red him the post, and,
furthermore, stated their willingness to augment the pay attached to
it by a contribution from the town funds. Bach, therefore, found
himself installed as organist with a salary of fifty florins, with, in
addition, thirty thalers for board and lodging--equivalent in all to
about eight pounds thirteen shillings of English money--a small enough
salary indeed! but one which in those days was considered to be a fair
emolument for the services of a young player. On August 14, 1703,
Bach, who was then eighteen years old, entered upon his duties, having
previously taken a 'solemn pledge of diligence and faithfulness, and
all that appertaineth to an honourable servant and organist before God
and the worshipful Corporation.'

The requirements of the post left him plenty of leisure in which to
pursue his studies and improve his playing. Up to this point he had
done very little in the shape of actual composition, his aim having
been to perfect himself in a knowledge of the requirements of the
instrument on which he had fixed his heart's choice, to which end he
had spared no diligence in studying the works of the greatest masters.
Now, however, he set about teaching himself the art of composition,
for which purpose he took a number of concertos written for the violin
by Vivaldi, and set them for the pianoforte. By this means he learnt
to grasp the connection of musical ideas and the manner in which they
should be worked out, and as this exercise implied the rewriting of
many passages in order to adapt them for the piano, he gradually
attained facility in expressing his own musical thoughts on paper
without first playing them on an instrument. Thus, without assistance
from anybody, he worked on alone, very often till far into the night,
to perfect himself in this important branch of his art.

From the outset, however, his playing at the new church excited
attention and admiration, and that it should, nevertheless, have
failed to entirely satisfy the authorities was due, not to any lack of
power, but simply to the extraordinary manner in which the services
were accompanied. The fact is that Bach had no sooner seated himself
at the organ than he straightway forgot that choir and congregation
were depending upon him, and began to indulge his fancy to such
lengths that the singing soon ceased altogether, and the people
remained mute with astonishment and admiration. Naturally, these
flights of genius were not ex