The 2019 Benjamin Eby Lecture will be presented by Mark Vuorinen.
Witnessing Passion: Musical depiction of minor characters in Passion music by Bach, Ešenvalds, MacMillan and Pärt
The Passion accounts in the four canonical gospels are full of witnesses to the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Christ. Often, their presence is distilled into a single line of text. In musical settings of the Passion, that single line of text might result in just a single measure of music, yet their presence as eye-witnesses is absolutely essential. They are the reminder that this divine story is also deeply human.
This lecture-demonstration explores the ways through which J.S. Bach, Ēriks Ešenvalds, James MacMillan and Arvo Pärt note, musically, the presence of these biblical by-standers.
Reception to follow. Registration Required.