Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

J S Bach, Arranged by Ian Lamb

Instrumentation: Brass Band

Length: 4 Minutes

Difficulty: D Grade

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring is the title of a transcription by the English pianist Myra Hess (1890-1965) of the chorale that ends each part of the cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147 composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. Hess’s transcription was published in 1926 for piano solo and in 1934 for piano duet, but the transcription itself has since been arranged for various instruments and combinations. Today, it is often performed at wedding ceremonies slowly and reverently, in defiance of the affect suggested by Bach in his original scoring, for voices with trumpet, oboes, strings, and continuo. Written during his first year in Leipzig, Germany, this chorale movement is one of Bach’s most enduring works.

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