Johann Vierdanck (1605-1646) was a choirboy in Dresden and a pupil of Heinrich Schütz. After short stays in Lübeck and Copenhagen he became an organist at St Mary's in Stralsund. His 1641 collection of 45 „sacred concerts“ appeared in several editions reflecting its popularity among his contemporaries. All the settings are based on Luther's translation of the Bible and are related stylistically to Heinrich Schütz's „Symphoniae sacrae“ (1629) and “Kleine geistliche Konzerte” (1636). The three psalm settings in this volume are ideally suited for small choirs or solo voices in church or concert performance.<br>