Helft mir Gott's Güte preisen // Verwacht de komst des Heren

Johann Nicolaus [Nikolaus] Hanff 1665-1711) was a German organist and composer of the North-German organ school.

Only few details are known about his life.
He was a music teacher in Hamburg and held several posts as a church musician.

The seven-year-old Johann Mattheson was his pupil, and learned with him composition and piano for four years.

Until 1696 Hanff was organist at the Eutiner Hof of the prince-bishop of Lübeck.

After the death of bishop August Friedrich and the dissolution of the Eutiner Hof, probably in 1705, Hanff returned to Hamburg, where his two children were born in 1706 and 1711.

On August 26, 1711 he took over the organist chair at the Schleswiger Dom, however died some months later.

In out Dutch reformed Hymnal the text of "Verwacht de komst des Heren" is sung to this melody.