Johann Sebastian Bach: His Life, Art, and Work

by Johann Nikolaus Forkel

The Cantor of St. Thomas' was charged formerly with the musical direction of four Leipzig [pg 29] churches: St. Thomas', St. Nicolas', St. Peter's, and the New Church. He was also responsible for the music in the University Church of St. Paul, the so-called “old service,” held originally on the Festivals of Easter, Whit, Christmas, and the Reformation, and once during each University quarter. On high days music also had to be provided at St. John's Church.

Bach, as Cantor, succeeded to a more restricted responsibility, which dated from the early years of the eighteenth century. The New Church, originally the Church of the Franciscans, had been restored to use in 1699. In 1704 Georg Philipp Telemann, who came to Leipzig as a law student three years before, was appointed Organist there. He also founded the Collegium Musicum, or University Musical Society, a farther slight upon the Cantor's position. Not until 1729 did the Society pass under Bach's direction and its members become available as auxiliaries in the church choirs under his charge. Notwithstanding that Bach's predecessor Kuhnau had protested against Telemann's independence, the direction of the New Church's music passed out of the Cantor's control, though the School continued to provide the choristers. Six years later the University Church of St. Paul also began an independent course. In 1710 the authorities resolved to hold a University service in the church every Sunday. Kuhnau asserted his prerogative as Cantor. But [pg 30] he was only able to maintain it by offering to provide the music for the “new service” as well as for the “old service” at the fee of twelve thalers which the University so far had paid for the latter. After his death the University appointed (April 3, 1723) Johann Gottlieb Görner, already Organist of St. Nicolas' since 1721, to control the music both of the “old” and “new” services, for which the University provided the choir. Not until after a direct appeal to the King did Bach succeed, in 1726, in compelling the University to restore to the Cantor his emoluments in regard to the “old service,” the conduct of which had been restored to him on his appointment as Cantor. The “new service” remained under Görner's direction. As to St. Peter's, its services, which had entirely ceased, were revived in 1711. The music, however, was simple, and consisted only of hymns.

Thus Bach, as Cantor, was responsible for the music in the two principal churches, St. Thomas' and St. Nicolas'. The School also provided the choir for St. Peter's and the New Church. The junior and least competent singers sang at St. Peter's. The rest were pretty equally distributed between the other three churches. At the New Church the music was performed under the direction of a Chorpräfect. At St. Thomas' and St. Nicolas' Bach personally directed the concerted music. On ordinary Sundays a Cantata or Motet [pg 31] was performed in each church alternately. At the great Festivals, New Year, Epiphany, Ascension Day, Trinity Sunday, and the Annunciation, Cantatas were sung at both churches, the two choirs singing at Vespers in the second church the Cantata performed by them in the morning at the other church. On these occasions the second choir was conducted by a Chorpräfect. The principal Sunday service in both churches began at seven in the morning, ended at eleven, and observed the following order:

	1. Organ Prelude.
	2. Motet, related to the Gospel for the Day; (omitted in Lent and replaced by the Benedictus).
	3. Introit.
	4. Kyrie, sung alternately, in German and Latin.
	5. The Lord's Prayer, intoned at the altar.
	6. Gloria, intoned at the altar and answered either by the Choir's Et in terra pax hominibus, or by the congregation with the Hymn, Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr, the German version of the Gloria.
	7. Collect, intoned in Latin; preceded by the preces Dominus vobiscum and Et cum spiritu tuo.
	8. Epistle.
	9. Litany, in Advent and Lent only; intoned by four boys, the Choir responding.
	10. Hymn, appropriate to the Gospel.
	11. Gospel.
	12. Credo, intoned; (in Lent, last three Sundays of Advent, and Festivals of Apostles, the Nicene Creed, sung in Latin).
	13. Prelude, followed by a Cantata, lasting about twenty minutes; on alternate Sundays in each church.
	14. The Creed in German, Wir glauben all' an einen Gott, sung by the congregation.
	15. Sermon, lasting one hour (8-9 A.M.).
	16. Hymn, Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend, followed by the reading of the Gospel, on which the Sermon had been based.
	17. General Confession, prayers, and Lord's Prayer.
	18. Blessing.
	19. Hymn.
	20. Communion Service; Hymns and Organ extemporisation.
	21. Benediction.

Vespers began at a quarter past one and was a comparatively simple service; the music consisted of Hymns, a Motet, and the Magnificat. On the last three Sundays in Advent and throughout Lent neither Cantatas nor Motets were sung. The Organ was silent. On the three great Festivals the appointed Hymn for the season was sung at the beginning of [pg 34] the principal service, before the Organ Prelude: at Christmas, Puer natus in Bethlehem; at Easter, Heut' triumphiret Gottes Sohn; at Whitsuntide, Spiritus Sancti gratia. During the Communion service the Sanctus and concerted music were sung. A festal hymn followed the Benediction. The three great Festivals were each observed for three consecutive days, on the first and second of which Cantatas were sung at both churches. On the third day concerted music was sung at only one of the two churches.

The other week-day Festivals for which Cantatas were provided were the Feast of the Circumcision (New Year's Day), Epiphany, Ascension Day, Purification of the B.V.M., Annunciation of the B.V.M., Visitation of the B.V.M., Feast of St. John Baptist (Midsummer Day), Feast of St. Michael the Archangel. The Reformation Festival was kept on October 31, or if that date was a Saturday or Monday, on the previous or following Sunday.

On Good Friday the Passion was performed in the two principal churches alternately. Leipzig adopted no official Hymn-book. The compilation from which the Hymns were chosen by Bach was the eight-volumed Gesangbuch of Paul Wagner, published at Leipzig for Dresden use in 1697. It contained over five thousand Hymns but no music, merely the name of the tune being stated above the Hymn. For the [pg 35] most part the Hymns for special, and even for ordinary, occasions were prescribed by custom. Otherwise the power of selection was in the hands of the Cantor, and Bach's exercise of it caused some friction with the clergy in 1728.

The provision and direction of the music at weddings and funerals was in the Cantor's hands. He arranged the choirs and the music sung at the scholars' annual processions and perambulations of the town, which took place at Michaelmas, New Year, and on St. Martin's and St. Gregory's Days.

Augmenting the School's choristers, the Town Musicians took part in the Church services and were under the Cantor's direction. Their numbers and efficiency were inadequate.

Upon the staff of the School the Cantor ranked third after the Rector and Sub-Rector, and took a share in the general instruction of the scholars. Class III. went to Bach for Latin lessons, a duty which the Council eventually permitted him to fulfil by deputy. Singing classes were held by the Cantor on three days of the week, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, at nine and noon, and on Fridays at noon. His instruction in singing was given to the four upper classes only. On Saturday afternoons the Cantata was rehearsed. Once in four weeks the Cantor took his turn to inspect the scholars. Like the other masters, he was required to conform to the regulations [pg 36] of the School House, in which he lived. He rose at five in summer, at six in winter, dined at ten and supped at five in the afternoon.