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• Prefatory Note
• Melodies
• Ach Bleib’ Bei Uns, Herr Jesu Christ.
• Ach Gott Und Herr.
• Ach Wie Fluchtig.
• Alle Menschen Mussen Sterben.
• Allein Gott In Der Hoh’ Sei Ehr’.
• An Wasserflüssen Babylon.
• Aus Tiefer Noth Schrei Ich Zu Dir.
• Christ, Der Du Bist Der Helle Tag.
• Christ Ist Erstanden.
• Christ Lag In Todesbanden.
• Christ Unser Herr Zum Jordan Kam.
• Christe, Du Lamm Gottes.
• Christum Wir Sollen Loben Schon.
• Christus, Der Uns Selig Macht.
• Da Jesus an Dem Kreuze Stund.
• Das Alte Jahr Vergangen Ist.
• Das Jesulein Soll Doch Mein Trost.
• Der Tag, Der Ist So Freudenreich.
• Dies Sind Die Heil’gen Zehn Gebot ’.
• Durch Adams Fall Ist Ganz Verderbt.
• Ein’ Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott.
• Erbarm’ Dich Mein, O Herre Gott.
• Erschienen Ist Der Herrliche Tag.
• Erstanden Ist Der Heil’ge Christ.
• Es Ist Das Heil Uns Kommen Her.
• Gelobet Seist Du, Jesu Christ.
• Gottes Sohn Ist Kommen.
• Gott, Durch Deine Güte.
• Helft Mir Gott’s Güte Preisen.
• Herr Christ, Der Ein’ge Gottes-sohn.
• Herr Gott, Nun Sei Gepreiset.
• Herr Gott Dich Loben Wir.
• Herr Gott, Nun Schleuss Den Himmel Auf.
• Herr Jesu Christ, Dich Zu Uns Wend ’.
• Herzlich Thut Mich Verlangen.
• Heut’ Triumphiret Gottes Sohn.
• Hilf Gott, Dass Mir’s Gelinge.
• Ich Hab’ Mein Sach’ Gott Heimgestellt.
• Ich Ruf’ Zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ.
• In Dich Hab’ Ich Gehoffet, Herr.
• In Dir Ist Freude.
• In Dulci Jubilo.
• Jesu, Meine Freude.
• Jesus Christus, Unser Heiland, Der Den Tod.
• Jesus Christus, Unser Heiland, Der Von Uns.
• Jesus, Meine Zuversicht.
• Komm, Gott, Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist.
• Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott.
• Kommst Du Nun, Jesu, Vom Himmel Herunter Auf Erden ?
• Kyrie, Gott Vater In Ewigkeit.
• Liebster Jesu, Wir Sind Hier.
• Lob Sei Dem Allmachtigen Gott.
• Lobt Gott, Ihr Christen Alle Gleich.
• Meine Seele Erhebt Den Herren.
• Mit Fried’ Und Freud’ Ich Fahr’ Dahin.
• Nun Danket Alle Gott.
• Nun Freut Euch, Lieben Christen G’mein.
• Es Ist Gewisslich an Der Zeit.
• Nun Komm, Der Heiden Heiland.
• O Gott, Du Frommer Gott.
• O Lamm Gottes Unschuldig.
• O Mensch, Bewein’ Dein’ Sünde Gross.
• Puer Natus In Bethlehem.
• Schmücke Dich, O Liebe Seele.
• Sei Gegrüsset, Jesu Gütig.
• Valet Will Ich Dir Geben.
• Vater Unser Im Himmelreich.
• Vom Himmel Hoch Da Komm Ich Her.
• Vom Himmel Kam Der Engel Schaar.
• Von Gott Will Ich Nicht Lassen.
• Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme.
• Wenn Wir In Höchsten Nothen Sein.
• Wer Nur Den Lieben Gott Lässt Walten.
• Wie Schön Leuchtet Der Morgenstern.
• Wir Christenleut ’.
• Wir Danken Dir, Herr Jesu Christ.
• Wir Glauben All’ an Einen Gott, Schöpfer.
• Wir Glauben All’ an Einen Gott, Vater
• Wo Soll Ich Fliehen Hin.

O Gott, du frommer Gott.

• • i.

    O God, Thou faithful God,
  • Thou Fountain ever flowing,
  • Without Whom nothing is,
  • All perfect gifts bestowing;
  • A pure and healthy frame
  • O give me, and within
  • A conscience free from blame,
  • A soul unhurt by sin.

• • ii.

    And grant me, Lord, to do,
  • With ready heart and willing,
  • Whate’er Thou shalt command,
  • My calling here fulfilling,
  • And do it when I ought,
  • With all my strength, and bless
  • The work I thus have wrought,
  • For Thou must give success.

• • iii.

    And let me promise nought
  • But I can keep it truly,
  • Abstain from idle words,
  • And guard my lips still duly;
  • And grant, when in my place
  • I must and ought to speak,
  • My words due power and grace,
  • Nor let me wound the weak.

• • iv.

    If dangers gather round,
  • Still keep me calm and fearless;
  • Help me to bear the cross
  • When life is dark and cheerless;
  • To overcome my foe
  • With words and actions kind;
  • When counsel I would know,
  • Good counsel let me find.

• • v.

