Prelude and Postlude for December 3rd, 2023 (First Sunday in Advent)

0:00 In dich hab ich gehoffet (Scheidemann) 5:02 In dich hab ich gehoffet (Bach) 7:42 Star of Hope (Biggs) The four Sundays in Advent are sometimes known by themes: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, and the organ music for each Sunday this year will be based on that. The chorale “In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr“ is a Lutheran hymn and the text dates from 1533. There are three melodies that are common for it, and Scheidemann and Bach use different ones, which is why one is minor and the other is major. The title means “In thee have I hoped, Lord“ and it begins as a paraphrase of Psalm 31. Scheidmann’s piece is a fantasia on the melody whereas Bach’s setting is more straightforward (and shorter); both are great works of Baroque counterpoint. In a completely different vein is Richard Keys Biggs’ “Star of Hope“ which builds from a gentle stirring to an almost blinding light at the end. I hope that you enjoy these pieces as we embark upon our fourth year of