Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Easily the most famous movement of Wachet auf, "Zion hears the watchmen"'s main draw is its melody, one of Bach's most beautiful and memorable.
After said melody has been fully presented once, it's simply repeated once again, but this time with the original "Wachet auf" chorus played alongside it (0:40).
Thus we find one of the numerous examples of Bach's sheer superhuman genius in polyphony. Not only is his own original melody compelling by itself, but it was also built to go perfectly well as an accompaniment to another theme by an earlier composer.
They fit together so uncannily well, in fact, that it would seem they were destined for each other. This is an accomplishment that few have ever come close to equal, and it really sets Bach apart as one of the greatest composers who ever lived.
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140
IV. Zion hört die Wächter singen (Zion hears the watchmen singing)
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Soundfont: Mother 3
Movement 1: youtube.com/watch?v=ObATpFFfwMI
Movements 2 and 3: youtube.com/watch?v=Ck9TogCP-Nc
Movements 5 and 6: youtube.com/watch?v=RRpFzyt275o
Movement 7: youtube.com/watch?v=DmrXwpjXo28
Majora's Mask version: youtube.com/watch?v=RA7-cQuSoK0
Ocarina of Time version: youtube.com/watch?v=gzxLkIsMhO0
Pokémon DPP version: youtube.com/watch?v=8yBnBzSTDbQ
Pokémon RSE version: youtube.com/watch?v=H0Nd8cJJZzU
Super Mario 64 version: youtube.com/watch?v=IjVc2ztOJyA
Easily the most famous movement of Wachet auf, "Zion hears the watchmen"'s main draw is its melody, one of Bach's most beautiful and memorable.
After said melody has been fully presented once, it's simply repeated once again, but this time with the original "Wachet auf" chorus played alongside it (0:40).
Thus we find one of the numerous examples of Bach's sheer superhuman genius in polyphony. Not only is his own original melody compelling by itself, but it was also built to go perfectly well as an accompaniment to another theme by an earlier composer.
They fit together so uncannily well, in fact, that it would seem they were destined for each other. This is an accomplishment that few have ever come close to equal, and it really sets Bach apart as one of the greatest composers who ever lived.
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140
IV. Zion hört die Wächter singen (Zion hears the watchmen singing)
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Soundfont: Mother 3
Movement 1: youtube.com/watch?v=ObATpFFfwMI
Movements 2 and 3: youtube.com/watch?v=Ck9TogCP-Nc
Movements 5 and 6: youtube.com/watch?v=RRpFzyt275o
Movement 7: youtube.com/watch?v=DmrXwpjXo28
Majora's Mask version: youtube.com/watch?v=RA7-cQuSoK0
Ocarina of Time version: youtube.com/watch?v=gzxLkIsMhO0
Pokémon DPP version: youtube.com/watch?v=8yBnBzSTDbQ
Pokémon RSE version: youtube.com/watch?v=H0Nd8cJJZzU
Super Mario 64 version: youtube.com/watch?v=IjVc2ztOJyA
