Johann Sebastian Bach

Two Christmas Chorale Preludes

Music for the Christmas season seems to fall into two categories -- the very popular carols and secular Christmas music, and music which is not widely known. These two chorale preludes offer a wonderful addition to a Christmas program because they bridge the wide gulf between the two divisions. The first one, Gottes sohn ist kommen, is a little-known but delicately beautiful chorale prelude. The second one, In Dulci Jubilo, utilizes a melody known as the English carol Good Christian Men Rejoice, but in a setting that provides a different way of looking at that melody. Two Christmas Chorale Preludes will provide an opportunity to include lesser known but still beautifulChristmas music in a concert of familiar works.