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Allein Gott in der Höh sie Ehr by J.S. Bach
When Bach did something, he tended to really do it. No dilly-dallying and evading the issue for this guy. Think about the Well-Tempered Clavier; about the Goldberg Variations or the Musical Offering; about the B Minor Mass.

So when he liked a chorale, he often composed around it many, many times. Today we'll explore one of these favorite (and no doubt liturgically useful) chorales. It's called 'Allein Gott in der Höh sie Ehr'.

The chorale was probably written in 1523 by Nikolaus Decius, making it one of the very first Lutheran chorales. The text is a German paraphrase of the 'Gloria' of the Mass; the melody is an adaptation of the 'Gloria' of the Latin Mass 'Lux et origo'. You can find out more about the chorale here; scroll down to the 'The Vopelius Hymnal' for a version you can use to become familiar with the hymn. The text and translation are available here And here's a charming recording of the tune to a guitar accompaniment. (This recording has a variant of the tune at the beginning of the B section.)

Before we plunge into Bach's many uses of the chorale over many years, I'll tell you that the tune was used for two additional texts: 'Auf Christi Himmelfahrt allein', for the Feast of the Ascension; and 'Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt', based upon the 23rd Psalm.

So now that you've gotten familiar with the tune, check out these recordings of the kaleidoscope of settings Bach left us:

BWV 60, probably from a lost cantata

Cantata 128: Auf Christi Himmelfahrt allein (for the Feast of the Ascension, 1725), first movement

Cantata 112: Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt (for the second Sunday after Easter, 1731), first movement

Cantata 112: Last movement

Cantata 85: Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt (for the second Sunday after Easter, 1725), third movement

Cantata 104: Du Hirter Israel, höre (for the second Sunday after Easter, 1723), sixth movement

BWV 662, one of the Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes

BWV 663, another chorale prelude

BWV 664, an organ trio

BWV 675, a fughetta for organ

BWV 676, another fughetta

BWV 711, a prelude from the Kirnberger Collection

BWV 715, a yare setting

BWV 716, a three-part fugue

BWV 717, a gentle, lilting three-part setting

It that's not a comprehensive exploration of a melody, I don't know that is! And (think about it) many of Bach's works have been lost. Who knows what other settings might there have been?

A fun thing about this kind of exploration is figuring out and noticing just exactly how Bach is using the tune. For this, it's best to get to know the tune really well, so that it becomes part of you. Then, sometimes even unconsciously, you'll be able to pick it up in the midst of the wealth of textures which Bach employs.

Have some fun with it! It'll be good for you--take you away from politics and Covid and fires and smoke for a little while--Lord knows we need that right about now.
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