Bist Du Bei Mir

Bist Du Bei Mir
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
For Flute Choir
Arranged by Bill Holcombe and Bill Holcombe Jr. 
Published by Musicians Publications
Includes score and parts

In English, the title means If You Are With Me, and is an aria in the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach – the BWV number is 508.  Though it has been attributed to JS Bach, the melody is actually part of a Gottfried Heinrich Stolzel opera that was performed in 1718.  The opera was Diomedes, oder die triumphierende Unschuld, and the score has been lost.  At one time, this piece was also considered to be lost in the Second World War, as it had been part of the Berlin Singakademie music library, until it was discovered in the Kiev Conservatory in 2000.  Bist Du Bei Mir has become a very popular choice for many occasions, including wedding ceremonies.  In this arrangement, the melody is carried mainly with the first flute part, along with some doubling in the alto flute part.  Arranged by Bill Holcombe and Bill Holcombe, Jr.