October 26
Cantata
Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild, BWV 79
God the Lord is Sun and Shield
For the festival of the Reformation we sing Bach’s cantata God the Lord is Sun and Shield, written for the festival and first performed on October 31, 1725. With the drumbeat of timpani steadily undergirding the well-known obligato for two horns, the words from Psalm 84 in the first movement give way to the familiar chorale in the third: Now thank we all our God.
The Bach Cantata Vespers Orchestra performs Bach’s great Orchestral Suite in D Major as the prelude to the service at 3:45 p.m. This rich and varied work for Baroque orchestra moves from the opening French overture to the familiar Air, followed by a trio of Baroque dances.
Homilist
L. George Detweiler, Norristown, Pennsylvania, homilist
Prelude
J. S. Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068
Motet
Otto Nicolai: Psalm 84
Musicians
Bach Cantata Vespers Chorus and Orchestra
Grace Cantor Michael D. Costello, conducting
Maura Janton Cock, soprano
Sarah Ponder, mezzo soprano
Daniel Eifert, bass
