Concert Schedule

Program

Johann Sebastian Bach
Cantata BWV 4: Christ lag in Todesbanden

• Sinfonia
• Versus 1. Christ lag in Todesbanden — Allegro
• Versus 2. Den Tod niemand zwingen kunnt
• Versus 3. Jesus Christus, Gottes Sohn
• Versus 4. Es war ein wunderlicher Krieg
• Versus 5. Hier ist das rechte Osterlamm
• Versus 6. So feiern wir das hohe Fest
• Versus 7. Wir essen und leben wohl — repeat chorale in English with audience

Johann Hermann Schein
Suite No. 6 from Banchetto musicale

• Padouana
• Gagliarda
• Courente
• Allemande e Tripla

Johann Christoph Bach
Es ist nun aus mit meinem Leben (Motet, 3 verses)

Johann Sebastian Bach
BWV 262: Alle menschen müssen Sterben — audience sing-along in German and English

Selections from Cantata BWV 79

• Recitativo (bass): Gottlob! Wir wissen den rechten Weg zur Seligkeit
• Aria (soprano, bass): Gott, ach Gott, verlaß die Deinen nimmermehr

Selections from Cantata BWV 63

• Recitativo (tenor): So kehret sich nun heut das bange Leid
• Aria (alto, tenor): Ruft und fleht den Himmel an

Johann Christoph Bach
Herr, wende dich und sei mir gnädig (Dialogue)

Encore
Frisch auf, mein Seel — repeat ending chorale in English with audience

Performers

About the Program

Composed early in his career, Christ lag in Todesbanden is one of Bach’s most structurally unified cantatas. Each movement is derived from a single Lutheran chorale, unfolding as a sequence of variations that moves from darkness into radiant affirmation.

In this program, BWV 4 is paired with works by composers in Bach’s lineage, offering a broader view of the musical and theological world he inherited and transformed. The result is a concert that balances intimacy, dramatic contrast, and communal participation through shared chorales.

Before You Go

Arrival

Please plan to arrive 10–15 minutes before the performance. Doors open shortly before the listed start time.

Parking

Parking at Luther Memorial Church is limited and reserved for older guests and those with mobility needs. We recommend using the nearby Grainger Garage or street parking.

Parking at Trinity Episcopal Church in the lot behind the building off Church street.

Duration

Concerts run approximately 65-75 minutes with no intermission.

Accessibility

All are welcome. Seating is general admission, and performances are designed to be intimate and accessible.

Audience Participation

Printed materials will be provided for audience chorales in English and German. You are warmly invited to sing along.

About Just Bach Concerts
Just Bach Concerts was founded to share the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries with the widest possible audience through free and accessible concerts, to provide side-by-side learning opportunities for music students and amateurs, and to show participants on and off-stage how our historically-informed performance style brings Bach’s timeless music to life.