From the first time that violinist Ben Powell touched bow to string in a Camerata concert (if memory serves, it was at the Rocky Hill Meeting House in Amesbury, Ma.), we knew he had the right stuff! Well, now the rest of the nation can find out, too, thanks to the most recent episode of “Two and a Half Men.”
 
To celebrate Ben’s TV début, and Valentine’s day in general, we will offer a FREE download of a Camerata album to the first person who correctly identifies the composer of the tune Ben is playing on this clip. Hint: it’s not Machaut. On your marks…
 

In recent seasons Arthur Jaffe’s delightful Center for Book Arts, of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, sponsored several events around the work of the Boston Camerata’s Anne Azéma and Joel Cohen. Arthur died peacefully yesterday at an advanced age. We remember him with gratitude and affection. The following text, dated January 14, must have been one of the last that he composed. How honored we feel to have been in his generous thoughts.
 
“Hello again, Arthur Jaffe here.
 
“One of my favorite things about the Jaffe Center for Book Arts is its diversity of ideas. Our staff often comes up with program ideas that have nothing at all to do with the book arts, at least at the surface, and there are times when I think the place would be better named the Jaffe Center for Creativity. This is certainly the case with two programs coming up later this month with members of The Boston Camerata. I think a lot of you will think you’ve never heard of The Boston Camerata, but if you listen to Public Radio, you’ve heard their music. They are one of the leading ensembles researching, recording, and performing early music today, and I love the way The Boston Camerata makes early music come alive for contemporary audiences.”