French Connection: Fête
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Boston's Basilica: Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Our season opener has as its centerpiece the stunning Mass in G by Francis Poulenc. The concert is framed as a festival service, as it might have been sung at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Mass in G (1937) — Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
Tota pulchra es — Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986)
Viderunt omnes — Pérotin (1160-1230)
Lamentations — Betsy Jolas (b. 1926)
Ubi caritas — Maurice Duruflé
O sacrum convivium — Olivier Messiaen
Christmas Connection: Noël
Saturday, December 16, 2017
Old South Church, Boston
Our popular holiday concert includes many popular sacred and secular carols along with carols for audience, and a candlelight rendition of Gruber’s ever-popular “Silent Night.”
O come all ye faithful — Trad. (arr. David Willcocks)
In the bleak midwinter — Trad. (arr. Ola Gjeilo)
Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen — Hugo Distler
Lo, how a rose e’er blooming — Jan Sandström
Gabriel's Message — Trad. (arr. Edgar Pettman)
Magnificat — Giles Swayne
A spotless rose — Herbert Howells
The first nowell — Trad. (arr. James O'Donnell)
O magnum mysterium — Francis Poulenc
Lux aurumque — Eric Whitacre
Videntes stellam — Francis Poulenc
O little town of Bethlehem — Trad. (arr. Dan Forrest)
Hark! The herald angels sing — Trad. (arr. David Willcocks)
O holy night — Adolphe Adam (arr. René Clausen)
Carol of the bells — Mykola Leontovich
Jingle bells — J. Pierpont (arr. Ralph Allwood)
Deutscher Konnekt: Totentanz
Saturday, March 3, 2018
Marsh Chapel, Boston University
Distler’s magnificent Totentanz, Op. 12 (1934) is the centerpiece for a program based on music of dance and death. The program includes music by Brahms and Schumann, and part of the Musikalische Exequien (Funeral music), Op. 7 by Heinrich Schütz.
Selig sind die Toten, SWV 391 — Heinrich Schütz
Totentanz — Hugo Distler
O Tod, wie bitter bist du, Op. 110, No. 3 — Max Reger
Geistliches Lied, Op. 30 — Johannes Brahms
An die Sterne, Op. 141, No. 1 — Robert Schumann
Abendlied, Op. 69, No. 3 — Josef Rheinberger
Rainbow Connection: Pride
Thursday, May 31, 2018
Oberon Theater, Cambridge
Start Pride Week on the right note — Join Boston Choral Ensemble for our fourth concert of the season, "Rainbow Connection: Pride." During this concert we celebrate LGBTQIA+ colleagues with music and texts by LGBTQIA+ writers and composers. Please join us at Oberon in Cambridge for an evening of beautiful music, themed drinks, and wonderful poetry.
We are delighted to premiere Wondrous Glow by the winner of our 10th annual commission competition, Mari Esabel Valverde, which sets a poem by Amir Rabiyah.
Lark — Aaron Copland
Salve Regina — Francis Poulenc
Ave verum — Francis Poulenc
Look down fair moon — Zachary Wadsworth
(BCE Commission 2008)
Advance democracy — Benjamin Britten
Invitation to love — Jennifer Higdon
Set me as a seal — Nico Muhly
Wondrous glow — Mari Esabel Valverde
(BCE Commission, world premiere)
Songs for Orlando — Joe Utterback
The promise of living — Aaron Copland
Rainbow Connection — Paul Williams / Kenneth Ascher