Four Chorale Meditations

The Four Chorale Meditations were written in 1982 in response to a request from Minnesota Orchestra violinist Jean Marker DeVere, who wanted a piece that could be played both on her recital and at a Sunday morning service celebrating the 100th anniversary of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. This second occasion suggested the use of four chorales – Ich ruf’ zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ; Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern; Heute ist, O Mensch; Es ist genug – each varied by working with phrases, fragments, and sometimes the whole tune.