Opus23          Opus24           Opus24nr1      Opus24nr2      Opus24nr3      Opus24nr4      Opus24nr5      Opus24nr6      Opus25

 

Opus 23 - Motets for Male Choir

Opus 23 No. 1

   Have Mercy upon Me

         unpublished (as of September 2005)

             choir TTBB

             Text: Psalm 51

                      Composed: Dec. 1960 for Loui Nowak, Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa. Later revised for a male choir in Pasadena.

                      Revised version was often performed by Herbert Nuechterlein at Concordia College, Fort Wayne, IN.

                      A new autograph manuscript was written for Krieg Library at Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH, 1972.

 

Opus 23 No. 2

   Magnificat

         unpublished (as of September 2005)

             choir (male?)

                      Composed: 30. June 1983

                      Written for Larry Houff

 

Opus 24 - Motets for mixed-choir

Opus 24 No. 1

    Whom Have I in Heaven But Thee

         Concordia Motet Series

         Concordia, 1962. 98-1637

             choir SATB

             Text: Psalm 73:25-26, 28 and Gloria patri

                      Composed: Feb. 1961

    Dedicated to Paul Rosel, for his choir tour to Europe. Bender heard this motet for the first time in St. Johannis, Lüneburg, sung by the Concordia Seward choir in summer, 1961, after which he took his family to join him in America.

 

Opus 24 No. 2

   God is our Refuge and Strength

         Choral Settings of the Psalms

         Augsburg, 1963. PS 608

             choir SATB

             Text: Psalm 46

                      Composed: January 1962

 

Opus 24 No. 3

   O Sing Unto the Lord a New Song

         Bethel Luth. Ch., Madison WI, 1964.

         (new publication by Concordia, 1982. 98-2557, instr. part 97-5699)

             choir SATB, clarinet or violin, keyboard

             Text from Psalm 98

                      Composed: March 1962

                      written for Loui Nowak

 

Opus 24 No. 4

   If God were Not Upon Our Side

         Chantry, 1975. COA 7349

             choir SATB

             chorale setting and motet

             English text

             Tune: Wo Gott der Herr

                      Composed: May 1973

                      Dedicated to Rev. Dr. John W. Rilling on the occasion of his retirement as President of the Ohio Synod

             Contents:

                  Chorale setting (Strophes 1, 6 --tr. Catherine Winkworth)

                  Motet (paraphrase of Psalm 124:1, 2, 8 from Bay Psalm Book)

 

Opus 24 No. 5

   Magnificat 1532

         Chantry, 1974.

             choir SATB

             Tune: Tonus Peregrinus

 

Opus 24 No. 6

    In Peace and Joy I Go to Rest (Mit Fried und Freud) with Nunc dimittis

         German Version: Embühren, Renaissance Musik Verlag, 8/94, Ed. No. 10504 (This publication omits the text of Strophe 2)

             choir SATB, organ

             chorale motet and motet canticle

             English and German text versions

                      Composed: May 1977

     English version (translation by Dr. John Rilling, President of Ohio Synod) "In memoriam Annie Lytle Miller"

     German version "für meinen lieben Freund Dr. Hermann Zietz, Organist in Garstedt"

             Contents:

                  In Peace and Joy I go to rest (Mit Fried und Freud) [Strophe 1-a cappella]

                  For Christ is Lord of death and life (Das macht Christus wahr' Gottes Sohn) [Strophe 2-same setting]

                  Nunc dimittis: Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace (Herr, nun lässest Du deinen Diener in Frieden fahren) [with organ]

                  He is the true and saving light (Er ist das Heil und selig Licht) [Strophe 4-same setting as Strophes 1 & 2 but with organ accomp.]

    The German version of this motet was sung by the cappela piccola from Hohenwestedt for the composer's funeral in St. Severin in Hademarschen on Jan. 4, 1995, conducted by Norbert Klose, with Wilfrid Myles at the organ.

 

Opus 25

   Our Father, Thou in Heaven Above

         Augsburg, 1969. 11-829

             organ partita

             Tune: Vater unser

             9 movements

                      Composed: 1968

                      Dedicated to Hugo Gehrke

     Written as a contribution to the first Ecumenical Music Festival in St. Mary Catherdal, Tokyo on June 9, 1968. Commissioned by Pastor Kanzaburo Hasegawa, Koinonia Lutheran Church, Tokyo.