♪ ♪ (audience applauding) - Welcome to Illuminate Bach, a holiday celebration from GBH Music.

I'm Brian McCreath.

This is a time of year when we're all seeking a little extra light in our lives, both literally and figuratively.

The Earth and the sun will take care of the literal.

That'll be fine in due course.

The figurative, though, we can have that covered in this program, through music that's both radiant and transcendent.

And to start, the musicians of Emmanuel Music, led by artistic director Ryan Turner, will perform Bach's "Lobet den Herrn," or "Praise the Lord."

(orchestra begins) - ♪ Lobet ♪ ♪ den Herrn, alle, alle ♪ - ♪ Lobet den Herrn ♪ - ♪ Heiden ♪ - ♪ Alle ♪ ♪ Alle Heiden ♪ - ♪ Alle Heiden ♪ - ♪ Alle, alle Heiden ♪ - ♪ Lobet den Herrn ♪ (singers singing fugue) - ♪ Alle Heiden ♪ - ♪ Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden ♪ - ♪ Lobet den Herrn ♪ - ♪ Lobet den Herrn, lobet ♪ - ♪ Alle Heiden ♪ - ♪ Lobet, lobet den Herrn ♪ - ♪ Alle Heiden, alle Heiden ♪ - ♪ Lobet den Herrn♪ - ♪ Alle Heiden ♪ (fugue continues) - ♪ Heiden, lobet den Herrn ♪ - ♪ Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden ♪ - ♪ Alle Heiden ♪ - ♪ Alle Heiden ♪ ♪ Lobet den Herrn ♪ (fugue continues) ♪ Alle Heiden ♪ (music pauses) - ♪ Und preiset ihn ♪ ♪ Alle Völker ♪ - ♪ Und preiset ihn, alle Völker ♪ ♪ Alle Völker ♪ - ♪ Und preiset ihn ♪ ♪ Alle Völker ♪ ♪ Alle Völker ♪ - ♪ Und preiset ihn ♪ ♪ Alle Völker ♪ - ♪ Alle Völker ♪ (fugue continues) ♪ Und preiset ihn ♪ - ♪ Und preiset ihn ♪ ♪ Alle, alle Völker ♪ - ♪ Und preiset ihn ♪ ♪ Alle, alle Völker ♪ - ♪ Und preiset ihn, alle Völker ♪ - ♪ Und preiset ihn, alle Völker ♪ ♪ Alle, alle Völker ♪ - ♪ Und preiset ihn ♪ - ♪ Alle, alle Völker ♪ ♪ Und preiset ihn ♪ ♪ Und preiset ihn ♪ ♪ Und preiset ihn ♪ - ♪ Alle Heiden ♪ ♪ Und preiset ihn ♪ (fugue continues) - ♪ Alle Völker ♪ ♪ Und preiset ihn, alle Völker ♪ - ♪ Lobet den Herrn ♪ ♪ Alle Heiden ♪ ♪ Und preiset ihn, alle Völker ♪ (music pauses) (tempo slows) ♪ Denn seine Gnade ♪ ♪ Und Wahrheit ♪ ♪ Waltet ♪ - ♪ Waltet ♪ ♪ Über uns ♪ ♪ Denn seine Gnade ♪ ♪ Und Wahrheit ♪ ♪ Waltet ♪ - ♪ Waltet ♪ ♪ Über uns ♪ ♪ Denn seine Gnade ♪ ♪ Und Wahrheit ♪ ♪ Waltet ♪ (singing on "waltet") ♪ Waltet über uns in Ewigkeit ♪ ♪ Seine Gnade und Wahrheit ♪ ♪ Waltet über uns ♪ ♪ In Ewigkeit ♪ ♪ In Ewigkeit ♪ - ♪ Seine Gnade und Wahrheit ♪ ♪ Waltet über uns ♪ ♪ In Ewigkeit ♪ ♪ In Ewigkeit ♪ - ♪ Seine Gnade und Wahrheit ♪ ♪ Waltet über uns ♪ ♪ In Ewigkeit ♪ ♪ Waltet ♪ ♪ Über uns in Ewigkeit ♪ ♪ In Ewigkeit ♪ - ♪ Seine Gnade und Wahrheit ♪ ♪ Waltet ♪ ♪ Über uns ♪ - ♪ Seine Gnade und Wahrheit ♪ ♪ Waltet über uns ♪ ♪ In Ewigkeit ♪ (music pauses) (tempo quickens) ♪ Alleluja, Alleluja ♪ ♪ Alleluja ♪ ♪ Alleluja, Alleluja ♪ ♪ Alleluja ♪ ♪ Alleluja, alleluja ♪ ♪ Alleluja ♪ (singing fugue on "alleluja") ♪ Alleluja, alleluja ♪ (fugue continues) ♪ Alleluja, alleluja ♪ ♪ Alleluja, alleluja ♪ ♪ Alleluja, alleluja ♪ ♪ Alleluja ♪ (fugue continues) ♪ Alleluja, alleluja ♪ ♪ Alleluja, alleluja ♪ ♪ Alleluja, alleluja ♪ ♪ Alleluja ♪ ♪ Alleluja ♪ ♪ Alleluja ♪ ♪ Alleluja ♪ ♪ Alleluja ♪ (motet ends) (audience applauding) - Thank you, Ryan, that was glorious.

