Sleep, My Dearest, Enjoy Thy Rest

“Sleep, My Dearest, Enjoy Thy Rest” is an alto aria from the second section of the Christmas Oratorio of Johann Sebastian Bach. The cantata tells the story of the angel’s visitation to the shepherds. Written for the Christmas season of 1734, the original version of the Christmas Oratorio consists of six cantatas, each celebrating one of the festival days of the Christmas season.