Last weekend, the Boston Choral Ensemble presented our winter program, TENEBRAE: music of darkness, in Cambridge and Boston to some of our largest audiences ever. Thanks to those of you who joined us for the performances! If you missed the concerts, or want to enjoy some of the music again, click on the links below for [...]

Earlier this winter, on January 14, NB posted a series of audio clips from a 2009 interview with BCE’s Miguel Felipe and composer Paul Crabtree. In that interview, Paul discussed his personal story. Today, with the concert only days away, we present the second half of the interview when Paul describes the genesis of his [...]

“If this were a film, this would be the slow panning-back.” This is how composer Paul Crabtree describes the final movement of his set of nine Tenebræ responsories for Maundy Thursday. Listen below as he chats with BCE’s music director, Miguel Felipe, about how he approached this final movement. The clip ends with a bit [...]

As we approach the end of the Responsories, composer Paul Crabtree introduces the eighth movement and, at the same time, explores his thoughts on how we interpret and experience Jesus. This audio clip wanders over to this broader subject and Paul makes a point about the difference between Jesus as a ‘character in a book’ [...]

Listen below as BCE’s music director Miguel Felipe chats with composer Paul Crabtree. In this segment, the two walk through “Eram quasi agnus/In The Garden”, the seventh of nine responsories. Paul pays particular attention to form and text setting in this dark and vengeful text. See yesterday’s post as you listen to read along with [...]

Composer Paul Crabtree chats with BCE’s music director, Miguel Felipe, about the sixth movement of his Tenebræ Responsories on Songs by Bob Dylan. Closing the central three-movement group, “Unus ex discipulis meis” depicts a Christ reflecting on the thought of a dear friend and disciple betraying him to his own murder. Listen as Paul talks about [...]

BCE’s Miguel Felipe and composer Paul Crabtree chat about the fifth movement of Paul’s Tenebræ Responsories on Songs by Bob Dylan. A setting of an anonymous text, this particular movement depicts the angry, unhinged crowd responding to Christ’s sentencing. The segment ends with a short musical excerpt. [02:38] [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Listen to this exchange between BCE’s Miguel Felipe and composer Paul Crabtree about the fourth movement of Paul’s Tenebræ Responsories on Songs by Bob Dylan. This movement begins the second group of three works (a ‘nocturn’) and was the connection that inspired the entire set of Responsories. [01:49] [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Listen for a short discussion between BCE’s Miguel Felipe and composer Paul Crabtree of the third movement from his Tenebræ Responsories on Songs by Bob Dylan. This particular entry opens with a short sample of BCE in rehearsal working on “Ecce vidimus eum/Unbelievable”. [02:32] [Audio clip: view full post to listen] Check this post for the [...]

Listen for a short discussion between BCE’s Miguel Felipe and composer Paul Crabtree of the second movement from his Tenebræ Responsories on Songs by Bob Dylan. Included in this segment is a short segment from an early rehearsal of BCE learning the work. The special chord mentioned in the commentary is included at the end [...]