Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?" Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah's eyes were lovely, and Rachel was graceful and beautiful. Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me." So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.

Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed." So Laban gathered together all the people of the place, and made a feast. But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.) When morning came, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?" Laban said, "This is not done in our country-giving the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years." Jacob did so, and completed her week; then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife.

His assignments as a church musician began in 1707 and a year
later he became the organist and chamber musician for the court of
the Duke of Weimar. In 1723, Bach was appointed cantor of the St.
Thomas School in Leipzig and parish musician at both St. Thomas
and St. Nicholas churches, where he remained until his death in 1750.
A man of deep Lutheran faith, Bach's music was an expression of his
religious convictions.

George Frederick Handel was also born in 1685, in Halle, Germany.
After studying law, he became organist at the Reformed Cathedral
in Halle in 1702, and in 1703 he went to Hamburg to study and
compose opera. His interest in opera led him to Italy and then on to
England where he became a citizen in 1726.

Once in England, Handel supported himself with court appointments
and private patronage. His energies were devoted to producing Italian
operas and English oratorios, large choral works based upon religious
themes. Handel's most popular work, Messiah, was first performed in
Dublin in 1741, and is notable for its powerful musical interpretation
of texts from the Holy Scriptures.

A man of great charity and generosity, Handel died in London in 1759
and was buried in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey.

Henry Purcell was born in London in 1659 and became one of the
greatest English composers, flourishing in the period that followed the
Restoration of the monarchy after the Puritan Commonwealth period.

Purcell spent much of his short life in the service of the Chapels
Royal as a singer, composer and organist. With considerable gifts as
a composer, he wrote extensively in a variety of genres for the church
and for popular entertainment. He died in 1695 and is buried adjacent

to the organ near the north aisle of Westminster Abbey.