Geboren Ist Uns Der Heilige Christ

The German composer Cornelius Freundt (sometimes called Bonamicus) was born c. 1535 in Plauen. From 1565 until his death in 1591, Freundt served as Kantor of St. Marien in Zwickau, where he was greatly admired for his faithful service to the townspeople and the church. In addition to extensive musical activities, Freundt's diverse projects included teaching at the town school, producing plays, and building a sundial for the town. Many of his sacred melodies and texts appeared in Zwickau, Dresden, Brunswick, and Gotha songbooks as recently as the end of the 18th century , but most have long since been out of use. In 1897 Georg Gohler made a new edition of Freundt's Christmas settings, laying the groundwork for further research into his numerous attractive pieces.