Bach composed his Christmas Oratorio for the Christmas season from Christmas Day on 25 December 1734 to Epiphany on 6 January 1735.
Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend, BWV 248 II, for the Second Day of Christmas in 1734, is the second of six cantatas (or parts) constituting this oratorio.
Its first cantata, Jauchzet, frohlocket!
Auf, preiset die Tage, BWV 248 I, had been performed the previous day.

While Part I of the oratorio covers the birth of Jesus, Part II is focused on the annunciation to the shepherds.
The story is told following the Gospel of Luke, interspersed with reflecting recitatives, arias and chorales.
Deviating from the prescribed reading, the text of the cantata covers exclusively the announcement, while the itinerary to Bethlehem and adoration are topics of Part III, Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen, BWV 248 III, first performed on the Third Day of Christmas, 27 December 1734.

The identity of the librettist of the Christmas Oratorio cantatas is unknown, with Picander, who had collaborated with Bach earlier, a likely candidate.
The oratorio's libretto was published in 1734.
The quotations from the Bible are rendered in Martin Luther's translation.
The librettist included three stanzas from Lutheran hymns: Johann Rist's "Brich an, o schönes Morgenlicht" from "Ermuntre dich, mein schwacher Geist", Paul Gerhardt's "Schaut hin!
dort liegt im finstern Stall" from "Schaut, schaut, was ist für Wunder dar", as the central movement of the cantata, and for the conclusion, by the same author, "Wir singen dir in deinem Heer" from "Wir singen dir, Immanuel".

The three movements based on Lutheran hymn text used Lutheran chorale tunes associated with these hymns:
"Ermuntre dich, mein schwacher Geist", Zahn 5741b, by Johann Schop (1641), for the first chorale movement
"Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her", Zahn 345–346, by Martin Luther (1539), for the second and third chorale movements
Two extended movements of BWV 248 II are based on music from the BWV 213 and 214 cantatas:
the sixth movement of BWV 248 II, "Frohe Hirten, eilt, ach eilet", is based on the aria "Fromme Musen!
meine Glieder" from BWV 214;
the tenth movement of the cantata for the Second Day of Christmas 1734, "Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße der Ruh'", is based on the aria "Schlafe, mein Liebster, und pflege der Ruh" from BWV 213.

BWV 248 II was first performed in the Thomaskirche on 26 December 1734 and repeated during a vespers service at the Nikolaikirche the same day.
Bach composed his Christmas Oratorio for the Christmas season from Christmas Day on 25 December 1734 to Epiphany on 6 January 1735. Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend, BWV 248 II, for the Second Day of Christmas in 1734, is the second of six cantatas (or parts) constituting this oratorio. Its first cantata, Jauchzet, frohlocket! Auf, preiset die Tage, BWV 248 I, had been performed the previous day.
While Part I of the oratorio covers the birth of Jesus, Part II is focused on the annunciation to the shepherds. The story is told following the Gospel of Luke, interspersed with reflecting recitatives, arias and chorales. Deviating from the prescribed reading, the text of the cantata covers exclusively the announcement, while the itinerary to Bethlehem and adoration are topics of Part III, Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen, BWV 248 III, first performed on the Third Day of Christmas, 27 December 1734.
The identity of the librettist of the Christmas Oratorio cantatas is unknown, with Picander, who had collaborated with Bach earlier, a likely candidate. The oratorio's libretto was published in 1734. The quotations from the Bible are rendered in Martin Luther's translation. The librettist included three stanzas from Lutheran hymns: Johann Rist's "Brich an, o schönes Morgenlicht" from "Ermuntre dich, mein schwacher Geist", Paul Gerhardt's "Schaut hin! dort liegt im finstern Stall" from "Schaut, schaut, was ist für Wunder dar", as the central movement of the cantata, and for the conclusion, by the same author, "Wir singen dir in deinem Heer" from "Wir singen dir, Immanuel".
The three movements based on Lutheran hymn text used Lutheran chorale tunes associated with these hymns:
"Ermuntre dich, mein schwacher Geist", Zahn 5741b, by Johann Schop (1641), for the first chorale movement
"Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her", Zahn 345–346, by Martin Luther (1539), for the second and third chorale movements
Two extended movements of BWV 248 II are based on music from the BWV 213 and 214 cantatas:
the sixth movement of BWV 248 II, "Frohe Hirten, eilt, ach eilet", is based on the aria "Fromme Musen! meine Glieder" from BWV 214;
the tenth movement of the cantata for the Second Day of Christmas 1734, "Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße der Ruh'", is based on the aria "Schlafe, mein Liebster, und pflege der Ruh" from BWV 213.
BWV 248 II was first performed in the Thomaskirche on 26 December 1734 and repeated during a vespers service at the Nikolaikirche the same day.
Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend, BWV 248 II