May 21
Sie werden euch in den Bann tun, BWV 44
They will put you under a ban
The cantata’s sober opening duet is sung to a text from John in which Jesus warns his disciples that they will be persecuted for his sake. The text of the cantata, which concerns itself with Christians enduring tribulation and heartbreak, may seem a little out of place at the end of the Easter season, yet it was part of the gospel for the Sunday after Ascension in 1724. Scored for four soloists, choir, two oboes, strings, and continuo, the cantata ultimately delivers a more hopeful message: joy comes after tribulation and God can be trusted to do what is best. The motet by Heinrich Schütz (1585—1672) is a double-choir anthem that concludes one of Schütz’s largest works, his setting of Psalm 119, which he called his Schwanengesang (swan song). Guest organist Steven Wente of Concordia University Chicago will perform the prelude to the service.
3:00 p.m. Cantata Preview Lecture (in-person only)
Mark P. Bangert, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
3:45 p.m. Bach Cantata Vespers (in-person and online)
Steven Wente, Concordia University Chicago, guest organist
Heinrich Schutz: Die Fursten verfolgen mich ohn Ursach (from Der Schwanengesang). SWV 492
Jennifer Powell McNutt, Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois, homilist
Susan Nelson, soprano
Amanda Koopman, mezzo soprano
Ryan Townsend Strand, tenor
Douglas Anderson, baritone
Bach Cantata Vespers Chorus and Orchestra
Grace Cantor Michael D. Costello, conducting