Music for Holy Week at LOTI
Music for Holy Week at LOTI
Dear Friends of Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church,
Today the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, Germany are inseparable. From 1723-1741, Bach served as the primary organist or cantor in the city’s four principle churches, as well as the director of the Thomas Boys Choir School, and the chief musician of the city of Leipzig and prolific composer. His contract of employment was actually with the city of Leipzig and not with the church. Surprisingly, as much as Bach’s music flows through the churches in Leipzig today, and draws musicians and audiences from around the world, he was not the preferred candidate of the city of Leipzig when the former cantor died. Instead, Bach was asked to apply for the position and provide an audition.
After the death of Johann Kuhnau, the previous St. Thomas organist, in the summer of 1722, the City Council offered the music contract to Georg Philipp Telemann. When he turned it down, they presented seven additional candidates for the position as City Musician. Bach was the only one with a university degree. Still, he was not the preferred candidate even among the seven.
In January 1723, the City Council invited all seven candidates to write cantatas for performance at St. Thomas Church. Bach and one other candidate were invited to perform two cantatas each. For Bach, both cantatas were performed as a part of the worship service in February, one before the sermon and one afterwards. A press review of the audition at the time read, “On Sunday last in the morning the Hon. Capellmeister of Cöthen, Mr. Bach, gave here his test at the church of St. Thomas’s for the hitherto vacant cantorate, the music of the same having been amply praised on that occasion by all knowledgeable persons.” Bach, however, left Leipzig without hope for the position. It had been offered to the other, more preferred candidate instead. In a surprise twist, however, this organist’s employer, Ernst-Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt, refused to let his court musician go. Again, it was written in the press, “Since the best could not be obtained, a mediocre one would have to be accepted,” thus Bach received an offer to sign a preliminary contract with the City Council of Leipzig. Bach’s work was certainly not mediocre, which can be attested to by his audition work.
On Palm Sunday, April 13th, Dr. Kristina Rizzotto, guest musicians and the LOTI Church Choir will present BWV 22, Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe, Jesus Took the Twelve to Him,one of Bach’s audition pieces for the cantor position in St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. The work beautifully demonstrates that, in spite of the City’s reservations, Bach had mastered the composition of a dramatic scene, an expressive aria with obbligato oboe, a recitative with strings, an exuberant dance, and a chorale in the style of his predecessor in the position as Thomas kantor, Johann Kuhnau. It is a fitting and majestic musical beginning to our Holy Week services.
At 3:00 on Good Friday afternoon, April 18th, the traditional hour commemorated as Jesus’ death on the cross, Hymnus Angelicus, under the direction of Paul McKenzie, will offer a choral remembrance of Jesus’ crucifixion. Music often conveys the emotion, pain and mystery of the events that words alone cannot describe. This musical service will surely inspire you with wonder of God’s love.
Join us on Holy Week for these two special musical worship services. Then join us again on Easter Sunday, April 20th for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection.
Peace, Pastor Arden Haug
