DESCRIPTION:
Orgel der Dorfkirche Ditfurt -- Chorale: How Brightly Beams the Morning Star (more English notes below) Der vierstimmige Satz in dieser Aufnahme stammt von August Wilhelm Bach (1796-1869), dem Organisten der Berliner Marienkirche und nachmaligen Leiter des Königlichen Musik-Instituts. Ich werde nach und nach weitere Choralsätze aus dem Berliner Choral-Buch von 1830 einspielen. Die Playlist ist hier: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJQG183QhFpAMEdncmsk0ySZYOt1ozwjl

a_osiander(at)gmx.net / www.andreas-osiander.net

The four-part setting in this recording is by August Wilhelm Bach (1796-1869), the organist of St Mary's Church in Berlin and later director of the Royal Institute of Music.

The words of the hymn, written by Philipp Nicolai in 1597, were modified by later authors (though the official hymn book of the German protestant church has the original text); English translations accordingly vary too. It is sometimes asserted (for example in the English-language Wikipedia entry for this hymn at the time of the upload) that the tune is older and not by Nicolai. I have not seen the evidence for this but prima facie it would seem unlikely: the words, meant to appear in the form of a chalice in print, are quite idiosyncratic, and I cannot see how they could fit an existing tune. English translations are often quite free. This one by Jane Borthwick (1864) manages to stay relatively close to the original:

How brightly shines the Morning Star
......In truth and mercy from afar,.......
.....With radiance pure and holy !......
..Thou Root of Jesse, David's Son,....
My Bridegroom and my King in one,
.....My heart is now Thine solely !......
......................Fairest,.....................
......................kindest,.....................
...............Best and noblest,..............
..................most exalted,.................
...............Rich in blessing,................
......All of good Thyself possessing.....

I will continue to upload hymn settings from the 1830 Berliner Choral-Buch. The playlist is here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJQG183QhFpAMEdncmsk0ySZYOt1ozwjl