A motet, "Lobet den Herrn."

I want to ask you, as an organization, Emmanuel Music, with Bach at its very core-- you perform cantatas every Sunday, Bach makes up a huge part of your concert series, along with other music, but Bach is at the center of things, and the choral pieces are done at Emmanuel Music with a full choir-- but as we just witnessed, and as we will later in this program, you're doing these pieces here with one singer per part.

And I think that's really interesting, because that's not necessarily how we always hear these things, especially the "Christmas Oratorio" that we'll hear later on.

Tell me, from an artistic point of view, what does that way of performing this motet or the "Christmas Oratorio" do for your interpretation of the music?

What are the, what are the ways that it gives you opportunities, and what are the challenges that it presents to you?

- Well, I think one of the number-one things it does is, it makes a conductor realize how useless you are.

(both laugh) I mean, I, honestly, sometimes, I feel like I'm in the way.

- Uh-huh.

- But specifically, one of the things that's great about doing things one on a part, I think, for the singers, is, there's a lot more musical and artistic freedom, and they... So much in, of singing in a choir is getting into the sound of the person around, people around you and within your section, and finding that sound, and you're sort of emancipated from that job.

And it also allows, I think, the singer to explore all the different colors in their voice individually, as opposed to just getting in the sound of those around them.

Of course, in a piece like "Lobet den Herrn," it makes breathing that much more difficult, - Mm-hmm.

- Because, as you hear in Bach, he doesn't give you many opportunities to breathe.

So of course, when you have other people singing your part, you can help each other out and give an elbow, like, "I need to breathe now, keep singing."

But in this case, they're all on their own.

And so I think it's even more of a, sort of a tribute to the artists we have that can handle this music on their own.

- I've heard that very piece compared to, for the singers, walking a tightrope.

- Mm-hmm.

Indeed, it is.

And it's also one of those things that, if you fall off the track, there's nobody to help you get back on, because there's no one else singing your part.

- Yeah, yeah.

Well, it sounds glorious.

Well, Bach not only wrote music for the churches of Leipzig.

He also wrote a lot of secular music, chamber music, orchestral music that was played when that same group of people who were in churches on Sunday mornings also went out on Friday nights to Zimmermann's coffeehouse.

And now we have a piece that is from that category of music.

These are selections from an oboe concerto by Bach with soloist Jennifer Slowik.

(orchestra begins softly, oboe leading) (piece continues) (piece continues) (piece continues) (piece continues) (piece continues) (piece continues) (piece continues) (piece continues) (piece continues) (music pauses) (music resumes, tempo quickens) (piece continues) (piece continues) (piece continues) (piece continues) (piece continues) (piece continues) (piece continues) (piece continues) (piece continues) (piece continues) (piece continues) (piece continues) (orchestra plays final chord) (piece ends) (audience cheering and applauding) (applause continues) That was great, Ryan, thank you so much.

