3in1: Cantatas by Pachelbel, Kuhnau and JS Bach

‘3in1’ is a unique collaboration between Parnassus and the artist Jérémie Queyras in a performance of three cantatas, all based on Martin Luther’s hymn Christ Lag in Todes Banden by Pachelbel, Kuhnau and JS Bach – each accompanied by literary and visual artistic responses.

This interdisciplinary performance offers an immersive experience for both performers and audience, exploring the hymn's evolution from its 11th-century plainchant origins. The concert will begin with an improvisation on the chant, leading seamlessly into the first of the three cantatas, and culminating in Bach’s dramatic and epoch-defining setting. Interwoven with the music will be selected poetry, offering contemporary reflections on themes found in the seven verses of the hymn, such as suffering, sacrifice, redemption, and exodus – all of which remain deeply relevant today.

In addition to the music and text, Queyras will create a visual landscape through art, painting on three large canvases in real time, providing a dynamic theatrical backdrop. The fusion of music, art and literature will give the audience a multi-faceted experience, allowing them to connect with the timeless messages of the hymn and the emotional power of the works, while also appealing to those less familiar with this genre of music by providing multiple access points.

Dr Mark Seow (BBC Radio 3 contributor, Bach Scholar) will lead an interactive pre-concert exploration of Bach’s setting of Christ lag in Todes Banden delving into the history and theology of the work, alongside a musical analysis of the piece.

The origins of the music stem from the c11th and were reimagined by Bach, Kuhnau and Pachelbel in service of their communities; this project is a continuation of this tradition, and by incorporating varied artistic inputs, with an aim to highlight the relevance and emotional power of these works for today’s times.