A Music for the Eighth Sunday
after Pentecost

Proper 11, Year C, July 18, 2010

Cantor and soloist:
Elisabeth Myers

Mass Setting:
Missa de Sancta Maria Magdalena, Healey Willan

Voluntary

Opening Hymn 401:
The God of Abraham praise, Leoni

Psalm 52
The congregation chants each half-verse of the psalm beginning at the asterisk *

At the Offertory—
Cantata 193, Ihr Tore zu Zion (movt. 3), J.S. Bach

Gott, wir danken deiner Güte,
Denn dein väterlich Gemüte
Währet ewig für und für.
Du vergibst das Übertreten,
Du erhörest, wenn wir beten,
Drum kömmt alles Fleisch zu dir.

God, we thank Your goodness,
since Your fatherly spirit
endures for ever and ever.
You forgive the trespass,
You listen, when we pray,
therefore all flesh comes to You.
Text: anon., and Psalm 65, v. 2

Offertory Hymn 467:
Sing, my soul, his wondrous love, St. Bees

During Communion—
Cantata 193, Ihr Tore zu Zion (movt. 5) Joh. Seb. Bach

Sende, Herr, den Segen ein,
Laß dei wachsen und erhalten,
Die vor dich das Recht verwalten
Und ein Schutz der Armen sein!
Sende, Herr, den Segen ein!

Send down, Lord, Your blessing,
make them prosper and sustain them,
who administer justice before You
and are the protectors of the poor!
Send down, Lord, Your blessing!
Text: anon.

Communion Hymn 326:
From glory to glory advancing, St. Keverne

Closing Hymn 344:
Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing, Sicilian Mariners

Voluntary

Music Notes:

Johann Sebastian Bach’s (1685-1750) Cantata BWV 193, Ihr Tore zu Zion, was composed for the installation of the New Town Council, August 25, 1727 in Leipzig. Considerable reconstruction has to be done before we can listen to this work, since only the soprano and alto voice parts together with the oboe I & II and string instrumental parts have come down to us. Luckily, most of it can be reconstructed (the exception is the final recitative before the closing chorus which is completely lost, text included). It is conjectured that the cantata originated in Köthen and was constructed a couple of weeks after BWV 193a, Ihr Haeuser des Himmels. Unfortunately, even more of BWV 193a is lost than BWV 193!

BWV 193a was a dramma per musica for the nameday of the reigning Augustus II, performed at Leipzig on 3 August 1727. The text was by Bach’s usual textual collaborator, Picander, who may have therefore been involved in its sacred parody just three weeks later. The manuscript parts for BWV 193 show numerous corrections, including a copyist's substitution in the soprano part of Pforten for Tore. Hence the title of the work sometimes varies.

We should rejoice that so much of this fine work can be reconstructed, if only for the sake of the glorious opening chorus. As it happens the arias are good too. The first, for soprano, Gott, wir danken deiner Güte, (heard today at the offertory) has a very attractive orchestral accompaniment with a lovely oboe line especially prominent. The following alto aria, Sende, Herr, den Segen ein, (heard today during communion) and for which only the voice and oboe line survives, is necessarily sparely accompanied but still hints at a fine piece.
We are grateful that today’s soloist, Elisabeth Myers, is able and willing to do double duty as both soprano and alto soloist!

-- Owen Burdick

A Music for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

Music Notes:

A Music for the Eighth Sunday
after Pentecost