Maundy Thursday: Tenebrae and Britten Sinfonia

The first half of this Maundy Thursday concert includes two timeless pieces for contemplation. Barber’s melancholic Adagio for Strings is the perfect partner for Tenebrae’s ethereal performance of Allegri’s Miserere.

Tomás Luis de Victoria composed his Responsories for the Passiontide “tenebrae” services, where candles were extinguished to mark the progress and suffering of Christ’s crucifixion.

Edmund Finnis’ short work for strings is an atmospheric reflection on William Byrd’s setting of the 5th-century hymn “Christe, qui lux es et dies” – a prayer for light within the darkness of night.

Sir James MacMillan’s intense and emotionally-direct Seven Last Words from the Cross was first heard in 1994 and recorded by Britten Sinfonia. This moving setting for choir and string orchestra has deservedly become a modern classic.

Tenebrae
Britten Sinfonia
Nigel Short conductor