The Washington Bach Consort and Art Munks team up on Saturday at the Petworth Jazz Project (Photo via Facebook).

By DCist Contributor Jamie McCrary

Historic string instruments, performed by seasoned, classically trained musicians alongside funky hip-hop artists performing spoken word, folk, and soul. At first glance, it doesn’t seem like the most natural union. Not according to Marc Eisenberg, executive director of The Washington Bach Consort, an organization dedicated to the study and performance of the complete vocal and instrumental works of Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries.

“Good music doesn’t have boundaries. It’s a continuum,” Eisenberg said. “Mixing different types of music together doesn’t have to be conflicting.”

This Saturday, August 26, the Petworth Jazz Project, a free summer concert series, will attempt to fuse two seemingly opposite styles into a single, resonant musical experience. The show features a collaboration between Bach Consort and the Art Munks, a group from the Sanctuaries collective. The Sanctuaries mission is to use the creative arts to transform two of the most divisive issues of our time—race and religion—into forces for personal growth and social change.

Eisenberg first conceptualized the fusion when he met Sanctuaries director Erik Resly at a DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities event. After discussing their organizations, the two realized how different, yet curiously similar, their groups were. Both want to reach all segments of the population, not just those interested in their respective styles. They are both inclusive and forward-thinking organizations, believing in the power of expression and the importance of collaboration.

Saturday’s performance will be formatted as a call and response between the two ensembles. Short, early music performances from the Bach Consort will precede the Art Munks’ musical reaction. The replies will vary by artist and range from hip hop and poetry, to Carnatic South Indian singing. The show will end with both groups sharing the stage, presenting a single, melded artistic idea.

“Our aim is to distill the power of music down to its essential essence: communication. Styles of music have changed, but its meaning is the same,” said Bach Consort cellist Amy Domingues.

“[The Art Munks] value difference over sameness, collaboration over competition, and authenticity over attention. They want to inspire audiences to discover their capacity to make the world more beautiful and just,” said Resly of his ensemble’s ultimate goal.

While the Bach Consort and Art Munks headline Saturday’s concert, a children’s performance from Baba Ras D opens the show. The Ricksha Streetside Indian food truck will be parked on site to provide food and refreshments.

The Bach Consort and Art Munks don’t have immediate plans to play together again, but Eisenberg hopes they can continue the relationship. For this show, Eisenberg’s priority is to present authentic artistic expression that creates a real connection among the performers and with the audience. He wants to put musicians in a place where they can “make magic together,” he said. “It’s one of the most rewarding things in the world.”

The Petworth Jazz Project featuring the Washington Bach Consort and Art Munks takes place on Saturday, August 26, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on the lawn of the Petworth Recreation Center at 8th and Taylor Streets NW. FREE