It seems appropriate to start the year with a selection from the master of sacred music, Johann Sebastian Bach. The Christmas Oratorio (written in 1734) was intended to be performed in six parts on the major feast days of the Christmas season, ending with Part Six on January 6, the Feast of Epiphany, which celebrates God’s son revealed as a human being: the newly born Jesus.

Part Six begins with a mighty chorus that triumphantly declares dependence on God’s power. This is Bach at his most splendid: trumpets, drums, and a full-throated choir.

The words (attributed to Christian Friedrich Henrici) are a fitting prayer for the new year.