Bach's Birthday

March 21 came and went a few weeks ago.
March 21 was a Sunday.
It was also the 325th birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Bach is the classical music I like most.
Order out of chaos.
I happened to attend nearby Houghton College (“HO-tin;” as in “oh,” not “who” or “wow”). When I was there, middle '60s, the college was very much into Bach.
Every four years, the college would hold a Bach Festival, so that every class got exposed to at least one Bach Festival.
College singing groups would give Bach performances; e.g. the College Choir and an oratorio society.
Students and faculty would give concerts on the college's fabulous pipe-organ, an instrument I came to love.
So much so, I told the powers-that-be at that college if they let that pipe-organ fall into disrepair, they weren't getting another red cent.
During my senior year, 1966, the college held its quadrennial Bach Festival.
For some reason I was called upon to render a poster for it.
I rendered the standard Bach illustration, pictured above, but with Bach winking.
The college went ballistic.
Sacrilege!
Bach was among the Holy-of-Holies.
No matter I thought the world of Bach.
My rendering was disrespectful.
Despite my supposed indiscretion, I still have a vast collection of Bach recordings.
I still play “Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring” on the piano; which I seque into “Louis-LewEye.”
And every March 21, I take notice.

• “Houghton College,” in western New York, is from where I graduated with a BA in 1966. I’ve never regretted it, although I graduated as a Ne’er-do-Well, without their blessing. Houghton was an evangelical liberal-arts college. —Still is, but not as strict as when I was there.

(This is the greatest rock 'n' roll song ever made.)