Wer da gläubet und getauft wird in A major, BWV 37 ""He who believes and is baptised""

The work is Bach's first cantata composition for the feast of the Ascension. Surprisingly for a high feast day, it is modestly scored; only two oboes d'amore add to the sound of the regular strings and basso continuo, accompanying four vocal parts. An anonymous poet derived thoughts from the prescribed Gospel, even quoting a verse, but excluded the Ascension itself and concentrated on the Lutheran idea of justification by faith alone. The poet structured the six movements of the cantata in two parts, each concluded by a chorale.