Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Bach.
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| The Four Evangelists Jacob Jordaens ca. 1625-1630 |
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| J. S. Bach E. G. Hausmann, 1748 |
Bach?
J.
S. Bach (1685-1750) is irrefutably the champion of Lutheran church
musicians. During his years serving as a
cantor, churches thirsted for new music in service of the church. A good cantor taught singing, led the choirs,
and accompanied church services with the organ. A great cantor was also a
skilled composer. Few composers in
history have been as prolific and inspiring as Johann Sebastian Bach.
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| Thomaskirche - where Bach did much of his work. |
In
fact, Lutherans sometimes refer to him as the fifth Evangelist because his
music proclaims the gospel in unique and glorious ways.
His
mind and pen formed thrilling preludes and fugues for organ, elegant
compositions for chamber instrumental groups, passions and oratorios
proclaiming the gospel, and nearly any other musical form that can be imagined.
In a class all their own, he wrote church cantatas – one for every Sunday of
the year, save the Sundays in Lent.
Bach’s cantatas include choral fantasies, recitatives, and arias. Some of his most popular music comes through the cantatas - most of which are based on well-known hymn tunes of the day.
Bach’s cantatas include choral fantasies, recitatives, and arias. Some of his most popular music comes through the cantatas - most of which are based on well-known hymn tunes of the day.
It’s
not hard to find Bach’s music in performance these days. It’s revered in concert halls, sets the tone
for worship in Sunday morning services, and is studied intently by anyone who
commits to serious musical study.
It’s
a little harder to find the cantatas performed in their intended setting in
worship.
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| Bach Vespers 2015 Chorus, Orchestra, Soloists |
Twenty-eight
years ago, St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, under the guidance of Cantor
Jim Rindelaub, began offering Bach Vespers services. These services maintain the form of the
classic service of evening prayer with readings from scripture, hymns, and
canticles. When this form is combined
with a carefully rehearsed choir, professional instrumentalists, and trained
soloists, the church’s song reaches a level that is both spiritual and
artistic.
This
year’s cantata is N o. 117, “Sei lob und Ehr dem höchsten Gut” – “Praise and
Honor Be to the Highest Good.” The tune,
Es ist das Heil, is familiar to
Lutherans today and is usually sung to the text “All Who Believe and are
Baptized” or “Salvation unto Us Has Come.”
This
year's Bach Vespers features service music by Jacksonville composer Bob
Moore. His settings of Phos Hilaron and Nunc Dimittis (“O Gracious Light” and “Lord, You Now Have Set Your
Servant Free”) have a flowing chant feel complemented with modern harmonies
that surprise and delight, without startling, the listener. Magnificat
(“My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of the Lord”) is a sturdy hymn of praise that
is sensitive to the text.
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| Bob Moore is also the Director of Music Ministy at Church of Our Savior, Episcopal, in Jacksonville |
We
are honored to welcome talented and trained singers as soloists: Dina Barone
(contralto), Krzysztof Biernacki (baritone), and James Hall (tenor). All three are voice faculty at the University
of North Florida. Ms. Barone is also an adjunct professor at Jacksonville University.
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| Krzysztof Biernacki |
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| Dina Barone |
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| James Hall |
St.
Mark’s is happy to present cantatas of J. S. Bach within the service of evening
prayer. Please join us on Sunday night,
October 28th (Reformation Sunday) at 7:00 p.m. Our address is 3976
Hendricks Avenue. Since this a service of worship, there is no admission
fee.
All
are welcome to enjoy this music as it is sung to the glory to God!
The Four Evangelists:
Jacob Jordaens (1625-1630)
By Elias Gottlob Haussmann -
http://www.jsbach.net/bass/elements/bach-hausmann.jpg, Public Domain,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1270015
Thomaskirche
By Dirk Goldhahn - Fotografiert von Dirk Goldhahn., Public
Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15674
