Pentecost is celebrated fifty days after Easter Sunday, and is also known as Whitsun. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles while they were in Jerusalem celebrating Shavout, or the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles.
Wikipedia says:-"The term Pentecost comes from the Greek Πεντηκοστή (Pentēkostē) meaning "fiftieth". It refers to the festival celebrated on the fiftieth day after Passover, also known as the "Feast of Weeks" and the "Feast of 50 days" in rabbinic tradition." Pentecost thus falls ten days after Ascension, which is forty days after Easter.
Pentecost is regarded as the birthday of the Christian church, and the start of the church's mission to the world. The symbols associated with the festival are those of the Holy Spirit and include flames which represent the change brought about by the power of the Holy Spirit, wind which represents the breath of God and a dove to represent God's presence, as in the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1 : 10). The second chapter of the Book of Acts describes a "mighty rushing wind" (a common symbol for the Holy Spirit) and "tongues as of fire". The gathered disciples were "filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance". This represents the fulfilment of the promise that Christ will baptise his followers with the Holy Spirit, mentioned in Matthew and Luke, and differentiated from John's baptism by water.
The Jewish festival of Shavout or "Feast of Weeks" is the Jewish Festival of First Fruits, or their Harvest Festival. It is prophetic therefore that the followers of Jesus should receive the gift of the Holy Spirit at this time, a time which celebrated the culmination of hard work and labour, and the gift of a reward with an eye on the future. Indeed, the verb used in Acts 2:1 to indicate the arrival of the day of Pentecost carries a connotation of fulfilment.
A brief discussion on the impact of religious change in sixteenth century England on church music and liturgy, from a layman's 21st Century perspective!
The Reformation is a hugely misunderstood and underestimated period of flux in Europe and beyond over the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. I have long been intrigued by the way religion not only underpinned society at every level during the Early Modern period, but how those influences are still relevant today. Having studied this period of history in depth at university I believe there are two significant themes of the English Reformation and its impact on liturgy and music:-
1) The Reformation was not an event which occurred at a single point in time.
The Reformation was not an event, it was more an evolutionary phase which spread out from Henry's break with Rome in 1530 like a mycelium which infiltrated every aspect of English life - and then re-wove itself through again and again creating a vast web of differing experiences, opinions and outcomes. It was the all and everything for the English people for almost 200 years, whether they participated religiously or not. In religious life it encompassed "English Catholics" with their highly latinised services, and Quakers who worshipped in words and silences only.
Henry VIII lived and died a Catholic, his break with Rome was a matter of convenience only. Whilst the establishment of the Church of England was hugely significant nationally and internationally, the average parishioner would have noticed very little difference in daily worship during Henry's reign. For the common people, the dissolution of the monasteries would have had a far greater impact on their lives, since these institutions helped the poor and sick and were paid to sing masses for the souls of the dead. (i-see below)
Henry VIII
Whilst Henry VIII did indeed break with Rome in 1530 and become Head of the Church of England via the Act of Supremacy in 1534; Henry he remained a Catholic, taking the last rites on his deathbed. Indeed, on 11 October 1521 Pope Leo X granted Henry and his descendants the title "Defender of the Faith" in recognition of Henry's book "Assertio Septem Sacramentorum" (Defense of the Seven Sacraments), which defended the sacramental nature of marriage and the supremacy of the pope in defence of the ideas of Martin Luther. (ii)
Music and Liturgy after the dissolution
Most parish churches had been endowed with chantries, each maintaining a stipended priest to say Mass for the souls of their donors, and these continued unaffected under Henry. In addition there remained over a hundred collegiate churches in England, whose endowments maintained regular choral worship through a body of canons, prebends or priests. All these survived the reign of Henry VIII largely intact, only to be dissolved under the Chantries Act 1547, by Henry's son Edward VI.
Edward, Mary and Elizabeth
After the death of Henry VIII in 1547, the new king Edward VI advanced the Reformation in England, introducing major changes to the liturgy of the Church of England. Thomas Cranmer had significantly greater freedom under Edward and in 1549, Cranmer's new Book of Common Prayer swept away the old Latin liturgy and replaced it with prayers in English. Church choirs began singing some songs in English, eg Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s. This brand new liturgy suddenly demanded that new music should be written for the church in English, and musicians of the Chapel Royal such as Thomas Tallis, John Sheppard, and Robert Parsons were called upon to demonstrate that the new Protestantism was no less splendid than the old Catholic religion. Some composers also began writing in a more chordal style because it was argued that the words were easier to hear and understand that way.
Following on from my previous post on Bach Cantatas for Easter this post focusses on the fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as "Good Shepherd Sunday". The name derives from the gospel reading for the day, which is taken from the tenth chapter of John's Gospel. In this reading Christ is described as the "Good Shepherd" who lays down his life for his sheep.
From what I can ascertain, the fourth Sunday of Easter is also known as Jubilate Sunday, although there seems to be some contradiction on the Wikipedia page . In the first paragraph says Jubilate Sunday is indeed the fourth Sunday of Easter, then in the table below on the same page says it is the third Sunday of Easter! There are online dates for both 26th April 2020 and 3rd May 2020 for Jubilate Sunday. I would love to hear from anyone who can offer clarification!
Cantatas for Good Shepherd Sunday
Bach was able to compose three Good Shepherd cantatas, all alluding to Psalm 23;
Cantata 104, “Du Hirte Israel, höre" (You Shepherd of Israel, Give Ear), in 1724;
Cantata BWV 85, “Ich bin ein gutter Hirt” (I am a Good Shepherd), composed in 1725,
Chorale Cantata BWV 112, “Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt” (The Lord is my faithful Shepherd), completed in 1731 for a special Easter presentation of otherwise previously-composed church-cycle cantatas, the only time of Bach documented repeat performances following the Good Friday premiere of the St. Mark Passion, BWV 247.
