Music for the Bach commemoration – The sound of assurance
Johann Sebastian Bach: Jesu, meine Freude (Jesus, my joy) (BWV 227)
In uncertain times a message of promise is what people want to hear. These tidings of trust and hope in a world of fear are what Johann Sebastian Bach brings in his choral motet presented by Frankfurt’s Trinity International Concert Choir (TICC) in the Festeburgkirche. Highlight of this concert on Sunday, May 11 at 7 p.m. is “Jesu, meine Freude” (“Jesus, my joy”), one of the Baroque master’s most famous works. Appropriately TICC is singing this piece in honor of the occasion of Bach’s death 275 years ago.
Bach wrote the work between 1723 and 1735 while employed as cantor and director of music at Leipzig’s illustrious Thomas Church. It is based on a 100-year-older hymn, the text from Johann Franck and melody from Johann Crüger. Between the six stanzas, Bach set the music to five passages from Paul’s letter to the Romans (8, 1-11). The motet grapples with the question: How can one find his footing in a world of chaos, hate, and misanthropic behavior? Bach’s answer comes in the form of weaving a colorful text fabric with varied musical elements. This motet conveys the message that there is an ultimate security in God which is based upon the Easter victory. It comes to expression as indestructable joy and confidence, and it becomes effective in the life of a person through fellowship with Jesus.
Accompanying this central work, TICC musical director Dr. Steffen Bücher has integrated several Bach pieces including the aria “Bereite dir, Jesu, noch itzo die Bahn” (“Prepare the highway for you into my heart, Jesus, ever now”) sung by soprano soloist Marion E. Bücher-Herbst. Steffen Bücher’s long-standing musical partnership with cellist Florian Streich will result in a performance of three compositions of Bach’s cello suite in G-major. Also on the program is a portion of Bach’s organ sonata number 2 in C-minor, performed by Lukas Euler. Euler, 29, studied music in Leipzig, served as organist at the Thomas Church, and is now guest organ professor at the Frankfurt Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst as well as lecturer/instructor at the Institute for Church Music of the Diocese of Mainz.
Where and when
Sunday, 11 May 2025, 7 p.m.
Festeburgkirche
An der Wolfsweide 58
60435 Frankfurt a.M.
Performers
Marion E. Bücher-Herbst (soprano)
Florian Streich (dello)
Lukas Euler (organ)
Trinity International Concert Choir
Director
Steffen Bücher
Tickets
15 € (pupil/student/disabled discount: 10 €)
tickets@ticchoir.de
Box office on the evening of the performance