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Gloriae Dei Cantores is heavily in preparations for their upcoming concert of Arvo Part’s Passio. This is a seminal work in Part’s compositions as it is the culmination of the period where he established the tintinnabuli technique. That is, a sound like bells, that is a line of stepwise motion with a line of arpeggiated chords derived from the same line. Passio is strikingly reminiscent of the early Passion plays with a some what stark, but sympathetic musical setting with several instruments and organ providing support and color to the voices. A bass sings Jesus and a tenor sings Pilate and the work is based on the Passion narrative from the Gospel of John. There is more to be said (see next week!), but this is a moving work to experience and one of Arvo Part’s masterpieces.