Stay with us, for night is falling.

On this Easter Monday, we return to Bach's Easter Monday cantata Bleib bei uns ("Stay with us").  We talked about this cantata in Season 1, but here we can't help but return to the captivating opening chorus, which reminds us of the closing choruses of the St. Matthew and St. John Passions.  Ever the pictorial composer, Bach uses repeated notes to paint the picture of God's steadfastness -- how He stays with us.  The middle section brings us into a lively double (or is it triple...?) fugue, culminating in Alex's favorite moment, a quadruple-octave blast from the choir.

Bleib bei uns performed by the Netherlands Bach Society, Jos van Veldhoven, conductor.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LISTENERS: check out Alex's concert THIS SUNDAY in Orange, CA which features this very cantata, Bleib bei uns, as well as some other hymn and liturgy arrangements, all in the musical context of an evening prayer service. Details here.