Johann Sebastian Bach

Choral arrangements for the Christmas season

For woodwind quartet in variable instrumentation. (Clarinet quartet, saxophone quartet, mixed ensemble - solo or choral).
Origin of the four chorale arrangements:
1. Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ
A - chorale movement from the cantata 'Sehet, welch eine Liebe' (BWV 64)
B - chorale prelude for organ (BWV 732)
2. In dulci jubilo
A - choral movement taken from the 389 four-part 'Choralgesänge' first compiled by C.Ph.E. Bach, number 215 in the modern edition.
B - Choral prelude for organ (BWV 608). Original key: A major.
Scoring examples:
In addition to 'real' quartet instrumentations (pure or mixed timbre), multiple instrumentations - up to a large woodwind choir (cf. organ!) - are of course possible. In this case, the octave of the first voice of the movement can be played by the flute. An extra part for this case is enclosed.
The present four chorale arrangements can be well combined with other movements to the same Christmas carols, especially of course with vocal movements (polyphonic choir or monophonic singing with accompaniment). In this case our woodwind pieces would get the function of preludes or interludes to the vocal parts.
If the chorale arrangements are performed by wind players alone, then besides the printed sequence A - B both times, the sequence A - B - A should also be thought of...

Instrumentation:
1st voice in C high (flute)
1st voice in C (oboe/flute)
1st voice in Bb (clarinet/soprano sax.)
2nd voice in F (cor anglais)
2nd voice in Bb (clarinet)
2nd voice in Eb (alto saxophone)
3rd voice in C (bassoon)
3rd voice in F (horn, basset horn)
3rd voice in Bb (low) (clarinet)
3rd voice in Bb (high) (clarinet). Voice in Bb (high) (tenor saxophone)
3. Voice in Eb (alto clarinet, horn)
4. Voice in C (bassoon, violoncello)
4. Voice in Bb (bass clarinet)
4. Voice in Eb (baritone saxophone)