This chorale prelude was commissioned by John Ferguson of St. Olaf College
for the publication (by Augsburg) A New Liturgical Year and
subsequently used also in the Lent Anthology by the same
publisher. The chorale melody is carried by the pedal part (at 4’);
the manual parts create a dense background of undulating sound revolving around
motivic segments of the chorale melody, especially the descending four notes
that signal the theme.