And what a, what a terrific soloist Jennifer is.

- Indeed, yes.

- That's wonderful.

I want to talk to you now about this next piece, Reena Esmail's "A Winter Breviary."

So let's just start with who Reena Esmail is.

That's someone that you know and have worked with.

But tell me a little bit more about her.

- Reena is a Indian American composer who did her schooling at Yale, and while she was at Yale, she was commissioned to write a companion piece for the Bach "Magnificat."

It's a stunning piece that Emmanuel Music actually did in 2022, called "This Love Between Us," where she takes seven of the religious traditions that are practiced in India-- among many, of course.

And it's a seven-movement work where she takes the orchestration of the Bach "Magnificat" and adds to it sitar and tabla.

So we had this great opportunity to work on the piece and perform it, alongside a companion cantata that we put together, as well.

And then, through working on this piece, I discovered a lot more of her work, and we, I discovered this piece "A Winter Breviary," that we actually performed two years ago as part of Emmanuel's Blue Christmas service.

- Yeah, and "Winter Breviary" is a piece that takes brand-new Christmas carols that have been written, poetry by Rebecca Gayle Howell that was written specifically for Reena Esmail.

And what I love about this is that Reena does something in the music very similar to what you're describing that she did with this piece that accompanies "Magnificat."

She injects some of the Indian music heritage into what are essentially a Christian-themed set of poems and carols that are meant for what are called the canonical hours, three of the canonical hours, those being Evensong, Matins, and Lauds.

But when we talk about injecting that Indian heritage, that Indian language, into this music, how do we hear that in the music that she wrote for this piece?

- Interesting.

As you say, she maps on these Hindustani raags, which are essentially scales or colors in a way, for each of the three canonical hours, as you mentioned.

And what I think we hear is, there's a openness, a sparseness to the harmony, a lot of open fifths, and the way her-- she sort of slides in and out of Hindustani harmony and Western harmony, and you'll hear that in the voices.

And if I can hearken back to a question you asked earlier, one of the great things about doing it one on a part is, we hear the, the sonorities, I think, more clearly in that way.

- And what's also fascinating about this piece is that those things that you're describing happen through purely vocal terms.

I think in this other piece that you described, if you've got a sitar, you have the texture of some of the Indian heritage, as well.

These are pure voices.

And so you don't have that aspect to draw you into it.

It's, it's coming from the pure harmonies and the pure musical construction... - Mm-hmm.

- ...of this piece.

So I love that.

I just want to read a few words from Rebecca Gayle Howell, who describes the piece this way.

"A triptych of carols that tells the story "of a person walking in the woods on Solstice Night.

"This pilgrim-- he, she, they-- searches for hope.

"The hope they cannot name or see or hear.

And still, they walk deeper and deeper into the dark."

There's something about that that relates to the music that we're going to hear later in the "Christmas Oratorio."

- Indeed.

- But for now, Reena Esmail's "A Winter Breviary."

♪ Eventide ♪ ♪ Our single star ♪ ♪ One looking star ♪ ♪ This night ♪ ♪ Next to me ♪ ♪ Next to me ♪ ♪ The sparrow hen ♪ ♪ Next to me ♪ ♪ Two pilgrims small and bold ♪ ♪ Dusking hour ♪ ♪ That lonely hour ♪ ♪ The sky dims blue to grey ♪ ♪ That lonely hour ♪ ♪ Our forest road ♪ Will fade ♪ ♪ That lonely hour ♪ ♪ We look for You ♪ ♪ Pines glisten ♪ ♪ Wet with sleet ♪ ♪ She looks with me ♪ ♪ We look for You ♪ ♪ Fog falls in ♪ ♪ So close ♪ ♪ My breath ♪ ♪ She looks with me ♪ ♪ We look for You ♪ ♪ Great Silent One ♪ ♪ Unseen ♪ ♪ Great Silent One ♪ ♪ Unseen ♪ ♪ Great Silent One ♪ ♪ Unseen ♪ ♪ Silent One Unseen ♪ ♪ We look for You ♪ ♪ Eventide ♪ ♪ Our single star ♪ ♪ One looking star ♪ ♪ This night ♪ ♪ We look for You ♪ ♪ Eventide ♪ ♪ Our single star ♪ ♪ Forgiving light ♪ ♪ Our guide ♪ ♪ Our guide ♪ ♪ Our ♪ ♪ Guide ♪ ♪ The longest night ♪ ♪ Is come ♪ ♪ A matins for beasts ♪ ♪ They low ♪ ♪ O ♪ ♪ They kneel ♪ ♪ Their sleep ♪ ♪ Their psalm sung ♪ ♪ A matins for trees ♪ ♪ They slow ♪ ♪ O ♪ ♪ They stem ♪ ♪ Their reach ♪ ♪ Their psalm ♪ ♪ Won ♪ ♪ Hush, hush ♪ ♪ Can I hear them?

