So many of the cantatas deal with subjects that have to do one's spirituality; here is one, in contrast, that forthrightly takes on the perennial problem of hunger. Yes, it existed in Bach's Leipzig as well, even though the city was comparatively rather enlightened about taking care of its citizens. Hearing this substantive work as a piece of history is one thing; hearing it in the context of actual hunger is another.

Cantata 39, containing one of the most large-scale choruses Bach ever wrote, is presented free of charge. Suggested admission is a food staple, such as canned meat, canned fruit, canned vegetables, or peanut butter; then, after hearing from representatives of the Lakeview Pantry, there will be a free-will offering to help alleviate hunger in the Lakeview neighborhood. Other music concerning hunger will complement the cantata, including a sing along with the chorus and orchestra. Come to be fed with delectable music and to assist Lakeview Food Pantry feed our hungry neighbors.

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Martin Luther's love of Christmas prompted him to write several carols for the season. One of those enjoyed considerable popularity across central Europe for over two hundred years. Bach found a poet who had rearranged its multi-stanza text into a libretto for a Christmas cantata. The result shows Bach's talent at providing the carol with an always new twist by casting light on this or that segment of its music or text. Hearing the cantata in the context of the carol's original versions and in the presence of other music of the season provides the cantata with new resonance. This 2011 presentation of the cantata occurs in the cradle of sung Evening Prayer, one of the services for which Bach wrote his choral works.

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Two quite different but yet winsome cantatas call attention to the roots of the composer's large output of sacred choral works. Frequently Bach reached into his stock of secular cantatas composed for various occasions such as royal birthdays and there found the raw material for coming up with pieces for the church. We'll see how that works for Cantata 173. In both cantatas Bach relies on dance rhythms to formulate individual movements -- examples will prepare for their full appearances. Woven throughout the cantatas, but particularly in Cantata 180 are moments of love poetry as a way to perceive and grasp divine love for humankind. Opportunity to experience contemporary versions of this venerable metaphoric scheme bring to light Bach's contemporary appeal. Bach, ballads, birthdays, and beat: a recipe for sacred song.

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Even though Bach did not get equal time with the preachers of his day, his sermons were definitely more compelling. Cantata 80 was his contribution for Reformation Day, a sermon using and expanding upon Luther's famous hymn. But May 27 is Pentecost -- why BWV 80 for this day? Because the text of the cantata contains much about the Holy Spirit and because the music itself is very spirited. A past presentation of Cantata 80 in this series used the version J. S. Bach composed; for this Pentecost service, the version arranged by his son Wilhelm Friedemann will be used, employing trumpets and drums. Additional instrumentation seems to be called for on Pentecost 2012, even as every good sermon needs to reflect its context.