The Third Day of Christmas

On the third day of Christmas, we share Layton James’s arrangement of the chorus “Hear, King of Angels” from J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, performed by Christopher Wilhite, trumpet and Eric Tuan, organ.

Perhaps the leading composer of the Baroque era, Bach spent nearly a quarter century as director of music in the mercantile city of Leipzig, where he was responsible for the music at the city's four primary churches. It was in tradition in Leipzig to observe the season of Christmas with particular festivity, with six special commemorations held over the twelve days. Each of these marked a particular section of the Christmas narrative, and it was for these six observances that Bach composed the six cantatas that make up his Christmas Oratorio.

The trumpet work Hear, King of Angels is adapted from the joyful opening chorus of the third cantata, which describes the journey of the shepherds to worship the Holy Family. As is true for much of the Christmas Oratorio, the chorus is adapted from an earlier work: in this case a secular cantata composed for the birthday of the Queen of Poland and Electress of Saxony, Maria Josepha. The joyful, dance-like rhythms and festive melody play a dual role, then, in celebrating the birthdays of both a patroness and God incarnate.