♪ ♪ Can I hear ♪ ♪ What is not said?

♪ ♪ Hush, hush ♪ ♪ Can I hear You?

♪ ♪ Every need ♪ ♪ Met ♪ ♪ To light ♪ ♪ The path is dark ♪ ♪ Our star ♪ ♪ Has gone ♪ ♪ Beneath my feet ♪ ♪ A year of leaves ♪ ♪ Fallen ♪ ♪ Frozen ♪ ♪ Done ♪ ♪ I walk these woods ♪ ♪ I walk these woods ♪ ♪ I walk these woods ♪ ♪ The longest night ♪ ♪ Is come ♪ ♪ Above me ♪ ♪ The sparrow ♪ ♪ She brings ♪ ♪ Our new seed home ♪ ♪ O, brown ♪ ♪ True ♪ ♪ Sparrow ♪ ♪ Take ♪ ♪ Tomorrow ♪ (holding note) ♪ Home ♪ ♪ Take tomorrow home ♪ (all harmonizing): ♪ Home ♪ ♪ Praise be, praise be, praise be ♪ ♪ Praise, praise ♪ ♪ Praise be, praise be, praise be ♪ ♪ Praise, praise ♪ ♪ The dim, the dun, the dark withdraws ♪ ♪ Our recluse morning's found ♪ ♪ Praise be, praise be, praise be ♪ ♪ Praise, praise ♪ ♪ The river's alive, the clearing provides ♪ ♪ Lie down, night sky, lie down ♪ ♪ Lie down, night sky ♪ ♪ Lie down, night sky ♪ ♪ Lie down, night sky, lie down ♪ ♪ Lie down ♪ ♪ I feel the cold wind leave the glades ♪ ♪ I feel the frost's relief ♪ ♪ My tracks in the snow can still be erased ♪ ♪ In us, the sun believes ♪ ♪ Winter is, Winter ends ♪ ♪ So the true bird calls ♪ ♪ The rocks cry out, my bones cry out ♪ ♪ All the trees applaud ♪ ♪ Every ♪ ♪ Hard thing ♪ ♪ Lauds ♪ ♪ Lie down, night sky ♪ ♪ Lie down, night sky ♪ ♪ Lie down, night sky, lie down ♪ ♪ I know the seeding season comes ♪ ♪ I know the ground will spring ♪ ♪ My fate is not night, I don't need to try ♪ ♪ Behold the dawn within ♪ ♪ Horizon lights across my thoughts ♪ ♪ Horizon lines redraw ♪ ♪ Inside of my throat a rise of the gold ♪ ♪ Inside my chest I thaw ♪ ♪ Winter is, Winter ends ♪ ♪ Nothing stays the same ♪ ♪ The moon strikes high, the sun strikes high ♪ ♪ And now I hear your name ♪ ♪ Earth's ♪ ♪ Untired change ♪ ♪ Praise be, praise be ♪ ♪ Praise be, praise be ♪ ♪ Praise be, praise be ♪ ♪ Praise be, praise be ♪ ♪ The unexpected early hour ♪ ♪ Early hour ♪ ♪ Early hour ♪ ♪ Grows the good light long ♪ ♪ Grows the good light long ♪ ♪ Grows the good light long ♪ ♪ Our darkness ends ♪ ♪ O mercy sun ♪ ♪ Trust can warm us all ♪ ♪ Begin again, again, again ♪ ♪ Begin again, again ♪ ♪ Begin again, again, again ♪ ♪ Begin again, again ♪ ♪ Begin again, again ♪ ♪ Begin again, again, again, begin again, again ♪ ♪ Begin again, again, again ♪ ♪ Begin again, again ♪ ♪ Begin again ♪ ♪ Begin again, again ♪ ♪ Begin again, begin again ♪ ♪ May our day begin ♪ ♪ Begin again, again, again ♪ ♪ O may our day begin ♪ (audience applauding and cheering) (applause continues) - Ryan, I am so glad you made that music part of this program.

