Did You Know Bach Has Two Birthdays?

Did you know that Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) has two birthdays? Yes, that’s right! Some say Bach was born on March 21 and others say it was March 31. So, who is right? Here’s the story. Bach was born in 1685 in Eisenach, Germany. Much of Europe at that time still used the Julian calendar. The Julian calendar… Read More »

Celebrating 300 Years of the Anna Magdalena Notebooks

In 1722 and then again in 1725 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) gave his second wife Anna Magdalena a green music notebook. In them Bach had composed some works for keyboard as a gift to his new wife and over the years she notated in them music that was important to her and her family. They even taught their… Read More »

Livestream Links for Conference Celebrating 500 Years of the First Lutheran Hymnals

Livestream links for a Reformation Hymn Festival and conference celebrating the 500th anniversary of the first Lutheran hymnals.

Celebrating 500 Years of Lutheran Hymnals and the Lutheran Chorale

St. James Lutheran Church of West Saint Paul, Minnesota, would like to invite you to join us live or via livestream on October 25-26 for a special conference celebrating the 500th anniversary of the first Lutheran hymnals and the great tradition of the musical proclamation of the Gospel that it fostered. Entitled “Proclaiming Christ 2024: Let Us Sing of Jesus” the conference will… Read More »

300 Years of Bach’s St. John Passion

This year we celebrate the 300th anniversary of Bach’s St. John Passion. It was first performed on April 7, 1724 at the Good Friday services at the St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig, Germany. It was revised and performed several times during Bach’s lifetime and is still widely performed today.

Reflections on the Nunc Dimittis

In the past few weeks we have taken a closer look at three of the great Biblical songs: the Magnificat, the Benedictus, and the Gloria. These are among four of the songs bestowed to us by the Holy Spirit through Luke’s account of the Christmas story. To conclude this series let us consider the last of these, the… Read More »

Reflections on the Gloria in Excelsis

Throughout history, the Almighty chooses individuals who are otherwise ordinary and unremarkable to fulfill His divine purposes. Such was the case that Christmas night over 2,000 years ago. Dedicated, sleepy shepherds simply fulfilling their God-given vocation were surprised by a heavenly encounter. At first, one angel appeared announcing the birth of Jesus, the Savior. Then the night sky… Read More »

Relections on the Benedictus

This week I would like to offer some reflections on the Benedictus, the song sung by Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. The Benedictus is the second of four songs that Luke records as he narrates Christmas story for us in the first two chapters of his Gospel.

Reflections on the Magnificat

From Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus come four important songs that have been sung now for over 2,000 years: the Magnificat or Song of Mary; the Benedictus or Song of Zechariah who was the father of John the Baptist; the Gloria in Excelsis or Song of the Heavenly Host; and the Nunc dimittis or Song of… Read More »

The Meaning of the Name of Jesus

Standing at the beginning of another liturgical season, it is good for us as musicians to consider the name of whom, to whom, and for whom we sing, namely the name of “Jesus.” This name was chosen not by Mary or Joseph, but rather by God Himself. When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he revealed the name… Read More »