Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten is a hymn I wrote around 1641, consisting of seven verses that proclaim my faith in God. I added the subtitle Song of Consolation myself. Johann Crüger included it in his Praxis pietatis melica (1672), and in 1704 the song appeared in the first part of Johann Anastasius Freylinghausen’s Geistreiches Gesangbuch. These records indicate the early and enduring popularity of this chorale. Johann Sebastian Bach used it on multiple occasions; for example, his Cantata BWV 93 bears the title Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten. In my arrangement, the chorale is presented twice. The first instance is preceded by a short introduction, with variations on the introduction appearing between each sentence. After a brief intermezzo, the hymn is performed uninterrupted, reflecting its original intention – a song of consolation.
