October 30
Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott, BWV 129
Praised be the Lord, my God
Though its first performance likely fell on Trinity Sunday in 1724, Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott is also appropriate for other occasions, including Reformation. Bach used the text of Johann Olearius’s 1665 hymn of the same name to create a five-moment chorale cantata. The festive opening chorus, three buoyant arias, and a concluding four-part chorale all join in jubilant praise of the Triune God. The large-scale motet Heilig (Holy) by Bach’s son, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714—1788), was written for Michaelmas in Hamburg in 1776. It is a multi-dimensional German Sanctus, a dialogue between the “choir of the angels” and the “choir of nations.” As a special treat for Reformation Sunday, the extended 30-minute prelude to the service will be a performance of Josef Rheinberger’s Organ Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Opus 177. Renowned organist Chelsea Chen will be the soloist on Grace’s Berghaus Organ (III/81).
3:00 p.m. Cantata Preview Lecture (in-person only)
Mark Peters, Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights
3:45 p.m. Bach Cantata Vespers (in-person and online)
Bulletin for the service is here
Josef Rheinberger: Organ Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Opus 177
Chelsea Chen, organist
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Heilig, Wq 218
Wyvetta Bullock, Metropolitan Chicago Synod,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, homilist
Maura Janton Cock, soprano
Amanda Koopman, mezzo soprano
Douglas Anderson, baritone
Bach Cantata Vespers Chorus and Orchestra
Grace Cantor Michael D. Costello, conducting