Dave Massey looks at one of classical music's giants, JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH.

Whene'er I take my pipe and stuff it
And smoke to pass the time away
My thoughts, as I sit then and puff it
Dwell on a picture sad and grey.
It teaches me that very like
Am I myself unto my pipe.

Like me, this pipe so fragrant burning
Is made of nought but earth and clay;
To earth I too shall be returning,
It falls and, ere I'd think to say
It breaks in two before my eyes;
In store for me a like fate lies.

No stain the pipe's hue yet doth darken
It remains white. Thus do I know
That when death's call I must hearken
My body, too, all pale will grow.
To black beneath the sod 'twill turn.
Likewise the pipe, if oft it burn.

Or when the pipe is fairly glowing,
Behold then instantaneously,
the smoke off into thin air going,
Till naught but ash is left to see.
Man's frame likewise away will burn
And into dust his body turn.

How oft it happens when one's smoking:
The stopper's missing from its shelf
And one goes with one's finger poking
Into the bowl and burns oneself.
If in the pipe such pain doth dwell
How hot must be the pains of Hell.

Thus o'er my pipe in contemplation
Of such things, I can constantly
Indulge in fruitful meditation,
And so, puffing contentedly.
On land, on sea, at home, abroad,
I smoke my pipe and worship God.

J. S. Bach, the Pam Ayres of the early 18th century!

In his music Bach always looked to worship God, and quite often in it's mathematical perfection it reflects the perfection of Christ.

He employed a musical structure known as counterpoint regularly. In counterpoint a central tune is built upon with three or four separate melodies playing about it. More often than not, the central tune represented a pure doctrinal base, and the surrounding melodies would represent different emotions.

When listening to Bach, remember that with his church music he aimed to draw out worship. For instance, in the St Matthew passion, the chorales are popped in here and there to offer the listener a 'living relationship' with the places on the pathway of Christ's suffering. There is a lot of this kind of imagery in J.S.B. 's music and whilst his music is not always emotional - it is full of emotions and a desire to worship.

BACH'S LIFE
Of all great musical families, that of Bach's is the most remarkable. They were active in various branches of German musical life from the middle of the 16th century to the middle of the 19th - seven generations, spread over three centuries!

The names of about 60 Bach musicians have been recorded. Some were church organists; some played in municipal bands; some were fiddlers; and some were capable composers.

The most gifted of all the Bachs belonged to the fifth generation - Johann Sebastian. He was the youngest son of one of the town musicians of Eisenach.

When he was nine years old his father and mother died within months of each other and he was adopted by his eldest brother, Johann Christoph, who was organist at Ohrdruf. This brother now became his music teacher; but he also attended the town school, where he learned Latin, Greek, theology and arithmetic.