Because it's, it's vibrant and it's beautiful, and yet it still connects.

Even though it's music of our time, and music of multiple cultures, it connects to everything else on this program.

So thank you for that.

- Thank you.

- This was a beautiful, beautiful piece.

We got to talk about the "Christmas Oratorio."

- Yes.

(chuckles) - Because it is, it is one of the most glorious things that Bach came up with.

But it's such an interesting story why he came up with this piece.

It's not something that, as Emmanuel Music has done many times, is, he meant to be performed in one stretch, right?

So what's behind the six parts of the "Christmas Oratorio," in the way that Bach originally meant for it to be?

- So, in 18th-century Leipzig, the tradition was that Christmas, a time of... Let me back up, because the time of Advent was... They called it tempus clausum, which was a, a "closed time" in which there wasn't any concerted music allowed in the church.

So when we get to Christmas Day, there is the incredible release of having no music, but also the birth of the, of the Child.

And so we have three straight days of big cantatas with trumpets and drums.

And then there's a pastoral thing in the second cantata, the third one comes back, big trumpets and drums, as well.

And then there's a little bit of a pause, a little bit of time off.

So we celebrate the 12 days of Christmas from Christmas Day to Epiphany.

And so we have six feast days within that time-- the first three days of Christmas, and then there's the New Year's Day cantata, and then there's the arrival, the Wise Men's arrival.

And then, of course, we have the final cantata, which is Epiphany.

And the one we hear today is the one from the arrival of the Wise Men at the stable.

- And what is it about the fifth part, the one that, that you're going to be performing now, that makes it sort of special?

What is it that sets it apart?

You say the arrival of the Wise Men, but the "Christmas Oratorio" both tells a story and expresses belief, emotion, all these things, as the, as the narrative unfolds.

What is it specifically that happens as these Wise Men do make their way towards Bethlehem?

- Yeah, well, I think one of the important things to think about, too, is that, of all the six cantatas within the "Christmas Oratorio," this is the one that has the most modest orchestration.

Just two oboes d'amore and continuo.

No trumpets, no drums, no horns, no extra winds.

There's a sort of intimate, chamber feeling to this piece, and it starts out with this sort of unbounded exuberance, ecstatic chorus, as you'll hear, and there's this sense of everybody arriving to the stable and the excitement of it.

And then I think what often happens is that there's then this sense of, the excitement is over.

- (chuckles) - And now what?

- What does it mean?

- What does it mean?

- Yeah.

- Exactly.

And so we have them searching for the Christ Child.

Where, where is the Messiah?

And the whole point of this cantata is that it's within you.

And it's this moment of turning from the darkness, realizing the darkness within is also what creates the light within.

In fact, there's this great trio, which is the, toward, toward the end of the piece, and where there are two believers, maybe Mary and Joseph, we don't know, that are asking, "When, when will the Savior come?

When will They come?"

And the voice of an alto comes in and says, "Hush, He's already here."

But it... That's not enough.

It takes a while.

(both laughing) And you'll hear, at the very end of that, there's finally this sense of, the alto has silenced them and calmed their fears.

- Wonderful.

Here's part five of Bach's "Christmas Oratorio."

