His Voice - Volume 3, Number 2 by Concordia Theological Seminary

HIS

Volume 3 - Number 2

September 2008

VOICE From Co-Director

Richard C. Resch

he Good Shepherd Institute is pleased to announce the October 2008 release of its first compact disc, Hymns of Comfort and Peace: Hearing God’s Promises in Times of Need.

Faithful pastors often wish that they could continue to offer comfort even after they leave a hospital room, a hospice bedside, a grieving widow, parents suffering the death of a child, and a host of other pastoral situations that they regularly face. Over the years, the Good Shepherd Institute of Pastoral Theology and Sacred Music has received requests for a resource that could be given to those in need, a resource that would continue preaching the Gospel carried by God’s very good gift of music—even after the pastor leaves. Hymns of Comfort and Peace is the Institute’s answer to these requests. While music itself is comforting, music that fittingly carries the sure promises of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is an extraordinarily powerful and wonderful balm for the soul. This is music that is able to give just the right words to hearts and minds that when left on their own are often speechless.

Comfort & Peace: HEARING GOD’S PROMISES IN TIMES OF NEED

What follows is a list of the thirty-five hymns sung in a clear, straightforward manner by one of the following: The St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Children’s Choir, Fort Wayne, Indiana The Seminary Kantorei, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana Mark Loder, CTS Kantorei member Chrissy Young, CTS Schola Cantorum member If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee Come, My Soul, with Every Care Oh, How Blest Are They Jerusalem, My Happy Home Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense Children of the Heavenly Father I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb Go, My Children, with My Blessing Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me I Know That My Redeemer Lives O God, Our Help in Ages Past

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God The King of Love My Shepherd Is I Lie, O Lord, within Your Care Abide, O Dearest Jesus Entrust Your Days and Burdens My Shepherd Will Supply My Need Lord, Let at Last Thine Angels Come A Mighty Fortress Is Our God Abide with Me continued on next page

THE GOOD SHEPHERD I

Pastoral Theology and Sacred Music for the Church

continued from previous page

For All the Saints Evening and Morning The Will of God Is Always Best Beautiful Savior Jesus, Your Boundless Love to Me Lord, Support Us All Day Long For Me to Live Is Jesus All Depends on Our Possessing

How Firm a Foundation Christ Be My Leader If God Himself Be for Me Sing with All the Saints in Glory Behold a Host In Peace and Joy I Now Depart Jerusalem the Golden

It is the Institute’s sincere desire that the words and music presented on this CD will beautifully and confidently preach Christ as the only true peace in all times—but especially in times of trial and need.

Comfort

The CD will be sold through the Concordia Theological Seminary Bookstore at a price yet to be determined. However, quantities of five or more will be available at the reduced price of $12 each, plus shipping and handling. Quantities of ten or more will be available for $10 each, plus shipping and handling. The reduced price based on quantity is available ONLY through the Good Shepherd Institute office. Contact Yohko Masaki at 260-452-2224, or email your order to masakiy@ctsfw.edu.

Now is the time to register for the November Conference: Lutheran Liturgy and Hymnody: Theology in Practice with Confidence and Grace (November 2–4). See program and registration information at www.goodshepherdinstitute.org/conference/

THE GOOD SHEPHERD I

&Peace: HEARING GOD’S PROMISES IN TIMES OF NEED

Other news relating to the November Conference: Bach Cantata BWV 80 soloists are announced: Christopher Cock, Tenor Daniel Eifert, Bass Kathrine Lawton Brown, Alto Katie Schuermann, Soprano

Additional choral works for that Vespers: Schütz: “Nunc Dimittis” from Musikalische Exequien Brahms: Begräbnisgesang

The Monday afternoon reception before dinner will include three author signing opportunities: Kantor Resch and Dr. Zager for Singing the Faith: Living the Lutheran Musical Heritage Kantor Hildebrand with a display of his organ publications Dr. Just for his new releases Heaven on Earth and Visitations

