No 187 Pure Passion

From the 16th to the 18th century, large parts of Central and South America were conquered and evangelised by European colonialists. At the very forefront was the Jesuit order, for whom church music was an important medium for their mission. In cathedrals and churches of the Jesuit provinces, large-scale choirs and instrumental ensembles were set up, instruments made and music collections established. This gave rise to a forced, yet fruitful dialogue between conquerors and conquered. The programme of the passionate youth choir Coro Urubichá from Bolivia includes a mass by the Italian composer Giovanni Battista Bassani, which arrived in their homeland in the early 18th century and there was arranged to suit local taste.