Organ Prelude

We bustle along with the other members of the congregation beneath a sullen, gray sky towards the church of St. Boniface, in the little German town of Arnstadt, in the princedom of Thuringia, deep in the heart of Germany. My hope is that today, Easter Sunday (March 23rd) 1704, we might have an opportunity to hear, or even meet, the nineteen-year old organist who was appointed here just last year. Not yet out of his teens and already, the name of Johann Sebastian Bach is known to everybody with more than a passing interest in music. He was invited to inspect, and give the inaugural recital on the organ in the church last summer, so I have great expectations for this visit.
The Lutheran divine service of this time takes a while, so we should make ourselves comfortable. We can probably expect to be here for at least the next two hours, possibly three.
Settling in one of the unoccupied pews toward the back of the church, a distant rumble of thunder is audible. It's a little unusual to hear thunder this early in the year, but what follows is a genuine delight! The unseen organist opens the swell box of his instrument and lets rip with an answering thunderclap that echoes before entering into a virtuosic musical evocation of raindrops pattering against the windows and the tiled roof! By the end of the Twentieth Century scholars were increasingly uncertain whether J.S.Bach had in fact composed the Toccata and Fugue attributed to him. Given the frequency with which he borrowed musical ideas from other composers, and reworked his own earlier compositions, I think the confusion is understandable.
Here is the abc notation for the chorale we sung that morning, arranged for guitar: Wachet auf, ruft uns die stimme

X:1
T:Wachet auf, ruft uns die stimme % title
C:Johann Sebastian Bach % composer
O:Dirk Meineke-d.meineke@web.de % origin.
M:C                          % meter
L:1/8                        % length of shortest note
Q:60                         % tempo
%%staves (1 2)
V:1 clef=treble name="Guitar" % voice 1
V:2 clef=treble
%
K:C
[V:1]       G2 | c/d/e ed fe GF | e/c/d FE Bc z G | c/d/e ed fe GF |
[V:2][L:1/4] z | C     C  C  E, | F,    G, C    z | C     C  C  E, |
%
[V:1] e/c/d FE Bc z g | g2 f/e/d/c/ d/c/B/A/ GA/B/ | c/d/e/d/ f/e/d/c/ ed dG |
[V:2] F,    G, C  z   | E, A,       G,       F,    | E,       C        G, B, |
%
[V:1] e^f fg c/B/c CA | ^fg ga c/B/c Dc'| b/a/g g/^f/g E/f/e/d/ c/B/A/G/ |
[V:2] C   B, A,    C  | D   E  ^F    D  | G     ^F     E        D        |
%
[V:1] A/B/c c/B/c A,/^f/g/a/ g/f/e/d/ | gB     BA/G/ G/c/B/A/ B[GD] |
[V:2] C     B,    A,         C        | B,/G,/ D/D/  E,/B,/   G,    |
%
[V:1] E>^F  F>G   [GD]3  G | c/d/e ed fe GF | e/c/d FE Bc z G |
[V:2] C/A,/ D/A,/ [B,G,]>z | C     C  C  E, | F,    G, C  z   |
%
[V:1] c/d/e ed fe GF | e/c/d FE Bc z g | g2 f/e/d/c/ d/c/B/A/ GA/B/ |
[V:2] C     C  C  E, | F,    G, C  z   | E, A,       B,       F,    |
%
[V:1] c/d/e/d/ f/e/d/c/ ed   B,c | ab bc' f/e/f  ca    | bc' c'd' f/e/f Fd |
[V:2] E,       C        G/F/ B,  | B, D  G,/A,/ B,/F,/ | D   G    A     F  |
%
[V:1] e/d/c A/B/c c/_b/a/g/ f/e/d/c/ | d/e/f D/e/f G,/B/c/d/ c/B/A/G/ |
[V:2] G     A     F/E/      D/C/     | B,    D     G,/A,/    G,/F,/   |
%
[V:1] gc     e/d/c/B/ c/f/e/d/ ec   | A>B  B>c       c4-| c8     |]
[V:2] E,/A,/ F,/B,/   A,/B,/   C/E/ | F/D/ G/G,/ [GEC]2-| [GEC]4 |]

Deutsch

English

Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme Der Wächter sehr hoch auf der Zinne, Wach auf, du Stadt Jerusalem! Mitternacht heißt diese Stunde, Sie rufen uns mit hellem Munde: Wo seid ihr klugen Jungfrauen? Wohlauf, der Bräut'gam kömmt, Steht auf, die Lampen nehmt! Halleluja! Macht euch bereit zu der Hochzeit, Ihr müßet ihm entgegengehn! Zion hört die Wächter singen, Das Herz tut ihr vor Freuden springen, Sie wacht und stehet eilend auf. Ihr Freund kommt vom Himmel prächtig, Von Gnaden stark, von Wahrheit mächtig, Ihr Licht wird hell, ihr Stern geht auf. Nun komm, du werte Kron', Herr Jesu, Gottes Sohn! Hosianna! Wir folgen all' zum Freudensaal Und halten mit das Abendmahl. Gloria sei dir gesungen Mit Menschen- und mit Engelzungen, Mit Harfen und mit Zimbeln schön. Von zwölf Perlen sind die Pforten An deiner Stadt, wir sind Konsorten Der Engel hoch um deinen Thron. Kein Aug hat je gespürt, Kein Ohr hat mehr gehört Solche Freude. Das sind wir froh, i-o, i-o, Ewig in dulci jubilo.

“Wake, arise,” loud call the voices of Watchmen so high in the tower, “Wake up, you town Jerusalem!” Midnight’s hour is now approaching They call to us with lucid voices: Where are the clever virgins now? Behold, the bridegroom comes Rise up, your lanterns take! Alleluia! Prepare yourself for the wedding, You must arise and go to him! Zion hears the watchmen singing The maidens’ hearts with joy are springing They wake and quickly to Him go. Their Friend comes in Heav’nly splendor With graceful strength, with mercy tender Their light is bright, their star doth glow. Now come, thou worthy One; Lord Jesus, God’s own Son Hosanna! We follow all to that glad hall To our Lord’s table we are called. “Gloria” we all are singing With earth and heav’n our voices ringing With harp and cymbal’s clearest tone. Twelve great pearls adorn the portals. At your fair city we are consorts With angels high around Your throne. No eye has ever seen No ear has ever heard Such a rapture. Our song doth go Io, Io! Ever in dulci jubilo.

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