HIS Voice • September 2008

Recommended

PASTORAL RESOURCES by JOHN PLESS

Hans Joachim Iwand, The Righteousness of Faith According to Luther, trans. Randi H. Lundell, ed. Virgil F. Thompson (Wipf & Stock, 2008), 105 pp. [$16.00]

Hans Joachim Iwand (1899–1960) was professor of theology at Göttingen and Bonn, carrying forward the scholarship of the Luther Renaissance under the influence of his teacher, Rudolf Hermann. Using the themes of promise and simultaneity, Iwand expounded Luther’s theology with vigor and vitality for preaching.

The appearance of this book in English is long overdue. Prior to the appearance of these essays in Lutheran Quarterly, little of Iwand had been translated into English and he was largely unknown in North America except, perhaps, from his influence on the thinking of Gerhard Forde. Iwand’s theological career was forged by an early and ongoing critical engagement with Barth, the necessity of confessional witness in the face of Hitler, and by a profound grasp of the heart of Luther’s theology. Like Luther, Iwand’s theological work is geared toward the proclamation of the righteousness of faith found only in Christ Jesus. Thus, the fundamental and critical distinction for theology is the distinction between the Law and the Gospel. Here Iwand is radically and refreshingly Lutheran in a way that deconstructs moralisms of the left and the right so that Christ alone is preached as the end of the Law for all who believe. The Righteousness of Faith According to Luther is more than just another historical study of a Reformation theme; it is a vigorous exercise in pastoral dogmatics. Iwand teases out the nuances in Luther’s distinction of the Law from the Gospel with provocative insights on nearly every page. This is a volume not simply for Reformation scholars but for seminarians, pastors, and thoughtful laity. I look forward to using it in the classroom and beyond. _______________________________________

Oswald Bayer, Freedom in Response— Lutheran Ethics: Sources and Controversies, trans. Jeffrey F. Cayzer (Oxford University Press, 2007), 275 pp. [$99.00]

While theological ethics are not to be substituted for pastoral care, disciplined theological reflection on ethics is indispensable for soul care governed by a right distinction of the Law from the Gospel. The seventeen essays in this volume evidence the comprehensive scope of Oswald Bayer’s work in the realm of theological ethics. His topics range from investigation of biblical texts as represented in essays on the Sermon on the Mount, the renewal of the mind in Paul, and the First Commandment as bases for ethics to a variety of essays on ethical controversies that emerge out of the Enlightenment. Three essays deal with marriage. Luther and Johann Georg Hamann figure most prominently in Bayer’s work, as one would expect. In an essay entitled “Nature and Institution: Luther’s Doctrine of the Three Estates,” Bayer works from Luther’s 1528 treatise “Confession of Christ’s Supper” to show that the “doctrine of the three estates” functions as a hermeneutic of the Genesis to appropriate the social dimensions of creation and sin. Bayer argues that the three estates comprehend “the three basic forms of life which God’s promise has ordained mankind” (93). As such, they are perhaps even more significant than the “two kingdoms” conceptuality in Luther’s ethics. “Luther’s Ethics as Pastoral Care” addresses the place of freedom in Luther’s ethics and its consequences for the care of souls. Reviewing the way that the ethics of Jesus was constructed as “itinerant radicalism” by New Testament scholars such as G. Theissen in contrast with the so-called Haustafeln of the Epistles, Bayer shows how Luther set the First Commandment in the context of the worldly estates so that both faith and love are preserved. Bayer observes how Hamann carries forth key themes from Luther in his critique of the Enlightenment.

