BCE’s 2008–2009 Season

Of all the figures in Christianity few are as well-known and revered as Mary, the mother of Jesus. This fall, the Boston Choral Ensemble will kick off the holiday season with MAGNIFICAT, a program of music written in praise of Mary.

This program features choral treasures written in the 16th, 17th, and 20th centuries by composers from Norway, Britain, Spain, Ireland, Lithuaina, and Germany. These featured works represent a precious glimpse into the wide spectrum of Marian reverence through music—embracing both the traditional and the new—and the quiet wonder that is the spiritual heart and soul of the Christmas season. We hope you'll join us for this joyful musical celebration!

Heat up your winter nights with the fiery music of Latin America! The Boston Choral Ensemble is excited to present VOCES LATINAS, an esoteric collection of choral works too-often neglected north of the Rio Grande!

VOCES LATINAS offers a taste of contemporary choral works by Latin American composers including Chavez, Villa-lobos, and Ginastera. Experience the passion and vitality of Ginastera’s Lamentations (Hieremiæ prophetæ lamentationes), the striking simplicity of Villa-Lobos' Bendita Sabedoria and the poetry of Chavez's Three Nocturnes. This performance is guaranteed to ignite sparks powerful enough to drive away the winter's chill!

Western minds have long been fascinated by Eastern thought. For the final performance of our season, the Boston Choral Ensemble presents MEDITATIONS, a series of choral works from composers that were particularly drawn to the mysticism and poetry of the Eastern world, translating ancient ideas and philosophies through the lens of their own cultural experiences.

This reflective collection of Eastern texts set by Western composers uses music as a dialogue to bridge the sacred and secular, eastern and western, new and old worlds. The result is a vivid tapestry of sound that inspires curiosity about life’s transcendent mysteries and broadens our sensual understanding of the world. MEDITATIONS also includes the premiere of Forrest Pierce’s The Jasmine Arrow Sutra. Forrest Pierce is the winner of BCE’s 2nd Annual Composition Competition.

We hope you'll join us for this provocative—and evocative—exchange of global insights.