Melchior Teschner (29 April 1584 – 1 December 1635) was a German

cantor A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. Cantor as a profession generally refers to those leading a Jewish congregation, although it also applies to the lead singer or choir director in Christian contexts. ...

, composer and theologian. Born in

Wschowa Wschowa (pronounced , ) is a town in the Lubusz Voivodeship in western Poland with 13,875 inhabitants (2019). It is the capital of Wschowa County and a significant tourist site containing many important historical monuments. It is part of the his ...

in Poland, Teschner attended the ''Gymnasium'' in

Zittau Zittau (; ; ; ; ; Lusatian dialects, Upper Lusatian dialect: ''Sitte''; ) is the southeasternmost city in the Germany, German state of Saxony, and belongs to the Görlitz (district), district of Görlitz, Germany's easternmost Districts of Germ ...

, Saxony, and studied under Johann Klee. In 1602 he began studies in music theory, philosophy and theology with

Bartholomäus Gesius Bartholomäus Gesius (also: ''Göß'', ''Gese'', – 1613) was a German theologian, church musician, composer and hymn writer. He worked at Schloss Muskau and in Frankfurt (Oder) and is known for choral Passions in German and Latin and for t ...

at the University of Frankfurt an der Oder In 1605 to 1608, Teschner served as cantor and lector in Schmiegel, Posen, between sessions of study in the universities of

Helmstedt Helmstedt (; Eastphalian: ''Helmstidde'') is a town on the eastern edge of the German state of Lower Saxony. It is the capital of the District of Helmstedt. The historic university and Hanseatic city conserves an important monumental heritage o ...

and

Wittenberg Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is the fourth-largest town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, in the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. It is situated on the River Elbe, north of Leipzig and south-west of the reunified German ...

. From 1609 he spent five years as cantor at the Protestant church "Zum Kripplein Christi" in his home town of Fraustadt, before being ordained as pastor in Oberpritschen, Posen, where he died. Teschner wrote the melodies of several

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...

s: * "Anbetung dir, dem Lamme" (1613) * "Das Jahr geht still zu Ende" * "Der du zum Heil erschienen" (1613) * "Die Segenshände breite, Herr, über unser Haus" * "Dir, dem hocherhob'nen Herrn" * "Erbaut auf einem Grunde" (1613) * "Es gilt ein frei' Geständnis" (1613) * "Herr, laß nach dir uns fragen" (1613) * "Herr über Tod und Leben" (1613) * "Laß mich dein sein und bleiben" (1614) * "O Gott, nimm an die Gaben" (1613) * "O lasset uns Ihn lieben, der uns zuerst geliebt" (1613) * " Valet will ich dir geben" (1613), used also for " All Glory, Laud and Honor" The melody of "Valet will ich dir geben" was also used for the 1954 hymn " Den Herren will ich loben", Maria Luise Thurmair's paraphrase of the

Magnificat The Magnificat (Latin for "y soulmagnifies he Lord) is a canticle, also known as the Song of Mary or Canticle of Mary, and in the Byzantine Rite as the Ode of the Theotokos (). Its Western name derives from the incipit of its Latin text. This ...

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* 17th-century German composers German Protestant clergy 1584 births 1635 deaths People from Wschowa Cantors {{Germany-composer-stub