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HIS Voice • September 2008

Recommended

PASTORAL RESOURCES continued from previous page

Three essays are devoted to marriage: “The Protestant Understanding of Marriage,” “Luther’s View of Marriage,” and “Freedom and Law in Marriage.” Writing against views of marriage shaped by both the Enlightenment and Romanticism, Bayer sets out an understanding of marriage as “institution” in keeping with his work on Luther’s use of the three estates: “We cannot see our marriage simply as brought about by our own decision or just a contract that can be dissolved by mutual consent” (173). He maintains that Luther’s understanding of marriage preserves its creational character while seeing it as the location for faith and love, and therefore the place of cross-bearing. In an age where marriage is seen as a more or less temporary arrangement entered into and maintained by the will of the couple, Bayer sounds this salutary note: “The quality of the marriage union—that it is not under the control of the married couple—means that it is entered into wholeheartedly and without reservation, and of course means that there can be no term set to the duration of marriage. Thus the expressly included requirement of ‘till death do us part’ is indispensable” (164). The liturgical order of marriage, Bayer argues, confesses the gift and institution of marriage; in this sense it is confessional. Likewise helpful is Bayer’s treatment of the character of the one flesh union. Bayer’s essays on marriage are helpful both for understanding the marriage liturgy and for providing a solid foundation for pastoral care.

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Oswald Bayer, Martin Luther’s Theology: A Contemporary Interpretation, trans. Thomas H. Trapp (Eerdmans, 2008), 378 pp. [$32.00]

Another fine new book by Oswald Bayer is his introduction to Luther’s theology as he unfolds central motifs in the Reformer’s thinking that have as their end the comforting of consciences that face the last judgment. Martin Luther’s Theology is a catechetical systematics as Bayer uses the structure and themes of the Small Catechism to lay open the heart of Reformation theology. Bayer sees Luther’s hymn “Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice” as the paradigm for the Reformer’s psalm-like confession of sin and grace. The “rupture,” as Bayer puts it, between the two parts of the hymn (humanity’s distress under sin and God’s gracious answer in Christ Jesus) illustrates that there is no natural transition from Law to Gospel grounded in a primal unity of these two words of God. Those who teach the Small Catechism and attempt to understand both liturgy and pastoral care from its frame of reference will not want to be without this book. _______________________________________

Several essays take up issues of philosophy and ethics. Here Bayer demonstrates a comprehensive grasp of the sources in his engagement with Kant, Feuerbach, Marx, and others. His essay on “Law and Freedom: A Metacritique of Kant” is especially helpful in getting to the heart of the persistence of the category of autonomy in contemporary thought.

There is little written these days that is distinctively Lutheran in the field of ethics. Bayer has distinguished himself as one who works deeply with Lutheran categories firmly centered in the doctrine of justification by faith alone (see his earlier books, Living by Faith: Justification and Sanctification and Theology the Lutheran Way). For this reason alone, Freedom in Response is a most welcome book. _______________________________________ HIS Voice • September 2008

Recommended

PASTORAL RESOURCES

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Bo Giertz, To Live with Christ, trans. Richard Wood with Bror Erickson

The Consolations of Theology, ed. Brian S. Rosner

Bo Giertz (1905–1998), the celebrated author of The Hammer of God, is rightly remembered for his sturdy confessional Lutheran theology and his lively commitment to deepening the spiritual lives of both pastors and lay people. He served as a bishop in the Gothenburg Diocese of the Church of Sweden at a time when suspicions of the truthfulness of the Scriptures, bred by historical-critical scholars and doctrinal laxity among ecclesiastical leaders, led to lifeless preaching and vapid church life. Yet, enlivened by confidence in God’s mighty Word, which does not return to Him empty, Giertz did not resign himself to despair. He worked tirelessly to strengthen pastors in their work as caretakers of the soul, helping them to see that their calling was to preach not the clever opinions that become quickly worn-out fads, but Christ crucified. Giertz knew that the only message finally worth hearing is the one that comes from God. This conviction is evangelically portrayed in the daily devotions arranged according to the historic church calendar in To Live with Christ. This is a book for reading and reflection, meditation and prayer that will be treasured by pastors and laity alike. _______________________________________

