Sleepers, Wake

This enchanting melody from the fourth movement of Bach's Cantata No. 140 was composed in 1731, using the parable of the wise and foolish virgins as the text. The work is beautiful in its simplicity - Bach used only three melodic lines to write it - and demonstrates the composer's contrapuntal genius at its best. For greatest effect it is suggested that the trumpets and trombones play behind the band or to the right and left of the stage.