Anyone who has attended Protestant worship services for any length of time has experienced in some way the music of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Raised in the Lutheran tradition, Bach is history's most prolific composer of church music and one of the true musical giants. During his lifetime Bach was recognized as a brilliant organist, but the people of his day-possibly because they lived at a time of fluctuating musical tastes-didn't really appreciate his genius as a composer. He died in 1750, but it wasn't until Felix Mendelssohn revived the Saint Matthew Passion in 1829 that Bach finally took the place he holds today as one of the most respected composers of all time. His organ music, choral cantatas, and instrumental works have become standard repertoire for church musicians, and beloved hymns like "Sleepers Awake," "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," and "Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light" are in every hymn book.
Sources: Douglas, J. D., ed. The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing, 1974.
