Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

"Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" is the popular English title of the chorale from the 1723 Advent cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147, by Johann Sebastian Bach on the top of Johann Schop's psalm melody. The chorale occurs twice in the cantata, with different texts each time : as its sixth movement, Wohl mir, dass ich Jesum habe, and again as its tenth movement, Jesus bleibet meine Freude. The English title derives from famous piano transcriptions made by Myra Hess, in 1926 for piano solo and in 1934 for piano duet, as published by Oxford University Press. Whether played instrumentally or sung in German or English, the chorale is often heard at weddings and during Advent, Christmas, and Easter.