“The (Kiama Anglican) Church is just the right size and has great acoustics for chamber music,” she said.

“It’s a perfect venue. 

“Chamber music can’t be too big, the whole point is to be intimate.

“You can hear the musicians breathing, watch them smiling, hear the rustles of the paper.

“It’s all part of the concert experience, and in a big hall that can be lost.”

Scott is therefore pleased that the ‘Bach in the Dark’ concert series is returning to Kiama.

The performance will take place on Thursday, October 20 at the Kiama Anglican Church. 

Rachel Scott is the founder of Bach in the Dark and will be joined by Anthony Schulz to play a number of pieces. 

The series presents regular concerts with some of Australia’s best chamber musicians, actors and visual artists.

“We will be playing three little pieces from the Anna Magdalena notebook, Inventions 8 and 9 by J.S. Bach,” Scott said.

“[We will also play] Adagio from an organ Toccata by J.S. Bach ... Bach's ‘Little’ Fugue,  two new pieces written just for us by Australian composers Richard Charlton (based on Bach's ‘Little’ Fugue) and M.B. Sibson (based on Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3), a piece by Offenbach called Les Larmes de Jacqueline and Piazzolla's Libertango.”

The Sydney-based Scott said her performances alongside Schulz created a unique dynamic.

“I think we’re the only cello and accordion duo in Australia,” she said.

“When I announced it, a number of traditional musician friends said, ‘you are nuts’, because it’s a pretty left-of-field combination.

“People often come up to us after concerts and say things like, ‘I didn’t think I was going to like this, but…’ 

“We win them over.

“People think accordions are just for polka music or bad French busking music on the Metro.”

Instead, Scott said they attempted to “draw from such a variety of colours” and experiment.

“We’re not just musicians, but we’re also painters,” she said of their performances. 

“We’re always thinking, ‘what sounds can we create here? Have we used these sounds before?’

“It’s a celebration of music making, rather than a traditional concert.”

For more information about the musicians or to book tickets, visit the bachinthedark.com website. 

Scott has also played as a soloist and chamber musician in the UK, Serbia, Albania, Finland, Hungary and Germany.