This cantata for the first day of Christmas is one of Kuhnau's most extensive works. It is underlaid with the free poetry of a hitherto anonymous author, not including any Bible or chorale texts. Though the
The cantata O heilige Zeit [O Holy Time] of the former St. Thomas cantor Johann Kuhnau is the ideal baroque festive music for small scorings. Even though this is the larger of two cantatas with this text