My Jesus, Oh What Anguish! – BACH (arr. Reed) | BVCCB 2026

The Blackstone Valley Community Concert Band (BVCCB) performs Johann Sebastian Bach's "My Jesus, Oh What Anguish!" (Mein Jesu, was für Seelenweh), arranged by Alfred Reed, on Sunday, May 03, 2026 at Uxbridge High School Auditorium, Uxbridge, MA. Conducted by Justin Falvo. This concert program "Building A More Perfect World" celebrated America's Semiquincentennial and featured pieces that represent pivotal times in the nation's history. Important to Mr. Falvo, artistic director of the band, was the idea that in order to celebrate our country's 250th anniversary, we must reflect on America's entire history, which has experienced both with moments of triumph and periods of darkness. Only when we consider the whole history of our nation can we hope to build the next 250 years better than the first. Video by: Barry Giles & Cameron Clark, Uxbridge Community Television PROGRAM NOTE Mein Jesu! was für Seelenweh (My Jesus! Oh, What Anguish) is one of a group of 69 sacred songs and airs attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach, each of which exists only in the form of a single melodic line with figured bass. These pieces were first published in 1736, some 14 years before Bach’s death, as the musical settings for a huge collection of 954 sacred songs and hymns assembled by Georg Christian Schemelli and edited by Bach himself. In 1832, they made their first appearance as an addendum to the 371 four-part fully harmonized chorales as an edition published by C.F. Becker. Ever since that time, there has been disagreement among scholars as to how many of these 69 melodies were actually written by Bach himself, how many were merely arranged by him, or even the exact number of these melodies that were composed or worked on by him. The standard Bach Gesellschaft edition, for instances, lists 75 such pieces, not 69. On the other hand, one of the greatest authorities on German evangelical church music, Johannes Zahn, claimed that only 21 of the 69 (or 75) should be considered as Bach’s own work and the rest credited to other composers. Since the first separate appearance of this group of pieces in 1832, there have been at least eight other editions prepared by different authorities and published. It is interesting to note that the melody of Mein Jesu! appears in all of them. Its authenticity seems never to have been questioned by any of the compilers and editors of these collections during the past 150 years. For all its apparent simplicity of musical construction (a small two-part form with each part repeated once), this music is deeply moving and highly expressive. In the present realization for winds from the figured bass, Bach’s harmonic intentions have been faithfully adhered to throughout and, except for choices of specific voicings and instrumental colors, nothing has been added to one of the most haunting and poignant expressions of sorrow and compassion to be found in all of Western music. The first performance of this new setting took place on November 20, 1974, with the University of Miami Symphonic Wind Ensemble under the direction of Frederick Fennell. ABOUT BVCCB Blackstone Valley Community Concert Band, hereby known as BVCCB, is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2002 & is based in Uxbridge, MA. BVCCB is made up of over 80 volunteer musicians. Our members encompass a wide range of ages, careers, locations, & skill levels. It is a shared love of music that brings this tight knit group together! As this group continues to grow, we are endlessly humbled by the support of family, friends, members, & surrounding communities. This is a huge part of what keeps the band going, and we could not be more thankful. We look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming events. Stay safe & music on! 🎵 If you enjoyed this performance, please like, share, and subscribe for more concert band music! 👉 Website: https://bvccbmusic.org/ 👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...