Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, in 1685, into a family of musicians. As a child, he studied violin and organ and served as a choirboy at the parish church. By early adulthood, Bach had already achieved an enviable reputation as a composer and performer.

His assignments as a church musician began in 1707 and, a yearlater, he became the organist and chamber musician for the court of the Duke of Weimar. In 1723, Bach was appointed cantor of the St. Thomas School in Leipzig and parish musician at both St. Thomas and St. Nicholas churches, where he remained until his death in 1750.

A man of deep Lutheran faith, Bach’s music was an expression of his religious convictions. Among his many works are included musical interpretations of the Bible, which are his “Passions”. The most famous of these is the “Passion According to St. Matthew.” This composition, written in 1727 or 1729, tells the story of chapters 26 and 27 of the Gospel of Matthew and was performed as part of a Good Friday service. He also wrote music for eucharistic services, the most renowned of which may be his “Mass in B Minor”.

Bach’s music compositions to be widely used and to profoundly influence the musical traditions of many Christian churches. Even beyond their technical merits, they may be understood as deeply theological interpretations of the Christian faith which have been translated into the language of music.