Description
Jared Isaac Aragón writes:
Los Hermanos Penitentes are a Catholic Brotherhood active in New Mexico and Southern Colorado. They are most known for their rituals practiced in secret; with the exception of Holy Week where they practice their rites out for others to witness. I grew up hearing stories of Los Penitentes from my grandmother and it seems that nowadays they are slowly beginning to open up about their order and their rites. I took two main ideas as the basis of this composition: fragments of alabados and alabanzas, the sacred songs sung by Los Penitentes as well as small motifs that I thought were reminiscent of birdsong. I never fully quote any alabado or alabanza, but stitch together small motifs from various ones to create my musical lines.