Cantata 104 offers contrasts of hope and joy with doubt, reflecting the mood of the apostles when Christ appeared to them after his resurrection. Cantata 112 in Wolfgang Meuslin's alternate setting of the melody "Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr" (To God alone on high be glory) and offers a pastoral mood of calm to meet the increasing anxiety of the disciples. Cantata 112 is the only complete chorale setting for Easter that Bach composed, although he composed chorale choruses and internal settings in other cantatas.
In BWV 85 “Ich bin ein gutter Hirt” The poet opens the cantata with the beginning from the Gospel, verse 11. The second movement explains that being a Good Shepherd was realised in the Passion and is a paraphrase of Psalm 23. The only recitative is a miniature sermon, accompanied by the strings which accent phrases of the text. Movement 5 is the only movement in the cantata which has a pastorale rhythm. The tenor part frequently appears as the highest part, beginning with three times "Seht" (look). This is reminiscent of an alto aria (movement 60) of the St Matthew Passion, Sehet, Jesus hat die Hand, The similarities in both the theme "pastoral love emanating from the cross", and the music, described as "rich, flowing melody and gently rocking rhythm" were described by Sir John Eliot Gardiner CBE. The closing chorale is a four-part setting.
There is a recording of BWV 85 directed by Nikolaus Harnoncourt below:-
For Good Shepherd Sunday our choir have this week recorded "The Lord is my Shepherd" by Howard Goodall (with permission), a beautiful arrangement of Psalm 23.
Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
I won't lie, this is an incredibly emotional piece for me this week. Amidst a pandemic bringing premature death to hundreds of thousands of people this Spring, it's going to be emotional listening for anyone. A beautiful arrangement and one of my favourites.
Johann Sebastian Bach (March 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. He is known for instrumental compositions such as the Brandenburg Concertos and the Goldberg Variations, and for vocal music such as the St Matthew Passion and the Mass in B minor. Since the 19th-century Bach Revival he is generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.
Below is a whistle-stop-tour of Bach Cantatas, of which I'm no expert! I've thoroughly enjoyed my research for this post however and have listened to some beautiful music in the process.
Cantatas
Cantata means "sung" or "to sing". It is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir.
The meaning of the term changed over time, from the simple single voice madrigal of the early 17th century. Cantatas for use in the liturgy of church services are called church cantata or sacred cantata; other cantatas can be indicated as secular cantata. Several cantatas were, and still are, written for special occasions, such as Christmas cantatas.
The Bach Cantatas are a body of work consisting of over 200 surviving independent works, and at least several dozen that are considered lost. J. S. Bach composed cantatas for both secular and sacred use, his church cantatas composed for use in the Lutheran church, mainly intended for the occasions of the liturgical year.
Bach started composing cantatas around 1707, when he was still an organist in Arnstadt. Bach's early cantatas are "Choralkonzerte" (chorale concertos) in the style of the 17th century, different from the recitative and aria cantata format that he began to use for church cantatas in 1714 when in Weimar.
The texts for the early cantatas were drawn mostly from biblical passages and hymns. These early cantatas include 17th-century elements such as motets and chorale concertos. Recitatives and arias on contemporary poetry were not yet present, although Bach may have heard them in oratorios by Buxtehude who was his teacher, or even earlier. His early cantatas often begin with an instrumental sinfonia or sonata. Bach worked at the ducal court in Weimar from 1708 to 1717 and from 1714-1717 he was commissioned to compose one church cantata a month. In the course of almost four years there he thus covered most occasions of the liturgical year. These cantatas have become known as the "Weimar Cycle".
Bach was appointed Thomaskantor, (director of music) in Leipzig 1723, and was responsible for the Thomasschule and the church music at these main churches. A cantata was required for the service on Sundays and additional church holidays of the liturgical year, and Bach composed many, preserved in five annual cycles. The Lutheran church of Bach's time prescribed the same readings every year, a Gospel passage and, recited before this, a corresponding section from an Epistle. A connection between the cantata text and the readings (or at least one of the prescribed hymns for the occasion) was the aim, facilitated by repetition and prescription with readings and hymns linked to the church cantata for each occasion.
A typical Bach cantata from his time in Leipzig follows the pattern below:
Opening chorus
Recitative
Aria
Recitative (or Arioso)
Aria
Chorale
The opening chorus is usually a polyphonic setting, with the orchestra presenting the themes or contrasting material first. Most arias follow the form of a da capo aria, repeating the first part after a middle section. The final chorale is typically a homophonic setting of a traditional melody.
Eastertide
Eastertide is the period of 50 days, spanning from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday, celebrated as one great event. Each Sunday of the season is treated as a Sunday of Easter. Following the Sunday of the Resurrection, they are named Second Sunday of Easter, Third Sunday of Easter, etc. up to the Seventh Sunday of Easter, concluding with Pentecost Sunday. Bach wrote cantatas each year for each of these Sundays whilst in Leipzig. Our girl choristers recorded "Den Tod niemand zwingen kunnt" (BWV 4) for the first Sunday after Easter, embedded below:-
Misericordias Domini
This Sunday (26th April) is the Third Sunday of Easter, known as Misericordias Domini Sunday.
The gospel readings for Misericordias Domini is Luke 24:13-35 (Walk to Emmaus) and a suggested Bach Cantata for this reading is Cantata 66, "Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen" (Rejoice, you hearts)
Bach composed this cantata for the Second Day of Easter in Leipzig and first performed it on 10 April 1724. The cantata was Bach's first composition for Easter as Thomaskantor in Leipzig, first performed in Köthen on 10 December 1718. You can read more about it here and listen below! A translation is available here.
