Bach at the Sem will conclude its 24th season Sunday, May 7, at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis with a selection of works by J.S. Bach performed by the American Kantorei under Music Director Dr. Maurice Boyer.
The concert, which will celebrate the Feast of Easter with three complete cantatas: BWV 6, Bleib’ bei uns, denn es will Abend werden; BWV 104, Du Hirte Israel, höre!; BWV 42, Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats.

“These three masterful cantatas show that Christ’s generous presence, though sometimes unrecognized, meets the anguished one beset with doubt in the midst of his or her fear,” Boyer said. “Our final concert begins with a plea, ‘stay with us,’ and ends with a prayer, ‘grant us peace.’ At its center stands the good and faithful Shepherd, whose ‘Word of grace’ leads ‘to fresh waters to revive the soul mightily.’”

The upcoming concert will mark a transition for the Bach series. Next year’s musical offerings will take a different form, presenting in various formats the influence and legacy of J.S. Bach along with other musicians whose combination of Word and music have proclaimed Christ.

“An indescribable debt of gratitude goes to those whose vision conceived Bach at the Sem and whose gifts made the series possible for so many years,” said Concordia Seminary President Dr. Dale A. Meyer. “To the musicians who performed from their hearts, the American Kantorei and the leaders among them, we express deepest appreciation for their sacrifices of time and labors of love. And to the music directors, especially the sainted Robert Bergt and more recently and wonderfully Maurice Boyer, I express the gratitude of the Seminary community. They all brought together a series that has been a profound blessing to many hearts and lives over the years.”

Since its inception, Bach at the Sem has presented to the communities of Concordia Seminary and St. Louis at large more than 100 concerts of the music of premier Lutheran composer Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as music of Schütz, Buxtehude, Mendelssohn and other Lutheran composers.

The May 7 concert begins at 3 p.m. in the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus. The concert is free and open to the public. For additional information, please call 314-505-7569, email burresonk@csl.edu or visit www.csl.edu/bach.

About Concordia Seminary
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis provides Gospel-centered graduate-level theological education for pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and other leaders in the name of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). To learn more, visit www.csl.edu.