Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring

Johann Sebastian Bach is regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time. His music is revered for its technical command, artistic beauty, and intellectual depth. This chorale movement is one of his most enduring works, however the melody was originally composed before Bach’s time, in 1642, by Johann Schop. Utilising the already existing melody, Bach wrote this setting of Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring in 1716, as the 10th and last movement of the church cantata ‘Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben’ (BWV 147) – one of the over three hundred cantatas written by the master of the Baroque period.

This edition of the familiar melody,which is often performed at weddings and Christian festive seasons like Christmas and Easter, is arranged for SATB Chorus and Organ. All four verses of the lyrics are provided in English translation along with the original version in German.