Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Sleepers awake) - Philipp Nicolai / Martin Gaskell

This is my setting of the famous chorale “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme“ (“Sleepers awake“). Both the words and the music of the chorale were written by the Lutheran pastor Philipp Nicolai (1556 -- 1608). While he was a pastor in Unna, Westphalia, the plague killed hundreds of his parishioners. Nicolai’s response to this was to write his book “Freudenspiegel des ewigen Lebens“ (“Joyous Mirror of Eternal Life“) in 1599. This contains both “Wachet auf“ and also the well-known chorale “How brightly shines the morning star“ (“Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern“). Johann Sebastian Bach used “Wachet auf“ in his cantata BWV 140 for the last Sunday in the church’s year, the Sunday before Advent. The text of the hymn is about the second coming of Jesus. Wake, O wake! with tidings thrilling The watchmen all the air are filling, Arise, Jerusalem, arise! Midnight strikes! no more delaying, The hour has come! we hear them saying, Where are ye all, ye virgins wise? The Bridegroom comes in sight, Raise high your