At the beginning of his Cantorate Bach worked amid discouraging and unsatisfactory conditions. The Rector, Johann Heinrich Ernesti, was over seventy years of age in 1723. The School was badly managed, its discipline was relaxed, the better-to-do citizens withheld their sons from it, and its numbers were seriously diminished. In 1717 the junior classes contained only 53 as against 120 in Ernesti’s earlier years. The proximity and operatic traditions of Dresden and Weissenfels also had a bad effect; the St. Thomas’ boys, after attaining musical proficiency, were apt to become restless, demanding release from their indentures, and even running away to more attractive and lucrative occupations. Moreover, the governors of the School were the Town Council, a body which had little sympathy with or appreciation of Bach’s artistic aims and temperament. To these difficulties must be added another. The Town Musicians, on whom Bach relied for the nucleus of his orchestra, were few in number and inefficient. So long as Ernesti lived, there was little prospect of reform. But, after his death, in October 1729, Bach made vigorous representations to the Town Council. Already he had remonstrated with the Council for presenting to foundation scholarships boys who lacked musical aptitude. The Council retaliated by accusing Bach of neglecting his singing classes, absenting himself without leave, and of other irregularities. He was declared to be “incorrigible” and it was resolved (August 2, 1730) to sequestrate the Cantor’s income, in other words, to withhold from him the perquisites to which he was entitled for the conduct of the Church services.(114) Bach was not deterred from offering, three weeks later (August 23, 1730), a “sketch of what constitutes well-appointed Church music, with a few impartial reflections on its present state of decay” in Leipzig. The document reveals the conditions amid which Bach worked. Its representations may be summarised: The foundation scholars of St. Thomas’ are of four classes: Trebles, Altos, Tenors, Basses. A choir needs from four to eight “concertists” ( solo singers) and at least two “ripienists” to each chorus part, i.e. a minimum of twelve voices. The foundation scholars number fifty-five, by whom the choirs of the four Churches, St. Thomas’, St. Nicolas’, St. Peter’s, and the New Church are provided. For the instrumental accompaniments at least twenty players are required: viz., 2 or 3 first Violins, 2 or 3 second Violins, 4 Violas, 2 Violoncelli, 1 Contrabasso, 2 or more Flutes, 2 or 3 Oboi, 1 or 2 Fagotti, 3 Trombe, 1 Timpani. To fill these places there are eight Town Musicians, and at the moment there are no players available for third Tromba, Timpani, Viola, Violoncello, Contrabasso, third Oboe (or Taille).