The Bach Cantata Series is dedicated to exploring the more than 200 extant cantatas by the great master through informal performances by students and friends of the UMD Choral Activities.

Also known as "The Coffee Cantata", "Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht" is a satirical work, poking fun at coffee as a 17th and 18th century vice in trading cities like Leipzig, where the cantata was premiered at Gottfried Zimmerman's coffeehouse.

Coffee arrived in Italy around 1615, brought in by Venetian merchants from Constantinople, and it was soon consumed throughout Europe. Coffee's Turkish origins rankled devout Catholics, who considered it the drink of the infidels. Pope Clement VIII went further, calling it "the drink of the devil." He later tasted it, enjoyed it, and even baptized the drink, allowing Catholics to enjoy the beverage with a clear conscience.