THERE is a concert with a difference at Lady St Mary Church at Wareham on 24th May, as part of this year’s Purbeck Art Weeks. The early music collective Parnassus Ensemble will be joined by artist Jeremy Queyras for a programme of cantatas by Pachelbel, Kuhnau and Bach, with the painter responding to the music on large canvases behind the musicians.

The programme is called 3 in 1, and features cantata settings by the three composers of Martin Luther’s hymn Christ lag in Todesbanden – Christ lay in death’s bonds – which celebrates the resurrection and victory over sin.

In addition to the artist’s painted responses, selected contemporary texts will be woven throughout the performance to reflect on the themes of the cantata texts.

The project brings together 13 musicians from across the UK and Europe, led by British-German viola player and conductor Oscar Holch, who co-founded the ensemble with Xeniga Gogu and Victor García García in 2022. The singers and instrumentalists perform throughout the UK and Europe as soloists and principals with leading historical ensembles.

The aim of the collective is to collaborate with a wide range of artistic disciplines on projects that aim to reach out to all corners of society and advocate for the power of the arts.

The concert begins at 6pm. It starts with the 11th century plainchant Victimae paschali laudes. Oscar Holch explains: “The origins of the music stem from the 11th century and were reimagined by Bach, Kuhnau and Pachelbel in service of their communities; our project is a continuation of this tradition, and, by incorporating varied artistic inputs, we aim to highlight the relevance and emotional power of these works for today.”

The aim is for this unique fusion of music, art and literature “to 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.”

Bach scholar, violinist and BBC Radio 3 contributor Dr Mark Seow will give a pre-concert talk exploring the relationships between the three composers, the significance of Luther’s texts, and how 17th century German Lutheran worshippers would have responded to both the message and the music. He will also chair a post-concert Q&A session with Oscar Holch and Jeremy Queyras.