Drawing on Luther’s conviction that genuine theology bestows consolation to souls assaulted by sin, frightened by death, and tempted to despair, Brian Rosner has brought together a group of essays on Lactantius, Augustine, Luther, Kierkegaard, and Bonhoeffer, demonstrating how each in his own way sees theology as a means of consolation. The essays seek to apply themes developed in the thinking of each of these figures to the daily struggles of contemporary Christians. _______________________________________

(Concordia, 2008), 830 pp. [$19.99]

Dennis Ngien, Luther as a Spiritual Advisor: The Interface of Theology and Piety in Luther’s Devotional Writings (Paternoster, 2007), 183 pp. [£19.99; approx. $37.00]

Ngien, a professor at Tyndale University in Toronto, has authored a helpful study of Luther’s way of providing spiritual care emanating from the Reformer’s understanding of Christ for us. The study casts a fairly broad net as the author examines the sources and shape of Luther’s own piety, his approach to the care of the sick and the dying, the practice of prayer, sacramental piety, and the theologia crucis as a “method of comfort.” _______________________________________

HIS Voice • September 2008

(Eerdmans, 2008), 160 pp. [$16.00]

John W. Kleinig, “Paul Gerhardt as a Singer of Lutheran Spirituality,” Lutheran Theological Journal 41 (December 2007): 167–79.

Originally presented at a symposium on Gerhardt at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary in St. Catharines, Ontario, this paper expounds the piety of Gerhardt as scriptural, liturgical, sacramental, physical, and joyful. Kleinig sees Gerhardt as one of the greatest teachers of Lutheran spirituality. _______________________________________

Arthur A. Just Jr., Heaven on Earth: The Gifts of Christ in the Divine Service (Concordia, 2008), 307 pp. [$14.99]

Written in a popular and easily accessible style, Heaven on Earth: The Gifts of Christ in the Divine Service does several things. First, it provides a biblical theology of worship centered in the Christ who is present with His gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation for His people. Second, Just leads readers, step by step, through the structure and movement of the historic liturgy, aptly demonstrating how the parts form a coherent whole. Third, various aspects of the liturgy, such as the place of the sacraments, the use of the calendar, psalmody, and architecture, are examined. Finally, the author provides readers with a thoughtful and measured apologetic for the continued use of the liturgy in the postmodern context. The text is accompanied by several diagrams illustrating the structure of the Divine Service. Pastors will appreciate this book as a summation of liturgical theology and practice. Laity will find it a useful guide to understanding the liturgy. _______________________________________

Recommended

PASTORAL RESOURCES Wilhelm Löhe Bicentennial (2008) Stephen van der Hoek, “The Unique Contribution of Wilhelm Löhe to the Renewal of the Practice of Private Confession,” Lutheran Theological Journal 42 (August 2008): 100–108

Building on the work of Kenneth Korby, Martin Wittenberg, and others, Stephen van der Hoek has produced a fresh interpretation of the theological and pastoral significance of private confession in the work of the nineteenth-century Bavarian pastor, Wilhelm Löhe. This fine study is a good introduction to his pastoral theology. _______________________________________

continued

This July a theological conference in Neuendettelsau, sponsored by the International Löhe Society, marked this significant anniversary. Papers presented at this conference by scholars from Germany, the United States, Italy, Australia, and Congo will be published soon. The International Löhe Society will meet next on the campus of Concordia Theological Seminary in July 2011. The Holy Trinity 2008 issue of Logia is devoted to Löhe. The Pieper Lectures, to be held on the campus of Concordia Seminary (October 30–31, 2008), will commemorate the Löhe anniversary with papers by David Ratke, Craig Nessan, William Schumacher, John Pless, Matthew Harrison, and John Stephenson. Concordia Theological Seminary will host a seminar on Löhe on October 10–11, 2008, with presentations by John Pless (Löhe as pastor and theologian), Mark Loest (Löhe’s influence in the Michigan colonies), Detlev Schulz (Löhe on missions), and Paul Grime (Löhe on liturgy). _______________________________________

Dietrich Blaufuß, “Löhe Preaches the Psalms,” Logia 17 (Holy Trinity 2008): 7–11.

