January 18
Cantata
Alles nur nach Gottes Willen, BWV 72
Everything according to God’s will alone
This cantata for the Third Sunday after Epiphany was first performed on January 27, 1726. Drawing its themes from the biblical account of Jesus healing a leper, the cantata describes how the believer finds comfort in trusting that all things ultimately come to fulfillment in God’s gracious will. The cantata concludes with the chorale Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit (What my God wills, that always occurs), a hymn of faith and contentment well known to Bach’s Leipzig congregation.
The prelude to the service at 3:45 p.m. will be performed by Grace’s string quartet-in-residence, the Kontras Quartet.
Homilist
JoAnn Post, Lutheran Church of the Ascension, Northfield, Illinois, homilist
Prelude
Kontras Quartet: Eleanor Bartsch, Sherri Zhang, Ben Weber, and Jean Hatmaker
Motet
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten, MWV A 7
Musicians
Bach Cantata Vespers Chorus and Orchestra
Grace Cantor Michael D. Costello, conducting
Katelyn Lee, soprano
Sarah Ponder, mezzo soprano
Peter Wesoloski, baritone