This week in Christian history: French Protestant leader martyred, JS Bach elected church cantor, Diet of Speyer

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, April 16, 2023

Johann Sebastian Bach elected cantor of a church – April 22, 1723

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), a notable classical music composer and former church cantor. | Public Domain

This week marks the anniversary of when Johann Sebastian Bach was elected to the prominent position of music director and cantor of St. Thomas Church in Leipzig.

By taking the position, Bach assumed several responsibilities, including preparing youth for performing choir music at four churches and organizing songs for formal ceremonies.

Bach was reportedly the fourth person considered by city officials for the position, which was known for having a fairly poor salary despite the importance of the occupation.

“He signed his contract 13 days later, on May 5, 1723. It was a marriage of convenience for both Bach and Leipzig, and it was not destined to be a happy marriage,” wrote composer and author Robert Greenberg in 2019.

“Bach rarely got along with the two dozen-plus rectors, bureaucrats, and politicos that were collectively his bosses in Leipzig. His 27-year tenure — from 1723 until his death in 1750 — was marked by an almost endless series of battles over teaching schedules, money, personnel problems and artistic issues.”