This study of three Löhe sermons on Psalms 107, 133, and 113:2–3 shows how he preached the Psalms with an orientation toward the doctrine of the Trinity. Blaufuß is the copresident of the International Löhe Society. _______________________________________

Wilhelm Löhe, “A Sermon on the Lord’s Supper,” trans. Jason D. Lane, Concordia Pulpit Resources 18 (August 24–November 23, 2008): 3–6.

This sermon, based on Exodus 12:1ff, was preached by Löhe on July 27, 1866 as the first in a series on the Lord’s Supper. It serves as an example of Löhe’s sacramental preaching. _______________________________________

HIS Voice • September 2008

Recommended

PASTORAL RESOURCES

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2009 Lenten Preaching Seminar

(Monday of Symposia Week, January 19)

“Have This Mind among Yourselves which is Yours in Christ Jesus”

This year’s seminar will unpack deeply the insight into Christ Jesus afforded by the carmen Christi (Hymn of Christ, Phil. 2:5-11), an early Christian hymn which Paul incorporated into his letter to the Philippians. Lent is not a striving for something we don’t have, but the appreciation of all Christ brings. Hence, the “Mind among Yourselves” that Paul writes of in Phil. 2:6 is the Christ-mindedness that comes to the congregation as it focuses upon the Person of Christ through the preaching of the pastor. The series parallels the humiliation and exultation of Christ in the great Hymn of Christ, and will prepare the congregation suitably for Holy Week and Easter. The presenter is Dr. John G. Nordling, Associate Professor of Exegetical Theology. _______________________________________ Concordia Publishing House www.cph.org

William B. Eerdmans Publishing www.eerdmans.com Oxford University Press www.oup.com/us/

Paternoster www.authenticmedia.co.uk Wipf & Stock www.wipfandstock.com

HIS Voice • September 2008

Practical Choral Ideas:

EXPLORING HYMN SETTINGS AND THE HYMNAL by KEVIN HILDEBRAND

John A. Behnke SATB, Congregation, Organ, opt. Handbells, Brass Quartet, Timpani CPH 98-3975, $1.75

Kevin Hildebrand Two-part or Unison, Keyboard, Treble instrument, opt. Congregation CPH 98-3981, $2.00

For All the Saints

God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It

An eight-stanza hymn is a natural place to implement a festive setting. This arrangement by John Behnke is exceedingly practical: the choral writing is easy and accessible; the organ part is likewise user-friendly. Don’t let the SATB designation discourage a small choir. Most of the writing is actually two-part mixed voices. Interestingly, the majority of the SATB writing is for stanzas 4–6, which set the hymn text to an Anglican psalm tone (identical to that found at The Lutheran Hymnal 666). If that is impractical for your choir, use the rest of the piece, and you will still have a worthwhile settting! _______________________________________

This setting of an increasingly popular and excellent hymn could be performed as a “choir only” hymn, or in alternatim with the congregation. The instrumental writing is of moderate difficulty, even within the grasp of a skilled junior-high or high school player. This is part of CPH’s new Children’s Choir Series, edited by Mel Machemer. Look for more titles in this series with specific emphasis on writing for children’s voices. _______________________________________

Mark Bender SATB, Congregation, Organ, Trumpet CPH 98-3978, $2.00

Church of God, Elect and Glorious

An enjoyable trumpet tune ritornello ornaments this setting of LSB 646. As a relatively “new” hymn to many congregations, this setting can assist in the teaching of this text and tune. A good trumpeter is needed (“A” above the treble staff in concert pitch is featured). Stanza two is set for SATB choir. Again, congregations with limited choir resources could still benefit from using this setting—have unison choir and organ take stanza two, perhaps. Don’t let the “SATB” designation keep your small choir away from excellent settings. _______________________________________

