Tenebrae is the Latin word meaning darkness. There’s no better word to describe Jesus’ death on the Cross, the darkest hour of the universe. A common ground among all Christian denominations, the story of the Passion, as narrated by the four gospels is the greatest tenet of the Christian faith and is celebrated annually worldwide during Easter. Yet, as we hear and read the story time and time again, it becomes easy to become numb to the brutality surrounding Jesus’ sacrifice and death. Not only did He endure the physical pain and suffering of the Cross, of the crown of thorns, and the nails; the humiliation of the mockery, the denials, and the betrayals; but as He made Himself into a sacrifice for our sins, Jesus experienced for a moment complete separation from the Father. He went through the Cross not knowing whether His sacrifice would be accepted, yet He faithfully submitted Himself. Tenebrae, is the celebration of His death, not through overjoyed excitement over what He accomplished by dying, but by acknowledging that there is no form of human suffering that He hasn’t experienced. And because of His suffering, we can trust Him in our sufferings. Under this light the cross becomes a bridge between heaven and earth, where God surrendered willingly and became a sacrifice for us, revealing His incomparable love, and setting an example for everyone.

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              Tenebrae is the central part of  trilogy of modern oratorios for the Holy Week. It's ideal for Good Friday, being preceded by Lux Mundi, which is suitable for Palm Sunday, and followed by Aurora, which represents Easter morning. All three works might as well be performed together in one single concert, being roughly the length of Handel's Messiah, or individually during the Easter season.