Extremely Pedestrian Chorales

Ever wondered what music could look like?

In Extremely Pedestrian Chorales, composer Matteo Fargion and choreographer Karl Jay-Lewin have taken 36 of J.S. Bach’s chorales and “translated” them into movement. The four dancers represent soprano, alto, tenor and bass, dancing each of the voices in patterns of steps and gestures. Expect a very human and humorous take on the chorales as the dancers perform reading from their scores, channelling Bach’s desire to make the singing of hymns accessible to the masses.

Presenting the commonplace experience of the pedestrian as an act of beauty, meaning and gentle comedy, the simple movements are rhythmically and spatially structured by translations of JS Bach’s famous Chorales –a series of simple choral harmonies originally written to make the singing of hymns accessible to the masses. Within the strict structure of the scores, personality and subtle relationships between the dancers shine through.