The livestream of this socially distanced performance will be available for you to watch from home. Please do not come to the building. This performance is not open to a public in-person audience.

J.S. Bach, known as the great master, wrote more than 200 cantatas, and UMD Choral Activities aims to sing them all in this series of short performances led by conductors in the graduate program. Conducted by Matthew Goinz, this performance will feature Alles nur nach Gottes Willen (Everything according to God's will alone), BWV 72.

Written for the third Sunday after Epiphany, Alles nur nach Gottes Willen, BWV 72, was first performed on Sunday, January 27, 1726. This particular cantata was written early in Bach’s tenure at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, and is structured in six movements—a fiery opening chorus, recitative and aria for alto, recitative for bass, aria for soprano and, of course, the obligatory closing chorale. The text, written by Salomon Franck—a frequent collaborator of Bach—celebrates God's plan for the faithful. It urges Christians to trust in Jesus Christ, as is tradition when observing Epiphany, the feast which commemorates, among other things, the visit of the Three Magi to Christ.

All participants have met the UMD 4Maryland requirements to return to campus and have chosen to perform in-person. The performers have worn masks during rehearsals and are socially distanced. There will be no public audience, and the orchestra and chorus are all one-on-a-part to minimize personnel on stage. The Bach Cantata Series is an integral part of the degree requirements for our choral conducting graduate students.