Wass Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan

August Wilhelm Bach (1796 – 1869) was a German composer and organist.

He is unrelated to the family of Johann Sebastian Bach. He studied with his father, Gottfried, as well as with Carl Friedrich Zelter and Ludwig Berger.
In 1832, he succeeded Zelter as the director of the Royal Institute of Church Music in Berlin. He also taught at the Prussian Academy of Arts. His compositions largely consist of sacred works and works for keyboard.

He also wrote a pipe organ method and a hymnbook.

This nice Choral Prelude was written as a trio for 2 manuals and pedal.

The melody in the tenor voice is played on the Cornet of manual 1
Manual II and III have different soft and bright registrations,
The pedal is just 16' and 8'; no coupling.

A nice thing about this chorale prelude is, that after its conclusion August Wilhelm also wrote the 4 part accompaniment for a singing congregation.

He did this in the style of his time: with slow melody singing of each line of the hymn accompanied by big chords, and between the lines of the verses a "Zwischenspiel", small interlude, to allow the singers to get their breath back for the next line of the t hymn.

In some parts of Holland in the very strict, mostly reformed churches, this way of singing is still practiced.

Front: 100. Rear: 70