O the Blessedness Is Great

Johann Christian Bechler (1784-1857) was born on the Baltic island of Oesel (modern Saaremaa), where his father was a Moravian minister. He was educated at Moravian schools in Niesky and Barby, Germany. Throughout his schooling, music was his favorite subject. At the completion of his studies he taught organ at Barby and in 1806 accepted a call to America, where he became one of the first professors at Moravian Theological Seminary. His interest in music continued, and he composed many choral and liturgical pieces. He served as minister to the Moravian congregations of Philadelphia, Staten Island, Lititz, Pennsylvania, and Salem, North Carolina. In 1836, shortly after his consecration as bishop, he went to serve the congregation in Sarepta, Russia. In 1849 he retired to Herrnhut, the center of the Moravian Church in Germany, and died there on April 18, 1857.

O the Blessedness Is Great was edited from manuscript copies from the music collections from Salem, NC, and Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Lititz, PA. This arrangement, in a lower key and in three parts, was made by Nola Reed Knouse from the edition. The original, for SSAB choir in F major, is also published in the Moravian Star Anthem Series. 

The publication of this anthem is sponsored by the three Door County Moravian Choirs in their 6th annual Moravian Music concert, held on June 25, 2017 (Sister Bay, Sturgeon Bay and Ephraim, Wisconsin).