HIS Voice • September 2008

Felix Mendelssohn, ed. John Leavitt SATB, Organ or Piano CPH 98-3949, $1.50

Wake, Awake

This chorale setting from Mendelssohn’s oratorio St. Paul is presented in a practical and accessible arrangement, making the keyboard reduction fit nicely in the hands, especially in the fanfares between phrases of the chorale. Use this setting for November 9, 2008, when the Gospel lesson is the parable of the ten virgins. It would function well as a choral response in a Daily Office, music at the offering, or at the distribution of the Lord’s Supper. _______________________________________

Practical Choral Ideas:

EXPLORING HYMN SETTINGS AND THE HYMNAL by KEVIN HILDEBRAND

David Hein SAT with Piano, Tambourine, Hand Drum, Finger Cymbals Choristers Guild CGA 1124, $1.85

Infant Holy, Infant Lowly

The unusual SAT designation of this piece becomes evident when you consider using it with a youth choir that includes changing boys’ voices. With a limited range (A below middle C to F-sharp above middle C) and lots of repetition, it is very friendly to the young men—and the director! The alto part is more typical, and any youth or children’s choir that is accustomed to singing in at least two parts will have no problem with this setting. No youth choir at your church? Use it as an SAB mixed choir piece (although the men will probably need to shift into falsetto for the high Es and F-sharps), or use it as a three-part women’s setting, with a nice low contralto part written in the bass clef! _______________________________________

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Alleluia Verse for Reformation: use “Have No Fear, Little Flock” LSB 735

The proper verse for Reformation Day is Luke 12:32, paraphrased as the first stanza of LSB 735: “Have no fear little flock, for the Father has chosen to give you the kingdom.” This could be the basis for a choral alleluia verse. A simple alleluia could be sung before and after the hymn stanza. For copyright purposes, the entire hymn stanza is not provided in this example; the organist and choir can read that from the hymnal.

Exploring resources from the hymnal “No Saint on Earth Lives Life to Self Alone” LSB 747

Sometimes we overlook the treasury of resources right in front of us in the church pew—our hymnal. One suggestion is to use LSB 747 as a choral piece—response to the lesson, or music at the offering or distribution—on All Saints’ Day or in the last Sundays of the church year. For choirs with less than four parts, have a suitable instrument substitute for the missing choral part—a cello substituting for the tenor part, the organ playing the bass part, and sopranos and altos sing. _______________________________________

HIS Voice • September 2008

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Practical Choral Ideas:

EXPLORING HYMN SETTINGS AND THE HYMNAL by KEVIN HILDEBRAND

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Ideas for St. Michael and All Angels:

If you are transferring the observance of this festival to Sunday, September 28, 2008, you may want to consider some practical choral ideas that can be learned quickly (since many choirs resume rehearsals in September). One suggestion is part or all of LSB 930 “All You Works of God, Bless the Lord.” This should be sung in unison.

A second suggestion is to use “Isaiah, Mighty Seer in Days of Old” (LSB 960) in a manner suggested in the previous issue of His Voice:

Choir only:

Isaiah, mighty seer in days of old . . . One to the other called and praised the Lord,

Congregation:

“Holy is God, the Lord of Sabaoth! Holy is God, the Lord of Sabaoth! Holy is God, the Lord of Sabaoth! His glory fills the heavens and the earth!”

Choir only:

The beams and lintels trembled at the cry, and clouds of smoke enwrapped the throne on high. _______________________________________ Choristers Guild www.choristersguild.org

Concordia Publishing House www.cph.org

HIS Voice • September 2008

Recommended

READING AND LISTENING by DANIEL ZAGER

Reading James Bachman, “Managing Sinner/Saints in Today’s Congregations: A Contemporary Perspective on Lutheran Congregational Life,” Modern Reformation 17 (July/August 2008): 36–39.

