Composers note Herzliebster Jesu was written in response to the glorious chorale settings by JS Bach, JC Bach and H Schütz to which I was introduced during my Monteverdi Choir Apprenticeship. The key of C major spoke to me of the glory of Christs sacrifice illustrated in the text. Yet within this overall key signature, there are many brushes with other major, and minor, keys to illustrate the uncertainty that Jesus followers faced during the time of His death. The final verse, complete with descant, is a choral celebration that glories in His resurrection and our subsequent liberation from death. I felt that this particular setting required an original translation in which the musical emphases complemented those of the text. Gareth Treseder Welsh composer Gareth Treseder has written numerous sacred compositions alongside his work as a London-based tenor for the Monteverdi Choir, BBC Singers, RSVP Voices, and St Margarets Church Westminster Abbey. Recent premieres include A Safe Stronghold, a co-commission alongside Lars Schwarze for Londons Temple Church Choir to commemorate the outbreak of World War One, and a liturgical premiere of Never weather-beaten sail performed by the choir of St Pauls Church K Street in Washington DC. In May 2015, a set of songs based on texts by Joseph Addison for voice and piano entitled Hope: An Addison Cycle was premiered by Eleanor Minney and Michael Waldron. He has also written two arias for a new Little Rooms Productions opera: Arcana Part 2, which was premiered in Bristol Bierkeller Theatre in the same month.
