No. 89 (BACH)
'WAS SOLL ICH AUS DIB MACHEM, EPHRAIM?')
('How shall I give thee up, Ephraim')
Relayed from St. Ann's Church, Manchester
S.B. from Manchester
GLADYS SWEENEY (Soprano)
CONSTANCE FELPTS (Contralto)
REGINALD WHITEHEAD (Bass)
THE St. ANN'S CHURCH CHOIR
THE NORTHERN WIRELESS ORCHESTRA
Conducted by T. H. MORRISON
GEORGE PRITCHARD at the Organ
THIS Cantata for three solo voices, soprano, Alto and Bass, with the customary chorale at the end, in four parts, is based on a passage from Hosea. It sots forth the Old Testament Cod perplexed and bewildered as to what He shall do with Israel; in our Bible it runs :—
'How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel? How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as zeboim? Mine heart is turned within me; my repentings are kindlod together.'
Admah and Zeboim were cities which shared the dread fate of Sodom.
Bach's setting of the German makes it impossible to use our English version of the Holy Writ, but the ideas are so vividly presented in the music that of itself it can convey the meaning of the text quite forcefully. The Bible words are given to the bass voice, and three different themes are used in the accompaniment, the first, a stormy figure in the bass meaning God's anger, the second a wailing melody for the oboes, His grief; and third a violin figure which hurries upward with a downward drop at the end of each phrase, symbolising the sorrowful question which disturbs His heart. Those three themes are interwoven in a way which suggests that no answer to the question can be found.
The alto follows with a recitative and aria, meditating on God's anger and righteous vengeance, and then the soprano sings of forgiveness through Jesu's grace, the final chorale rounding off the Cantata happily with confident faith.
English Text by D. Millar Craig.
Copyright B.B.C., 1929.
L-Aria (Bass): now shall I thee deliver, Ephraim? Shall I deliver Israel
How shall I even as Adamah surely make thee,
And how shall I set thfe as Zeboim?
For now mine heart is turn'd within me, And my repentings all flame together.
II.—Recitative (Allo) :
At last the wrath of God o'er evil mankind breaketh,
And them that have blasphem'd, His vengeance overtaketh.
All we have evil done beyond man's telling I Though God forgiveth o'er and o'er,
In foolish pride man evermore contendeth Against the grace lie sendeth,
And with his brother striveth sore,
The righteous wrath of God compelling
III.—Aria (Alto)
No mercy shalt thou know nor pity, When thou art judg'd for all thy tin. For vengeance falleth first on them Who, pitiless, their own condemn ;
Destroying them like Sodom's evil city.
IV.—Recitative (Soprano) :
Henceforth from out my heart all bitterness I cast;
I shall be meek, my neighbour aye forgiving,
E'en so how shall the Lord forget my evil living,
Before Him when I stand at last ?
Yet In my need shall Jesu intercede.
To Him I look who will forsake me never, Believing ever.
V. —Aria (Soprano) :
In Thy Just scales when I am welgh'd, Then let my Saviour stand beside me, Nor from Ills blessed love divide me. So shall I no more be afraid.
Yea, whoso Jesu's grace enfoldeth, No more as evil God beholdtth.
Vl.—Choral :
Though poor my faith and weak, Yet grace that I would seek Through Jesu's intercession,
Despite my sore transgression, Is giv'n for my salvation
'Gainst Satan and damnation.
Cantatas for the next four Sundays are :—
November S. No. 139— *
' Wohl dem, der sieh auf'seincn Gott.' (' Blessed ho that trusteth in his God.')
November 10. No. SO
'Ein' feste Burg' ( A stronghold sure
November 17. No. Ill—
'Was mein Gott will, das g'scheh allzelt. (' What my God wills, that be done always.')
November 24. No. 110-
' Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme.'
(' Sleepers, wake 1