(orchestra begins) (orchestra continues) ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott, Ehre sei dir, Gott ♪ ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen ♪ ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott, Ehre sei dir, Gott ♪ ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen ♪ ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott, Ehre sei dir, Gott ♪ ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen ♪ - ♪ Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit', Lob und Dank ♪ - ♪ Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit' ♪ - ♪ Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit' ♪ - ♪ Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit' ♪ - ♪ Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit' ♪ (fugue continues) (fugue continues) ♪ Und Dank bereit' ♪ (singers stop) (orchestra continues) ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott, Ehre sei dir, Gott ♪ ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen ♪ (orchestra continues) ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott, Ehre sei dir, Gott ♪ (fugue continues) (fugue continues) ♪ Sei dir, Gott, gesungen ♪ - ♪ Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit' ♪ - ♪ Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit' ♪ (bass and tenor sing fugue) - ♪ Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit' ♪ - ♪ Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit' ♪ - ♪ Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit' ♪ (fugue continues) (fugue continues) ♪ Dich erhebet alle Welt ♪ (orchestra continues) ♪ Weil dir unser Wohl gefällt ♪ (orchestra continues) ♪ Weil anheut ♪ ♪ Unser aller Wunsch gelungen ♪ ♪ Weil uns dein Segen so herrlich erfreut ♪ (orchestra continues) ♪ Dich erhebet alle Welt ♪ (orchestra continues) ♪ Weil dir unser Wohl gefällt ♪ (orchestra continues) ♪ Weil anheut ♪ ♪ Unser aller Wunsch gelungen ♪ ♪ Weil uns dein Segen so herrlich erfreut ♪ (music pauses) (music resumes) (orchestra playing) (orchestra continues) ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott, Ehre sei dir, Gott ♪ ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen ♪ ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott, Ehre sei dir, Gott ♪ ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen ♪ (orchestra continues) - ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott ♪ - ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott ♪ ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen ♪ - ♪ Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit' ♪ - ♪ Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit' ♪ (fugue continues) - ♪ Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit' ♪ - ♪ Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit' ♪ (fugue continues) (orchestra continues) (fugue continues) - ♪ Und Dank bereit' ♪ (singing stops) (orchestra continues) ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott, Ehre sei dir, Gott ♪ ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen ♪ (orchestra continues) ♪ Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit', und Dank bereit' ♪ ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott, Ehre sei dir, Gott ♪ ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott, Ehre sei dir, Gott ♪ ♪ Ehre sei dir, Gott, Ehre sei dir, Gott ♪ ♪ Sei dir, Gott, gesungen ♪ - ♪ Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit', Lob und Dank ♪ - ♪ Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit' ♪ ♪ Lob und Dank, Lob und Dank ♪ - ♪ Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit' ♪ - ♪ Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit' ♪ (fugue continues) (fugue continues) - ♪ Dir sei Lob ♪ ♪ Lob und Dank bereit' ♪ (chorus ends) (continuo plays) - ♪ Da Jesus geboren war zu Bethlehem ♪ ♪ Im jüdischen Lande ♪ ♪ Zur Zeit des Königes Herodis ♪ ♪ Siehe, da kamen die Weisen ♪ ♪ Vom Morgenlande gen Jerusalem ♪ ♪ Und sprachen ♪ - ♪ Wo?

Wo?

♪ ♪ Wo ist der neugeborne König der Jüden?

♪ ♪ Wo ist der neugeborne König der Jüden?

♪ ♪ König der Jüden?

♪ ♪ Wo?

Wo?

♪ - ♪ Sucht ihn in meiner Brust ♪ ♪ Hier wohnt er, mir und ihm zur Lust!

