Our Mission & History

History of the Boston Choral Ensemble

The Boston Choral Ensemble, known as BCE, was founded in 2001 by its first music director, Tom Cunningham. A graduate of Yale University and Westminster Choir College, Cunningham was interested in creating a choir that was smart, but not stuffy—a place for people who may not have chosen music as a profession to produce high-quality music and have fun in the process. He drew a repertoire from various time periods and traditions, both sacred and secular, and was committed to sharing that variety with the community. The choir started small, with 13 members performing in its first concert series in Gordon Chapel at Old South Church in Boston during March 2002.

In its second season, BCE expanded to 23 members and presented its first concerts with professional soloists and instrumentalists, and by its third season the choir took on the ambitious In the Beginning by Aaron Copland. By the time Cunningham departed at the conclusion of the 2003–04 season, the choir had developed a stable, committed membership, experienced volunteer leadership, and was consistently presenting high-quality performances of challenging pieces.

In the spring of 2004 the choir reached its first major turning point: the selection of a new music director. A special search committee was formed and after auditioning many applicants and receiving significant feedback from all choir members, the board selected Miguel Felipe to succeed Cunningham. Felipe came with a Masters of Music in Choral Conducting from Boston University and 5 years of experience with the Maine Gay Men’s Chorus. The Board of Directors also made a major turnover, becoming entirely member-based. This transitional season saw performances of Victoria’s Missa O Magnum Mysterium, Howells’ Requiem, and Britten’s Hymn to St. Cecilia in the choir’s three primary concerts, as well as an appearance at “Lux Aeterna”, a major Boston benefit concert for the victims of the Southeast Asian Tsunami.

In the spring of 2005, BCE took an organizational step forward. The Board of Directors adopted a revised and expanded mission and instituted a committee structure to organize the escalating tasks associated with running the choir. Under this new format, BCE ran auditions for its 5th season that drew more than 30 interested singers. The fall cycle included concert performances of challenging pieces by Distler and Schütz, a special performance at the Boston Opera House before The Nutcracker, and a caroling outing to a nursing home in Concord. The 2005–06 season also included a performance of Rachmaninoff’s All Night Vigil and a May concert event celebrating the BCE’s 5th Anniversary Season through the performance of music written since the BCE’s founding.

The 2006–07 season included a performance of Byrd’s exquisite Mass for 5 voices within an all-English program for Christmastime. During the winter, one of BCE’s most ambitious projects brought Arvo Pärt’s Passio to Boston audiences for the first time in 15 years. The performance included six professional singers and five instrumentalists. The year concluded with an all Americana program that featured works from colonial America, 20th century a cappella staples, and a few spirituals. This season also marked a major outreach event when BCE visited Dedham High School and shared a concert with the school’s choir.

The Boston Choral Ensemble’s 7th season saw further stability and growth of the organization. Fundraising increased due, in large part, to BCE’s participation in the Walk for Music. Repertoire included an all-madrigal concert in the fall, Lassus’ masterwork Lagrime di San Pietro during the winter, and Thompson’s The Peaceable Kingdom in the spring. Alongside the Thompson, BCE premiered Zachary Wadsworth’s Look down, fair moon, the result of our first annual Commission Competition.

The Ensemble’s 8th season continued Baggetta’s presidency and included the revision of our mission to focus on ambitious and innovative programming. During that season, BCE presented Magnificat, a program of Marian music that blended an especially diverse repertoire into four almost-seamless sets. The March program celebrated Latin American music—even a bit of tango and salsa! The year concluded with a concert comprised of works that set Eastern texts set by Western composers. This program included two premieres of two works commissioned by BCE.

In the fall of 2009, BCE presented one of its most adventurous programs to date, the North American premiere of Thomas Jennefelt's Villarosa Sequences. This minimalist masterpiece was followed by a winter program of music inspired by the Catholic Tenebræ service as set by Gesualdo, Lassus, Victoria, Poulenc, and contemporary British composer Paul Crabtree. BCE was thrilled to welcome Crabtree to Boston for the East Coast premiere of his Tenebræ Responsories on Songs by Bob Dylan. The ninth season ended with a concert based on musical re-appropriation, featuring the world premiere of Tribulationes by Armenian composer Vahram Sargsyan, the winner of BCE’s third annual Commission Competition. In addition to presenting three innovative and ambitious concert programs, BCE was also thrilled to collaborate with Quincy High School and to execute a highly successful Walk for Music fundraising campaign. The close of the ninth season was marked by the departure of Baggetta for Indiana University and the announcement of new Board President Lauren Roller.

BCE's 10th Anniversary season was an exciting time of organizational growth and change. Under the guidance of Felipe as artistic director, BCE presented three concert programs led by Boston-area guest conductors, as well as its first annual Choral Holiday concert in collaboration with Winchester High School. BCE's first program, Evocations, was led by Christopher Nickelson and celebrated the ensemble's history with a set of pieces inspired by past repertoire. The Door to Paradise, BCE's winter program led by Boston University professor Andrew Shenton, explored varying perspectives on death and life after death as seen through the finest twentieth-century British choral music. BCE finished the year with Bang!, a program for choir and percussion that featured the premiere of A Depth We Cannot Sound by Commission Competition winner Timothy Takach. At the end of the 10th season, BCE was thrilled to announce the appointment of Andrew Shenton as its third artistic director, following a national search. With Shenton's appointment, BCE said goodbye to Miguel Felipe, who accepted a position at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.

BCE is thrilled to be embarking on its second decade under the leadership of Andrew Shenton and looks forward to another year of innovative programming, exciting collaborations, and bringing the best in choral music both new and old to Boston.

A Choral Holiday

Join BCE and the Choirs of Marlborough High School for a concert of music to celebrate the holidays, including carols for congregation and organ.

Be a Cool Kid!

Tired of sitting home alone, wondering what kind of fun things BCE is up to? Now you can be in the know! Share your email address and we’ll send you updates on all of our concerts and events throughout the year. Put them on your calendar early and revel in your popularity! Thanks.