Schemelli Song Collection

The Schemelli Song Collection is a compilation of over 350 hymn melodies and texts compiled by German theologian and composer Johann Sebastian Bach’s colleague, Georg Christian Schemelli, around 1736. It was intended to provide devotional songs for Lutheran worship and personal reflection. Many of the melodies are simple and memorable, often used for congregational singing or devotional singing at home. While Bach contributed to some of the arrangements, the collection as a whole reflects the musical and spiritual practices of 18th-century Germany, blending sacred texts with accessible, heartfelt music aimed at inspiring devotion and faith.