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Sei gegrüsset Jesu gütig (Score): Organ Book

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Sei gegrüsset Jesu gütig (Score): Organ Book

Sei gegrüsset Jesu gütig (Score): Organ Book

Chorale Prelude for Organ with Chorale for Choir SATB and Optional Children's Choir

By Alec Roth / Words by Christian Keimann

Item: 98-EP73772
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Description

The organ prelude Sei gegrüsset Jesu gütig was commissioned by the Orgelbüchlein Project, and sponsored by the Oundle Festival with funds provided by Rogers Covey-Crump. The first performance was given by William Whitehead at St Lawrence Church, Towcester, 4 July 2018.





The SATB arrangement of the chorale Sei gegrüsset Jesu gütig was made for Ex Cathedra. It was first performed (preceded by the organ prelude played by Alexander Mason) by the Ex Cathedra choir, directed by Jeffrey Skidmore, with the "Soprano in Ripieno" part sung by the children of the Ex Cathedra Academy of Vocal Music, as an introduction to the Good Friday performance of Bach's Matthew Passion, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, 19 April 2019.



I was delighted and honoured when invited to contribute to the "Orgelbüchlein Project", the ambitious undertaking to complete Bach's work, curated by William Whitehead. I was even more delighted to be allocated such a lovely tune, which was new to me. Bach's own fascination with the melody is evident in his Chorale Partita for organ (BWV 768).



I composed the prelude during my stay in Leipzig in January-March 2017, following a visit to meet recently-discovered cousins in the small village of Hollenbach (Baden-Württemberg). My German grandparents were born there, and were economic migrants to England in the 1880s. Since I was unaware of any musical connections in either the German or Irish sides of my family, it was a great joy to find that my cousin Johanna was a musician, and had recently retired after 67 years as organist at the village church. My organ prelude is dedicated to her.



For some reason (perhaps the repeated tread of the opening pedal notes), as I was working on the prelude, the opening of J. S. Bach's Matthew Passion kept coming to mind. So in 2018, when Jeffrey Skidmore asked me to compose a short introduction to Bach's work, I immediately thought of Sei gegrusset. However, rather than a motet, I decided on a simple treatment of the chorale, preceded by my organ prelude. This enabled me to feature the "Soprano in ripieno" choir, which only appears twice in Bach's score, thus giving the members of this choir a little more to do. The Soprano in ripieno part was sung by the children of the Ex Cathedra Academy, first in English, then joined by the adult choir in German. This version, combining organ prelude and chorale, has since opened all Ex Cathedra's performances of the Matthew Passion. The Prelude and Chorale may, of course be performed separately.

Alec Roth



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Additional Details
Series: Edition Peters
Publisher: Edition Peters
Page Count: 8
ISBN10: 0-57702-480-6
ISBN13: 979-0-57702-480-6
UPC: 0
SKU: 98-EP73772

More about this title

About the Composer: Alec Roth

Alec Roth is a British composer whose work spans choral, orchestral, and keyboard music. He has built a reputation for writing pieces that honor historical traditions while bringing fresh compositional voices to familiar forms and texts. His engagement with the Orgelbüchlein Project reflects his deep commitment to both Bach's legacy and the creation of new sacred music for contemporary performers.

Why we love this

This prelude demonstrates how a contemporary composer can inhabit the spirit of the Orgelbüchlein without pastiche. Roth's setting of this chorale melody offers organists a work that fits naturally into liturgical use or concert programming, and the accompanying SATB arrangement (available separately) creates wonderful programming flexibility for choirs and organ together.

What to expect

The prelude unfolds with contemplative warmth, allowing the chorale melody to emerge gradually through subtle harmonic coloring. The writing feels both intimate and formally coherent, inviting listeners into a reflective space that honors the text's plea for mercy and grace.

Who it's for

Organists seeking contemporary sacred repertoire for liturgical services or recitals will find an accessible yet musically substantive work here. Church musicians programming Good Friday services or other liturgical occasions centered on the Passion will recognize the chorale's spiritual weight and its pairing with organ.

How to get the most out of it

  • Study the organ prelude first to understand Roth's harmonic language and approach to the melody before performing the chorale arrangement with singers.
  • Balance the organ part carefully when accompanying the SATB voices; the writing should support rather than obscure the choir's parts.
  • Pay attention to the sectional character of the chorale tune itself; each phrase benefits from subtle shaping that honors both the melody's identity and Roth's harmonic support.

How to use it

Consider pairing the organ prelude with the SATB arrangement as a self-contained devotional moment within a larger service or concert structure. The piece works particularly well as an introduction to extended choral works on Passion texts, where it can serve both as musical preparation and theological framing for the larger work that follows.

Skills your students will build

  • Playing contemporary organ music that employs harmonic language beyond the Baroque
  • Balancing melody and accompaniment in keyboard writing
  • Shaping chorale phrases with appropriate rhetorical weight
  • Coordinating organ part with choral entries and textures

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