Bach Festival Society
of Winter Park

Bach Festival Choir and Orchestra
John V. Sinclair, Music Director
Caitlin Mohr, soprano
Mary Wilson, soprano
Chris Olivent, organ

CD Recording – © 2022 Moravian Music Foundation

Christmas
22 tracks –

1              Throw Wide the Door    Michael, David Moritz

2              What Good News the Angels Bring          Hagen, Francis Florentine

3              Hosanna              Gregor, Christian

4              Once He Came in Blessing            Wolle, J. Fred.

5              All Silent Was the Night Clemens, Theodor Liley

6              Christ the Lord  Leinbach, Edward W.

7              Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates  Hagen, Francis Florentine

8              Morning Star in Darkest Night    Hellström, Georg Friedrich von

9              Jesus, Call Thou Me        Drese, Adam

10           Hail, Infant Newborn      Michael, David Moritz

11           Sing, O Ye Heavens         Peter, Johann Friedrich

12           O Dearest Jesus, Holy Child         Hellström, Georg Friedrich von

13           Morning Star in Darkest Night    Otto, Julius

14           Loveliest Immanuel        Antes, John

15           Christmas Anthem          Erbe, Ernst Immanuel

16           O Blessed Night, Without Compare on Earth (2 verses)  12th century folksong; arr. J. Walter (1524)

17           People, Arise     K. Reissiger

18           Morning Star, O Cheering Sight  Hagen, Francis Florentine

19           O Most Gracious, Welcome Child              Loewe, Karl Gottfried

20           Thou Child Divine             Schulz, Johann A. P.

21           How Beautiful Upon the Mountains        Antes, John

22           Glory to God in the Highest         Gregor, Christian

a Moravian Music Foundation production

Copyright (c) 2022 Moravian Music Foundation

by Ernst Wilhelm Wolf
Edited by David Blum and Nola Reed Knouse

Bach Festival Singers (Winter Park, FL)
Rollins College Singers
Bach Festival Orchestra
John V. Sinclair, conductor

AVAILABLE on ONLINE STREAMING services and at: cdbaby 

The Easter Cantata was composed by Ernst Wilhelm Wolf (1735-1791) in Weimar, Germany, in the early 1780s based on a libretto by Johann Gottfried Herder. Ernst Wilhelm Wolf was born in Grossen Behringen, Germany in 1735. He attended schools in Eisenach and Gotha, and in 1755, at the age of 20, he attended the University of Jena, where he led the collegium musicum at Jena. Wolf arrived at Weimar in the late 1750s or 1760, to serve as a music teacher and Konzertmeister, Organist, and Kapellmeister.
Librettist Johann Gottfried Herder was born in the small city of Mohrungen in East Prussia on August 25, 1744. In 1771 he became Chief Pastor at Bückeburg, where he befriended Countess Maria, who had been schooled in Herrnhut; perhaps it was through her that Herder became acquainted with Zinzendorf and the hymns of the Moravians. Herder wrote the text of the Easter Cantata in 1781, and the Breitkopf edition of Wolf’s musical setting was published in 1782.

The Easter Cantata
The libretto of the Easter Cantata includes numerous citations from the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, woven together with  hymn texts by others and original poetry. In his use of scripture Herder sometimes quotes the Luther Bible literally, and in other cases he adapts the text to fit his narrative.

Performers:
Mary Wilson, soprano; Amanda Schumpert, soprano; Julie Batman, soprano; Glenn Siebert, tenor; Keith Alexander Bolves, tenor; Matthew K. Begale, bass; Peter Kubath, continuo
Bach Festival Chamber Orchestra
Conductor Dr. John V. Sinclair has been the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park since 1990. Dr. Sinclair conducts the Walt Disney World Candlelight Processional at EPCOT, directs Moravian Music Festivals, Messiah Choral Society, and participates in recording projects for Warner Brothers and the Walt Disney Corporation. Dr. Sinclair is the Director of Music for Rollins College. The choir includes members of the Bach Festival Choir of Winter Park and students and faculty of Rollins College.

Recorded May 17-19, 2015, in the John M. Tiedtke Concert Hall, Department of Music, Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida. Engineer: Kendall Thomsen. Producer: Gwyneth A. Michel. This project is made possible through the John M. Tiedtke Endowed Chair Fund.  Further funding was provided in memory of Wilson and Shirley Edwards by their children Patsy Saunders, Carol King, and Wilson Edwards, Jr., through the Duke Willard Fund for Recording of the Moravian Music Foundation.

Cover: Tiffany window, created in 1929, in the Rollins College Knowles Memorial Chapel.  Part of the Cornell Fine Arts Museum collection; photo by Scott Cook.

This recording had its inception in 1992, when John V. Sinclair stumbled upon two early editions of Moravian music, and phoned the Moravian Music Foundation asking, “Is there any more?” The affirmative answer to that question brought John into what he describes as a “love affair” with the music of the Moravians. Since then he has become the continuing conductor of the Moravian Music Festivals, has conducted first modern performances of over three dozen newly-edited works, and edits anthems as well.

This 2007 recording features the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, the Rollins College Concert Choir and 20 Moravian singers from around the country. Conducted by Dr. Sinclair and featuring solos by Sharla Nafziger, soprano; Mary Ann Hart, Mezzo-soprano; Keith Alexander Bolves – tenor and David Terry, bass

Listen to Blessed Are the Pure in Heart by Henri Voullaire

Tracks:

1. Singet ihr Himmel (Sing O Ye Heavens)
2. Let Everyone Have the Same Mind
3. O Most Gracious, Welcome Child
4. Go, Congregation, Go/Surely He hath Borne Our Griefs
5. Loveliest Immanuel
6. Hail Infant Newborn
7. The Lord Be Mindful of You
8. Blessed Are the Pure of Heart
9. My Soul Knows Purest Pleasure
10. None Among Us
11. Hosanna
12. O Anblick, der mirs Herze bricht (Behold, O There’s a Sight that Rends My Heart)
13. Bethany, O Peaceful Habitation
14. By your Meritorious Death
15. Nun ruht Er (Now Rests He)
16. Glory to God in the Highest
17. It Is a Precious Thing
18. O the Blessedness Is Great
19. I Am the Shepherd
20. Hearken, For I Bring Unto You Joyful Tidings
21. Thou Child Divine
22. Glory to Him Who Is the Resurrection