(We give thee thanks, God, we give thee thanks) for soprano, alto, tenor and bass, vocal ensemble, trumpets I-III, percussion, bassoon I+II, strings, organo obbligato and continuo

The annual service on St Bartholomew’s Day to inaugurate the new town council numbered among the highlights of the festive calendar in Leipzig. Despite Bach’s turbulent relationship to the council – his employer – he dutifully composed the requisite cantata throughout his tenure. Some five compositions written for this occasion have been preserved in whole or in part, and the texts for a further three have also survived. Although the cantatas for this occasion have a courtly finesse, this is less a testament to the (limited) power of the Leipzig burgher class than to their career-driven interest in pleasing the Dresden territorial sovereign.