The music of master composer Harold Boatrite

Throughout the next week or so, I'm going to try to highlight a few of the pieces which will be sung at this week's Assumption Mass at the Camden Cathedral which have been written by present-day composers. The first is the Ave Maria of Harold Boatrite, a distinguished musician in the city of Philadelphia who taught for many years at Haverford College. Boatrite is a Mater Ecclesiae parishioner and a delightful man.

This setting of the Ave Maria is thoroughly modern, yet melodic and harmonically rich. Dare I say that there is a dash of Poulenc in this piece? It would seem so. At the same time, this music is in harmony with the polyphonic tradition of the Church. If it were to be held up next to a work by one of the great Renaissance composers such as Victoria, Tallis, or Byrd, the similarities would be apparent.

You can listen to this piece simply by visiting Mater Eccleisae's website.