♪ (orchestra plays cadence) - ♪ Wir haben seinen Stern gesehen ♪ ♪ Im Morgenlande ♪ ♪ Wir haben seinen Stern gesehen im Morgenlande ♪ ♪ Wir haben seinen Stern gesehen ♪ ♪ Im Morgenlande ♪ ♪ Und sind kommen, ihn anzubeten ♪ ♪ Ihn anzubeten ♪ ♪ Ihn anzubeten ♪ (tempo slows) (continuo playing) - ♪ Wohl euch ♪ ♪ Die ihr dies Licht gesehen ♪ ♪ Es ist zu eurem Heil geschehen ♪ ♪ Mein Heiland ♪ ♪ Du, du bist das Licht ♪ ♪ Das auch den Heiden scheinen sollen ♪ ♪ Und sie ♪ ♪ Sie kennen dich noch nicht ♪ ♪ Als sie dich schon verehren wollen ♪ ♪ Wie hell ♪ ♪ Wie klar muß nicht dein Schein ♪ ♪ Geliebter Jesu, sein ♪ (holds note) (music pauses) ♪ Dein Glanz all Finsternis ♪ Verzehrt ♪ ♪ Die trübe Nacht ♪ In Licht verkehrt ♪ ♪ Leit uns auf deinen Wegen ♪ ♪ Daß dein Gesicht ♪ ♪ Und herrlichs Licht ♪ ♪ Wir ewig ♪ ♪ Schauen mögen ♪ (singers and orchestra hold chord) (chorale ends) (orchestra playing, oboe leading) (orchestra continues) (orchestra continues) - ♪ Erleucht auch ♪ ♪ Meine finstre Sinnen ♪ ♪ Erleucht auch ♪ ♪ Meine finstre Sinnen ♪ ♪ Erleuchte mein Herze ♪ ♪ Durch der Strahlen klaren ♪ ♪ Schein ♪ ♪ Erleucht auch ♪ ♪ Meine finstre Sinnen ♪ ♪ Erleuchte mein Herze ♪ ♪ Durch der Strahlen klaren schein ♪ ♪ Erleucht auch ♪ ♪ Meine finstre Sinnen ♪ ♪ Erleuchte mein Herze ♪ ♪ Durch der Strahlen klaren Schein ♪ (orchestra continues) (orchestra continues) ♪ Dein Wort soll mir ♪ ♪ Die hellste Kerze ♪ ♪ In allen ♪ (singing on "allen") ♪ Meinen Werken sein ♪ (orchestra continues) ♪ Dies lässet die Seele ♪ ♪ Nichts Böses beginnen ♪ ♪ Erleucht auch ♪ ♪ Meine finstre Sinnen ♪ ♪ Erleuchte mein Herze ♪ ♪ Durch der Strahlen klaren Schein ♪ ♪ Erleuchte mein Herze ♪ ♪ Erleucht auch ♪ ♪ Meine finstre Sinnen ♪ ♪ Erleuchte mein Herze ♪ ♪ Durch der Strahlen klaren ♪ ♪ Schein ♪ (music pauses) ♪ Durch der Strahlen klaren Schein ♪ (orchestra continues) (orchestra continues) (orchestra continues) (aria ends) (continuo plays) - ♪ Da das der König ♪ ♪ Herodes hörte ♪ ♪ Erschrak er ♪ ♪ Und mit ihm das ganze Jerusalem ♪ - ♪ Warum wollt ihr erschrecken?

♪ ♪ Kann meines Jesu ♪ ♪ Gegenwart euch solch Furcht erwecken?

♪ ♪ O!

Solltet ihr euch nicht ♪ ♪ Vielmehr darüber freuen ♪ ♪ Weil er dadurch verspricht ♪ ♪ Der Menschen Wohlfahrt zu verneuen ♪ (orchestra plays cadence) - ♪ Und ließ versammlen ♪ ♪ Alle Hohepriester und Schriftgelehrten ♪ ♪ Unter dem Volk ♪ ♪ Und erforschete von ihnen ♪ ♪ Wo Christus sollte geboren werden ♪ ♪ Und sie sagten ihm ♪ ♪ Zu Bethlehem im jüdischen Lande ♪ ♪ Denn also stehet geschrieben durch den Propheten ♪ ♪ Und du Bethlehem ♪ ♪ Im jüdischen Lande ♪ ♪ Bist mitnichten ♪ ♪ Die kleinest unter den Fürsten Juda ♪ ♪ Denn aus dir soll mir kommen der Herzog ♪ ♪ Der über mein Volk Israel ♪ ♪ Ein Herr sei ♪ (orchestra continues) (recitative ends) (orchestra begins, violin leading) (orchestra continues) (orchestra continues) - ♪ Ach, wenn wird ♪ ♪ Die Zeit erscheinen?

Wenn?

♪ - ♪ Ach, wenn kömmt der Trost der Seinen?

Wenn?

♪ - ♪ Wenn?

