Bach rattled off a cantata in 1713 for Prince Christian of Saxen-Weißenfels' thirty fifth birthday. As one does. Known as the Hunting Cantata, the fifth aria Schafe können sicher weiden (or Sheep May Safely Graze) is probably one of his best-known tunes and pops up on Best of Baroque collections everywhere.
I have recorded it here with a weird mix of choirs, bass pedals, flutes, woodwinds and the likes. I have also heard it played on recorders (which I am told is quite hard by a noted recordist), classical guitar and lute, a string octet and an a cappella vocal arrangement. You can pretty much do with it what you like.
I'm not sure that I can say much more - I just like the tune. You tend to hear it a lot at weddings: for some reason it is seen as a fitting accompaniment to the moment when happy couples sign the register. I'm sure I could work in some sort of observation here about grazing sheep but I suppose I shouldn't.
Instrumentation: Mellotron M400 Playing
