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He glorified God through music. Born in 1685 in Eisenach, Germany, Johann Sebastian Bach came from generations of talented musicians. He quickly became a renowned organist who wrote many works for church choirs.

During the Baroque period, much of his work was unappreciated. He enjoyed spicing up the tired hymns that were played and sung in church. As organist for the Neukirche in Arnstadt, he was reprimanded for embellishing the hymns so much that the congregation could not follow along.

Bach started composing seriously while serving as Concertmeister and Court Organist to the Duke of Weimar from 1708 until 1717. There he composed The Orgelbuchlein and many Chorales, preludes, and fugues.

While serving as Capellmeister in Prince Leopold's court, he composed The Brandenburg Concertos, and many concertos and sonatas for violin, cello, viola, clavier, and flute. He also wrote the Clavierbuchlein and the first book of the Well-Tempered Clavier.

He produced St. John's Passion and St. Matthew's Passion while Cantor and Director Musices at St. Thomas's in Leipzig. He also wrote the famous Sanctus of the Mass in B Minor and The Symbolum Nicenum during this time.

During the last ten years of his life, Bach wrote the Goldberg Variations, Schubler's Book of Choral Preludes, the Musical Offering, and the Art of the Fugues. His eyesight was failing and he eventually became blind.

He had married twice and fathered twenty children, half of whom died young. He had held many prestigious positions, but lived simply. After his death, as a result of a stroke, his widow lived in poverty.

Of the over 1000 works that Bach composed, only eight were published while he was alive. Much of it was lost, and many of his compositions were sold by his widow. It was almost 200 years later that his music was resurrected and appreciated.

Johann Sebastian Bach was a man who was consumed by his love of music. He was a Lutheran by faith, but composed music for both Protestant and Catholic services. He composed mostly for the glory of God, realizing his talent as a gift from God.

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