German composer Nicolaus Bruhns (1665–1697) is one of those characters in music history who, like Purcell, Mozart, and Schubert, managed to leave substantial evidence of his prodigious musical gifts despite an untimely death. An extremely accomplished violinist, organist and composer, Bruhns is said to have once performed his sacred concerto “Mein Herz ist bereit” as a solo, singing the virtuosic vocal solo from the organ bench while playing the difficult violin part and accompanying himself with the pedals.  His virtuosic talent and bold, original voice as a composer made him a favorite student of Dieterich Buxtehude and his compositions, along with those of Buxtehude, greatly influenced the work of Johann Sebastian Bach.  Although many of Bruhn’s compositions are lost to history, his surviving oeuvre includes sacred vocal concerti and cantatas as well as works for organ.