The threads that weave through this entire music program, and indeed that inspired it, are 15 fugues taken from the 95 such works covering the eight church modes written by Pachelbel as preludes to settings of the Marian Magnificat canticle sung at vespers at St. Sebaldus. As scholar Ewald V. Nolte observes, these fugues – most transcribed and arranged here by director Amanda Keesmaat for various combinations of cellos, archlute, and organ – show Pachelbel as a keen, pragmatic, yet sensitive contrapuntist.

Montréal’s Baroque bass band, Space Time Continuo, held its first concert in 2019 in the series of La Nef at Salle Bourgie. The group’s ever-changing personnel brings bass instruments into the spotlight by emphasizing the various textures and functions of Baroque continuo instruments. The musicians are members of Montréal’s ‑ flourishing Early Music scene (Arion, SMAM, Infusion Baroque, Ensemble Caprice, Pallade Musica, Les Idees Heureuses).