Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele

Justin Heinrich Knecht (1752 – 1817) was a German composer, organist, and music theorist. He received a good education, both musical and general (Boeckh was one of his masters). He learnt to play the organ, keyboard, violin, and singing in Biberach.

In 1771 J.H. Knecht became Lutheran professor of Literature and music director in Biberach. He became organist of St Martin's church in 1792, which was used simultaneously by Lutherans and Catholics.

He led an energetic, busy musical life; he composed for the theatre and church, organised subscription concerts, and taught music theory, acoustics, aesthetics, composition, and instruments at the Gymnasium, which was affiliated to the Musikschule in 1806.

By degrees he gravitated to music, and December 1806 went to Stuttgart in the hopes of a post there as Kapellmeister or similar. In April 1807 he was appointed Direktor beim Orchester (director of the opera and of the court concerts) by King of Württemberg in the April 1807.

Owing to successful intrigues against him, in a couple of years he resigned the post and returned to his former life in Biberach (1808), where he remained for the rest of his life with a great reputation as organist, composer and theoretician.