♪ - ♪ Ach ♪ - ♪ Ach ♪ ♪ Wenn kömmt der Trost ♪ - ♪ Wenn wird die Zeit ♪ ♪ Erscheinen?

♪ - ♪ Der Trost der Seinen?

♪ - ♪ Ach ♪ - ♪ Ach ♪ - ♪ Wenn wird die Zeit ♪ - ♪ Wenn kömmt der Trost ♪ ♪ Der Seinen?

♪ - ♪ Die Zeit erscheinen?

- ♪ Schweigt ♪ ♪ Er ist schon würklich hier ♪ - ♪ Ach, wenn kömmt ♪ - ♪ Ach, wenn wird ♪ - ♪ Der Trost der Seinen?

♪ - ♪ Die Zeit erscheinen?

♪ - ♪ Schweigt, er ist schon würklich hier ♪ ♪ Schweigt, schweigt, schweigt ♪ (tenor and soprano repeat parts) ♪ Schweigt ♪ ♪ Schweigt, er ist schon würklich hier ♪ ♪ Schon würklich hier ♪ - ♪ Ach ♪ - ♪ Schweigt ♪ (fugue continues) ♪ Er ist schon würklich hier ♪ ♪ Schweigt, er is schon würklich hier ♪ (orchestra continues) (orchestra continues) - ♪ Jesu, ach so komm zu mir ♪ - ♪ Jesu, ach so komm zu mir ♪ - ♪ Jesu, ach so komm zu mir ♪ - ♪ Jesu, ach so komm zu mir ♪ - ♪ Jesu, komm zu mir ♪ (fugue continues) - ♪ Komm zu mir ♪ - ♪ Jesu, komm, so komm ♪ ♪ So komm zu mir ♪ (orchestra continues) - ♪ Jesu, komm, so komm ♪ - ♪ Jesu, komm zu mir ♪ (fugue continues) (fugue continues) (fugue continues) (orchestra continues) - ♪ Jesu, ach so komm ♪ - ♪ Ach, so komm zu mir ♪ (orchestra continues) - ♪ Ach, wenn wird die Zeit erscheinen?

Wenn?

♪ - ♪ Ach, wenn kömmt der Trost der Seinen?

♪ - ♪ Wenn?

♪ - ♪ Wenn?

♪ - ♪ Ach ♪ - ♪ Ach ♪ (fugue continues) - ♪ Ach ♪ - ♪ Ach ♪ (fugue continues) - ♪ Schweigt, schweigt ♪ ♪ Er ist schon würklich hier ♪ ♪ Schweigt, schweigt, schweigt ♪ (tenor and soprano repeat parts) (fugue continues) ♪ Schweigt, schweigt, er ist schon würklich hier ♪ ♪ Er ist schon würklich hier ♪ (fugue continues) ♪ Er ist schon würklich hier ♪ ♪ Schweigt, schweigt, schweigt ♪ (music pauses) (orchestra resumes) ♪ Er ist schon würklich hier ♪ (orchestra continues) (orchestra continues) (piece ends) (continuo playing) - ♪ Mein Liebster herrschet schon ♪ ♪ Ein Herz, das seine Herrschaft liebet ♪ ♪ Und sich ihm ganz zu eigen gibet ♪ ♪ Ist meines Jesu Thron ♪ (playing cadence) ♪ Zwar ist solch Herzensstube ♪ ♪ Wohl kein schöner Fürstensaal ♪ ♪ Sondern eine finstre Grube ♪ ♪ Doch, sobald dein Gnadenstrahl ♪ ♪ In denselben nur wird blinken ♪ ♪ Wird es voller Sonnen ♪ Dünken ♪ (cantata ends) (audience applauding) (audience applauding) - Thank you, Ryan.

Thank you, musicians of Emmanuel Music.

You sound absolutely glorious, and it's been a pleasure to have you here in the Fraser Performance Studio.

That brings our celebration to an end.

I do want to thank our funder for this program, the Mattina R. Proctor Foundation.

I'm Brian McCreath, thank you for joining us for Illuminate Bach from GBH Music.

(audience applauding) ♪ ♪