Today, March 21st, is the birthday of composer and musician Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach was born in 1685 in Eisenach, Germany. He came from a family of musicians, learned the violin at an early age and was a member of his church choir. The organ, however, was always his favorite instrument. Bach moved from church to church as either choir director or organist. Sometimes his passion for music interfered with fulfilling expectations of his employers. While employed at Arnstadt, he asked for a month off to visit the famous organist, Dietrich Buxtehude who lived 200 miles away. Bach decided to stay another 3 months without letting anyone at Arnstadt know.

He married twice and from these two marriages produced twenty children. As a court organist for Duke Wilhelm Ernst, he produced some of his famous works including Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. His work matured and developed new tonal elements like counterpoint in which two melodies were played at the same time. While a choirmaster in Leipzig, he produced most of his choral music including The Passion According to Saint Matthew which is being performed tonight at Hill Auditorium.

Alan Rich said of Bach: "No composer in history...has been so widely jazzed up, watered down, electrified and otherwise transmogrified, debated and admired as this German provincial.