organist of St. Paul’s Cathedral, composer to the Chapel Royal and professor at the Royal Academy of Music.  His choral works, now mostly forgotten and seldom performed, reveal the influence of his teacher Mozart.

Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier

This elegant little piece by Bach is one of his miscellaneous chorales, meaning it is not found in any collection of his, and some scholars (i.e. Hermann Keller) even cast doubt on its authenticity. Regardless, I find it a charming setting of today's opening hymn, a beautiful little three-stanza poem which asks for guidance and light to lead us out of obscurity. Such a request arises out of humility and calls for a meditative setting is an apt vehicle for the petition. If it is indeed by Bach, it is probably from his early Arnstadt period.

 Does this piece sound familiar, but not on the organ? That’s very possible. This early chorale arrangement is on the Bach Album by The Swingle Singers, who had a smash hit in 1963 with their LP of jazzed up instrumental music by Bach, sung a capella. Here is a link to a recording: 

https://youtu.be/V_3rBUXAph8

Prelude in D Major

This is another spurious composition by J. S. Bach. It is found in Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (Bach's original spelling: Clavier-Büchlein vor Wilhelm Friedemann Bach) is a collection of keyboard music compiled by the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach for his eldest son and second child, Wilhelm Friedemann. 

Although numbers 1, 2, 4 and 5 in the notebook were undoubtedly composed by J S Bach himself, it is possible that this prelude was actually written by W F Bach sometime in the 1720s, under the guidance of his father.

The music would originally have been played on harpsichord or on clavichord.