At the end of this month, a very special concert is coming up. As part of the Beethovenfest Bonn, the jazz trio of my former piano teacher Marcus Schinkel will join forces with Bonn-based choir Vox Bona, Sweden’s The Real Group, and the Belgian Baroque orchestra B’rock. I had the opportunity to contribute a composition to Marcus’ arrangements of Bach’s Mass in B minor for this very special lineup.

I Acknowledge draws on two sections of Bach’s setting of the Mass and revolves around the Christian tradition of baptism. What particularly inspired me was the idea that, through immersion in water, an old life comes to an end while a new one begins. I find the image of being submerged for a moment between these two worlds—of being completely at the mercy of something, while at the same time placing your trust in it—particularly fascinating.

Another aspect reflected in my piece is the act of professing or affirming one’s commitment to something. In particular, religious creeds are often recited collectively, and this can sometimes carry a certain element of social pressure or conformity. Saying something along with everyone else is different from standing alone and proclaiming it out loud. At the same time, of course, being part of a collective can also provide a sense of support and make us feel part of something larger than ourselves.

If you would like to hear these ideas transformed into music—and are ready for a spectacular musical celebration in true Schinkel style, spanning Baroque, rock and jazz—you are warmly invited to join us at the Beethovenhalle Bonn on September 27.