Story-Lives of Great Musicians | Page 5

that
the renowned Johann Adam Reinken, the 'father of German organists,'
played the organ at St. Katherine's Church in the city, he seized the first
opportunity that presented itself of tramping the whole way thither in
order to hear him. With Bach to listen was to learn; but to enjoy this
privilege he had to secrete himself in a corner of the church where he
could not be seen, for he had been warned that such great players as
Reinken resented the intrusion of strangers whilst they were practising.
The deep joy of listening to such a master must have seemed to
Sebastian a fitting reward for his long tramp, and we may picture him
on his homeward journey, weary and footsore, but with his mind stored
with the memories of what he has heard. This visit to Hamburg was the
precursor of many others, though, of course, such expeditions could
only be undertaken when, by means of street singing, or in some other
way, he had contrived to save a few shillings to pay for food and
lodging. But he often went short of food rather than deprive himself of
a chance of hearing his beloved Reinken. On one occasion he had
yielded to the temptation of lingering at Hamburg until his funds were

almost exhausted, and he was confronted by the prospect of a long walk
with no means of satisfying his hunger until he reached the end of his
journey. Nevertheless, he set forth with a light heart, for his stock of
knowledge had been greatly enriched by the prolonged visit, and, after
all, what were five-and-twenty miles to the young musician, possessed
of limbs replete with strength and a head full of glorious dreams?
He had not proceeded many miles, however, ere the keen wind made
his want of food painfully apparent, and the music within him became
drowned by the clamourings of Nature. At this juncture he found
himself opposite a small hostelry, from the open door of which a most
savoury odour was issuing--an odour so rich in the promise of all that
he needed that it brought him to a standstill. The kitchen window was
nigh, and he could not resist the temptation of peering into the room to
ascertain what was in preparation. At that moment he heard a window
above him thrown open, and a couple of herrings' heads were tossed
into the road. Probably some benevolent guest, attracted by the youth's
starving looks, had taken this means of bestowing upon him the
remains of his repast. The herring was a favourite article of food in
Germany, and poor Bach was only too glad to avail himself of this
feeble chance of satisfying his cravings. But what was his astonishment,
upon pulling the heads to pieces, to find that each contained a Danish
ducat! The acquisition of so much wealth fairly took his breath away,
and for a moment he almost forgot that he was famishing. On realising
his good fortune, he lost no time in entering the inn and regaling
himself at the expense of his unknown benefactor. The money did more
than this, however, for it enabled him to reckon upon another visit to
Hamburg in the near future.
That distance formed no obstacle to Bach's ardent desire to obtain
knowledge is proved by the fact that he performed several journeys on
foot to Celle, which was distant some forty-five English miles to the
south of Lüneburg, in order that he might hear the band at the ducal
Court. The Duke's musicians were chiefly Frenchmen, and French
instrumental music formed the principal part of their work. There was
but little opportunity in Germany of hearing this important branch of
music, and Bach seized upon the first chance that presented itself. He

was now making rapid progress with his studies, and his friendship
with Böhm, the organist of St. John's Church at Lüneburg, was a great
incentive to him in his love for the organ.
After remaining three years at the Lüneburg school, Bach obtained a
post as violinist in the private band of Prince Johann Ernst, brother of
the reigning Duke of Saxe-Weimar. This, however, was merely to fill
up the time until he could secure an appointment in the direction in
which his affections as well as his genius were guiding him. The
opportunity for which he sought was not long in coming. A visit to the
old Thuringian town of Arnstadt, in which three members of his family
had successively filled the post of organist in past years, took him to
the new church to inspect the organ which had just been erected by the
consistory. Arnstadt, in fact, was one of the centres in which the
influence of the Bach family had made itself felt, and whence several