    And let me be with all
  • In peace and friendship living,
  • As far as Christians may.
  • And if Thou aught are giving
  • Of wealth and honours fair,
  • Oh this refuse me not,
  • That nought be mingled there
  • Of goods unjustly got.

• • vi.

    And if a longer life
  • Be here on earth decreed me,
  • And Thou through many a strife
  • To age at last wilt lead me,
  • Thy patience in me shed,
  • Avert all sin and shame,
  • And crown my hoary head
  • With pure untarnished fame.

• • vii.

    Let nothing that may chance
  • Me from my Saviour sever;
  • And, dying with Him, take
  • My soul to Thee for ever;
  • And let my body have
  • A little space to sleep
  • Beside my fathers’ grave,
  • And friends that o’er it weep.

• • viii.

    And when the Day is come,
  • And all the dead are waking,
  • Oh reach me down Thy hand,
  • Thyself my slumbers breaking;
  • Then let me hear Thy voice,
  • And change this earthly frame,
  • And bid me aye rejoice
  • With those who love Thy name.

• • ix.

    To Thee, God Father, laud
  • Be now and evermore;
  • O God the Son receive
  • The love our full hearts store;
  • God Holy Ghost, Thy fame
  • From day to day increase;
  • O blessed Three in One
  • Thy praises ne’er shall cease.

  • Johann Heermann (1585-1647)     Tr. Catherine Winkworth1 .

Johann Heermann’s hymn, “O Gott, du frommer Gott,” entitled “Ein täglich Gebet” (A daily prayer), was first published, but not to the above melody, in his Devoti Musica Cordis (Leipzig, 1630), in eight stanzas. A posthumous ninth stanza2 was added to the hymn in the Hanover Neue Musikalische Kreutz-Trost- Lob- und Dank Schuhle (Lüneburg, 1659).

The melody (supra) is found for the first time in the New Ordentlich Gesang-Buch (Hanover, 1646), set to Johann Heermann’s hymn, “Gross ist, O grosser Gott.” A widespread and erroneous impression that Bach composed it arose, presumably, from the fact that his harmonized version of the melody is found in Schemelli’s Hymn-book (1736) (Erk, No. 103). Elsewhere it occurs only in the Organ works. His version of the last two phrases of the tune is not uniform. In the Organ Partite infra it approximates significantly to a Hamburg text of 1690. Witt (No. 527) uses another melody.

[108]

N. xix. 44. The melody is treated in a series of nine Partite, or Variations. Spitta is convinced that they were written in Lüneburg, or under the direct influence of Böhm, in the first decade of the eighteenth century1 , a conclusion supported by the strong Hanoverian associations which attach to Bach’s melodic text and to the added ninth stanza. Schweitzer also holds them to be the product of Bach’s earliest youth, on the ground of the awkward harmonization of the melody and the optional use of the Pedal2 . Parry finds in them an air of ingenuous simplicity that proves them to be very early compositions3 . It is the more interesting to find the youthful Bach illustrating in some of them the text of the hymn, the number of whose stanzas corresponds with the number of Partite.

Partita I may be regarded either as an introduction to stanza i, or perhaps as a broad expression of the opening line

the word “frommer” summoning the picture of a Personality strong, reliable, unwavering.

The second stanza hardly invites pictorial treatment. Bach would appear, as Spitta notes, to be copying Böhm’s habit of extending the cantus.

Stanza iii, like its predecessor, does not appear to have drawn the juvenile Bach to attempt illustration.

In Partita IV Bach’s youthful eye caught the words “Gieb das ich meinen Feind...überwind” (Help me to overcome my foe); the left hand sounds a triumphant rhythm.

In Partita V the general atmosphere of “Fried und Freundschaft” (peace and friendship), of which the corresponding stanza speaks, draws from Bach one of his characteristic joy motives in the animated semiquaver passages which accompany the cantus.

Stanza vi, with its reference to “meine graue Haar” (my hoary head), summons to Bach’s mind instantly the picture of an old man with halting footsteps groping his way to the grave. The same idea is expressed by similar means in “Herr Gott, nun schleuss den Himmel auf” (N. xv. 53) and “Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund” (N. xv. 67).

In Partita VII, by prolonged descending passages in the first four bars and at the close of the movement, Bach illustrates the word “Grab”:

• And let my body have
• A little space to sleep
• Beside my fathers’ grave.

By similar means a quarter of a century later, in the last number of the St Matthew Passion, he pictured the lowering of the dead Christ to the tomb.

In Partita VIII, in chromatic passages, Bach pictures the torture of the dead awaiting judgment.

Partita IX is built throughout upon the rhythm of fervent adoration elsewhere found in “Herr Christ, der ein’ge Gottes-Sohn” (N. xv. 9) and “Lob sei dem allmachtigen Gott” (N. xv. 11).

The ms. from which the Partite were published by Griepenkerl in 1846 belonged to Johann Nikolaus Forkel (1749-1818). Another ms. is in the Collection of Bach’s pupil Krebs, and bears the inscription “J. S. B.” Naumann mentions a third copy by F. Roitzsch in Dehn’s Collection, inscribed “da Giov. Bast. Bach.”

[* ] A Lüneburg text of 1665 has a ♯

[1 ]Chorale Book for England, No. 115. The original hymn has only eight stanzas.

[2 ] The translation of it supra is by the present writer.

[1 ] Vol. i. 211.

[2 ] Vol. i. 282.

[3 ] P. 505.