James Bachman (Concordia University, Irvine) observes that “In the past fifty years, sound, confessional Lutheran theology has lost most of its distinctive cultural and social practices” (36), the very practices that “help construct a visible platform for gospel proclamation” (37). Thus, he argues that “we need to maintain our commitment to sound theology, but we also need to respond to the disappearance of the supporting social and cultural practices of the past” (37). It is not a matter of returning to past practices but rather of “choosing, modeling, and teaching distinctive practices that provide a solid platform for the proclamation of the gospel. Leaders must study, learn, choose, and teach rich liturgical, catechetical, literary, musical, artistic, and ethical practices that are worthy platforms for the gospel proclamation. . . . How pitiful to take a vapid product of debased culture, couple it with bad religious poetry, and call it relevant worship that speaks to the people” (38). He goes on to point to the value of a common hymnal in a given tradition, while noting that “each congregation can and will use the common hymnal in flexibly diverse ways” (39). There is much for the reader to ponder in Bachman’s thought-provoking article. _______________________________________

HIS Voice • September 2008

Johann Sebastian Bach, Choralfantasie für Orgel über Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns halt, BWV 1128 (Erstausgabe), ed. Stephan Blaut and Michael Pacholke (Ortus Musikverlag, 2008) [EUR 13.50; approx. $20.00]

In late March 2008 two musicologists from Halle University, Stephan Blaut and Michael Pacholke, announced their discovery of an organ chorale prelude by Johann Sebastian Bach that previously had been known only in fragmentary form. The complete musical text discovered in Halle is a nineteenth-century copy by the former Thomaskantor and Bach editor, Wilhelm Rust (1822–1892). Bach scholars evaluated the setting and estimate it to have been composed ca. 1705–1710. The chorale on which the prelude is based, “Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns halt,” a paraphrase of Psalm 124, is by Martin Luther’s coworker, Justas Jonas (1493–1555). (Luther’s own hymnic version of Psalm 124 is “Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit,” and only the latter has found its way into a current American Lutheran hymnal— hymn 396 in the Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod.)

Recommended

READING AND LISTENING Listening (Trinity Baroque, Julian Podger) [Raumklang RK 2601]

Johann Sebastian Bach, Motetten Five of Bach’s motets are included in this superb recorded performance: Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf; Komm Jesu, komm; Jesu, meine Freude; Fürchte dich nicht; and Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied. The added bonus with this recording is that it was made at the church of St. Wenzel in Naumburg, the site of the organ built during the years 1743–1746 by Zacharias Hildebrandt, and subsequently tested by Bach himself. The CD includes three organ works performed by James Johnstone: two settings from the Orgelbüchlein, “Herr Christ der einig Gottes Sohn” and “O Mensch bewein dein Sünde groß,” as well as Bach’s fugue on the Magnificat (BWV 733). The Hildebrandt organ, perhaps Bach’s ideal instrument, has been fully restored and is always a treat to hear. Thus, in addition to virtuosic performances of the five motets, there is the added bonus on this CD of Bach organ works recorded on this very special eighteenthcentury organ at Naumburg. _______________________________________

HIS Voice • September 2008

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Johann Sebastian Bach, St. John Passion (1725 version)

(Yale Schola Cantorum and Collegium Players, Simon Carrington) [2008, reZound RZCD 5017-18]

Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. John Passion was first performed on April 7, 1724 (Good Friday). Bach repeated the work in 1725 but with some significant changes, including a new opening chorus based on the chorale “O Mensch bewein dein Sünde groß” (later used by Bach as the closing chorus to Part 1 of the St. Matthew Passion), and a new concluding chorale “Christe du Lamm Gottes.” Most recordings of the St. John Passion are based on the 1724 version; thus, it is good to have this new recording of the 1725 version. Carrington and his Yale student forces acquit themselves very well indeed in this most satisfying recorded performance. _______________________________________ Ortus Musikverlag www.ortus.de

Raumklang www.raumklang.de

reZound www.gothic-catalog.com