CANTATAS 196, 79, and 192.3
This year the BATC 2026 Chamber Choir performs two Bach cantatas and a movement from a third. Cantata 196, The Lord cares for us, is one of Bach’s earliest cantatas (from Weimar or Mühlhausen) and contains his first da capo aria and two Buxtehude-like choruses. It is based on selected verses of Psalm 115, a psalm of blessing. This performance highlights the 150th anniversary of Staunton’s Temple House of Israel congregation served by Rabbi Randi Nagel, and the 100th anniversary of the Temple building. The second cantata, BWV 79, God the Lord is Sun and Shield, celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Heifetz International Music Institute of Staunton. One of Bach’s most well-known vocal works, Cantata 79 features an amazing inventive opening chorus and includes the chorale, Now Thank We All Our God. The audience is invited to join the choir, orchestra, and the magnificent Taylor & Boody Organ on the final chorale, Now Thank We All Our God, following a rollicking choral gigue from Cantata 192 that is based on this most famous of hymns.

BWV 196, Der Herr denket an uns, Cantata for any occasion
1. Sinfonia

2. Chor
Der Herr denket an uns und segnet uns.
The Lord is mindful of us and blesses us.

Er segnet das Haus Israel, er segnet das Haus Aaron.
He blesses the house of Israel, he blesses the house of Aaron.

3. Arie S
Er segnet, die den Herrn fürchten, beide, Kleine und Große.
He blesses those who fear the Lord, both small and great.

4. Arie (Duett) T B
Der Herr segne euch je mehr und mehr, euch und eure Kinder.
May the Lord bless you more and more, you and your children.

5. Chor
Ihr seid die Gesegneten des Herrn, der Himmel und Erde gemacht hat. Amen.
You are the blessed of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Amen.
(Psalm 115:12-15)

BWV 79, Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild, Cantata
for Reformation, October 31

1. Chor 
Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild. 
Der Herr gibt Gnade und Ehre, 
er wird kein Gutes mangeln lassen 
den Frommen. (Psalm 84:12)

2. Arie A
Gott ist unsre Sonn und Schild!
Darum rühmet dessen Güte
Unser dankbares Gemüte,
Die er für sein Häuflein hegt.
Denn er will uns ferner schützen,
Ob die Feinde Pfeile schnitzen
Und ein Lästerhund gleich billt.

3. Choral 
Nun danket alle Gott
Mit Herzen, Mund und Händen,
Der große Dinge tut
An uns und allen Enden,
Der uns von Mutterleib
Und Kindesbeinen an
Unzählig viel zugut
Und noch itzund getan.
("Nun danket alle Gott," verse 1)

4. Rezitativ B
Gottlob, wir wissen
Den rechten Weg zur Seligkeit;
Denn, Jesu, du hast ihn uns durch 
dein Wort gewiesen,
Drum bleibt dein Name jederzeit gepriesen.
Weil aber viele noch
Zu dieser Zeit
An fremdem Joch
Aus Blindheit ziehen müssen,
Ach! so erbarme dich
Auch ihrer gnädiglich,
Daß sie den rechten Weg erkennen
Und dich bloß ihren Mittler nennen.

5. Arie (Duett) S B
Gott, ach Gott, verlaß die Deinen
Nimmermehr!
Laß dein Wort uns helle scheinen;
Obgleich sehr
Wider uns die Feinde toben,
So soll unser Mund dich loben.

6. Choral 
Erhalt uns in der Wahrheit,
Gib ewigliche Freiheit,
Zu preisen deinen Namen
Durch Jesum Christum. Amen.
("Nun laßt uns Gott, dem Herren," verse 8)

BWV 192.3 Nun danket alle Gott, Cantata for any occasion 

Lob, Ehr und Preis sei Gott,
Dem Vater und dem Sohne
Und dem, der beiden gleich
Im hohen Himmelsthrone,
Dem dreieinigen Gott,
Als der ursprünglich war
Und ist und bleiben wird
Jetzund und immerdar.

AUDIENCE CHORALE (BWV 252), Now Thank We All Our God
At the organ introduction, the audience rises to sing the chorale in harmony (printed on insert).

 THE HYMN: NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GOD, Nun danket alle Gott
The hymn text Now Thank We All Our God was written by Martin Rinkhart (1586-1649) as a table blessing to be sung by his children. It was composed in 1630, the hundredth anniversary of the Augsburg Confession and during the ravages of the Thirty Years’ War. The text was set to music by Johann Crüger, who in 1647 published it in a collection of tunes. Martin Rinkhart (or Rinckhart) was a chorister at St. Thomas, Leipzig, and a graduate of the University of Leipzig. For a time, he served as pastor and poet laureate in Eisleben, Luther’s birth and death place, before becoming pastor in his hometown, Eilenburg. In 1637 Rinkhart was the only pastor left in town to minister during a plague that killed 8,000 townspeople including his wife. He died one year after the end of the war in 1649. Hymn composer Johann Crüger studied under one of Gabrieli’s students, attended Wittenberg University, and served as church musician in Berlin for forty years. He collaborated extensively with his pastor, noted hymn text writer Paul Gerhardt.

Now Thank We All Our God was sung at the Peace of Westphalia, October 24, 1648, marking the end of the Thirty Years’ War. Since then, it has been sung at important moments of national, religious, and personal commemoration. Bach included the chorale in Cantata 79 for Reformation Day, October 31, 1725. The first two hymn verses are based on Ecclesiasticus 50:22-24, and the last verse is a metrical version of the trinitarian Gloria Patri. The tune is composed in barform, the first phrase being repeated, and the last phrase bringing the melody to its conclusion.

Bach composed a second cantata, BWV 192, using each stanza of the hymn as the basis of its three movements. Cantata 192 was composed for an unknown occasions, perhaps a wedding, religious celebration, or a civic occasion of thanksgiving. Over the centuries Nun danket alle Gott has stood the test of time and has been sung across denominations in worship. It has also inspired a multitude of composers of choral, organ, and instrumental literature. Bach himself composed a beautiful organ chorale prelude on the hymn.

2026 BATC Chamber Choir & Orchestra
Paul D. Weber, conductor
Sheila Dietrich, soprano
Sarah Hamilton, alto
Brian Thorsett, tenor
Adrian Smith, bass

 Emma Servadio, violin & concertmaster
Carson Howell, violin
Yeh-Chun Lin & Andrew Gonzalez, viola
Austin Topper, cello
Lorenzo Nigrelli, double bass
Jeanette Zyko & Cady Littera, oboe
Suzanne Pattison, bassoon 
Clint Linkmeyer & Nick Harvey, trumpet
Charles Nesmith, timpani
Florence Jowers, continuo organ

Soprano:
Virginia Bolena, Sarah Grove-Humphries, Lillie Harner, Kate Harrington, Caitlin Holsapple,Megan Sharp

Alto:
Laura Douglass, Heather Jones, Marina Pratt, Jonathan Schakel, Anne Stanford, Kaitlyn Townsend

Tenor:
Paul Barnett, Chris Mayfield, Christopher Nicholson, Aaron Reichert, Matt Thomas

Bass:
Ryan Michael Blake, Sam Kauffman, Gabriel Simerson