FAITHFUL (Bach)

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach was born at Eisenach into a musical family and in a town steeped in Reformation history, he received early musical training from his father and older brother, and elementary education in the classical school Luther had earlier attended. Throughout his life he made extraordinary efforts to learn from other musicians. At 15 he walked to Lüneburg to work as a chorister and study at the convent school of St. Michael. From there he walked 30 miles to Hamburg to hear Johann Reinken, and 60 miles to Celle to become familiar with French composition and performance traditions. Once he obtained a month's leave from his job to hear Buxtehude, but stayed nearly four months. He arranged compositions from Vivaldi and other Itali… Go to person page >

FAITHFUL is an adaptation of a tune from Johann S. Bach's (PHH 7) well-known aria "Mein gläubiges Herze" ("My heart ever faithful"), found in his Cantata 68. The tune's title is derived from the English translation of the aria's opening words.

A charming tune, FAITHFUL consists of repetitions and variations of just a few motives. Sing in unison with light accompaniment.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook, 1988