Advent arrives once again, and we lose the Gloria and the Ite missa est, at least those of us who follow the Sarum rules. Like the Alleluia silenced in Septuagesima and Lent blooming forth at the Paschal Vigil, the Gloria will return in all its joy on the blessed night of Christmas.
To welcome this new liturgical year, I invite you to listen to Bach’s cantata, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140 in a fine performance by the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir conducted by Ton Koopman. I like this light and crisp interpretation.
The Blue Flower 
I built my first harpsichord from a Zuckermann kit in 1969. Forty-four years later my playing is still mediocre. Some of us have it but most of us don’t. Can anyone identify the make of the positiv from which Koopmnn is conducting?
The only Dutch organ builder I know of is Flentrop, but they might have bought this positive organ in Germany or anywhere.
Thank you, Fr. Anthony. I am a non-musician with a limited “repertoire” of pieces I actually know and return to, but this is one of them. I deny it to myself except during Advent, but I suppose that the “eve” of the first Sunday (current time here in the States) is within bounds!
I hope you have a blessed Advent.
-tbm (a “lurker”)