Composer Paul Crabtree
As Villarosa wraps up, BCE begins to look toward our next program: TENEBRÆ. The centerpiece of which is Paul Crabtree’s Tenebræ Responsories on Songs by Bob Dylan. Paul’s music is heard around the country and below is an excerpt from a concert announcement at Westminster Choir College where his Meanwhile (2009) will receive a second performance.
Click to read more:
- About the Westminster performance
- About Paul Crabtree and his music
- About BCE’s TENEBRÆ concert
…The other significant work on the program is one which might scare off a few choruses considering contemporary repertoire. English poet Simon Armitage (another artist with an interesting “day job” as a probation officer) set the poetry world on fire in the 1980s with his writing reflecting modern life. His thousand-line poem “Killing Time” depicts world history over 1000 years. Composer Paul Crabtree set a portion of this epic poem pertaining to the Columbine tragedy for the 10th anniversary of the high school shootings. Armitage’s poetry is an analogy of the incident in flowers, and Crabtree’s setting presents four soloists telling the story with the chorus as a backdrop. Soprano Alexandra Batsios, alto Lindsay Pope, tenor Joe Walsh, and bass Jackson Williams approached the operatic music with finesse and crisp diction, as the choral singers relayed the story to one another behind them. This piece kept the audience riveted to the performers, creating a strong sense of drama in the Chapel. Dr. Miller wisely closed the afternoon’s program with a few Westminster “chestnuts,” some of which appear on the newly-released CD.
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