MARCH 2008

GROUND-BREAKING SERIES ON BBC FOUR

The Sixteen, Harry Christophers, and acclaimed actor Simon Russell Beale, explore the flowering of Western sacred music in Sacred Music, the biggest BBC Four classical music series to date, and the first British television series to explore this period of music history in depth.

Presented in an enlightening, entertaining and televisually contemporary way, Sacred Music, offers an intriguing narrative which links the music with the social, political and cultural background of the time: from recusant Catholics in the English reformation, to papal power play in 16th century Rome.

Episode 1: The Gothic Revolution – Friday 21 March 8pm
Episode 2: Palestrina and the Popes – Friday 28 March 8pm
Episode 3: Tallis, Byrd and the Tudors – Friday 4 April 8pm
Episode 4: Bach and the Lutheran Legacy – Friday 11 April 8pm
An Easter Celebration, special performance by The Sixteen – Sunday 23 March 8.30pm (time tbc)

“This series was a fascinating journey of exploration for all of us. Focusing on four major turning points in the evolution of sacred music, we, as performers, were able not only to perform the music we love in ideal settings but also to delve more into the personalities of these exceptional composers.” Harry Christophers

N.B. Broadcasts are on BBC Four and times are subject to change.

 

JANUARY 2008

THE CHORAL PILGRIMAGE 2008 IS ANNOUNCED

Thy Muse lives on...Treasures of Tudor England

Tickets for the 2008 Choral Pilgrimage go on sale on 7 January and following the sucess of the 2007 tour we are hoping for record crowds at this year's concerts.

The 2008 Choral Pilgrimage is devoted to music by three composers born in, or just before, the reign of King Henry VIII: Robert Parsons, Christopher Tye and Robert White.

They not only survived the Reformation and the turbulent years of King Edward VI and Queen Mary, but also lived to enjoy the relative security of a more established church under Queen Elizabeth I. In an age of conflicting ideologies, tormented consciences and extreme political reactions, these three composers created some of the most sublime music ever written.

DECEMBER 2007

THE SIXTEEN LAUNCHES ITS SECOND SEASON AS ASSOCIATE ARTISTS OF SOUTHBANK CENTRE

The Sixteen launches its 2007-2008 Southbank season which will feature exceptionally diverse music and provide audiences with an unique opportunity to hear the choir, not only in their traditional repertoire of 16th century music, but in some of the greatest works of the 20th century. The prevailing theme is one of music and literature, from Janequin, Guerrero and Monteverdi to Poulenc, Britten and Henze, from The Song of Solomon and Petrarch to Paul Eluard and Edward Bond. The Sixteen is also delighted to be participating in two major Southbank Centre Festivals including Olivier Messiaen (From the Canyons to the Stars) in February.

 

May 2007

THE SIXTEEN TO PERFORM AT RE-OPENING WEEKEND OF ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL ON 10th JUNE

The Sixteen, conducted by Harry Christophers, will be performing in the 'Overture' weekend of music and arts on 10th June, in celebration of the re-opening of the Royal Festival Hall. The first performance will be part of the 'Baroque Gospel' project at 1.45pm, to include Handel's Zadok the Priest' and 'Water Music' extracts, Tippett's 5 Spirituals from 'Child of Our Time', and Purcell's popular choral works 'Rejoice in the Lord' and 'Come Ye Sons of Art'. Also taking part in this performance will be the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, London Adventist Choir, and Croydon SDA Gospel Choir.

The second performance, entitled 'Tudor Glory', will include music by Tallis and Britten, and will take place in the Ballroom of the new Royal Festival Hall, at 5.30pm.

 

PEROTIN AND THE ARS ANTIQUA CD wins coveted DIAPASON D'OR award.

This recent release on CORO, the Sixteen's own label, was recorded by the internationally celebrated vocal group the Hilliard Ensemble. This live recording takes the listener through the music of the Notre Dame school of around 1200 AD, to contemporary music of south-western France and England. Buy the CD online.

 

April 2007

The Sixteen has been nominated in two categories in this year's Classical Brit Awards. Both of these are for the disc IKON, recorded for Universal Classics and Jazz. The nominations are for Classical Recording of the Year, and Album of the Year. The winners will be announced on 3rd May in the official ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall. The Sixteen will also be perf-orming the music from this disc, including works by Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, Part and Macmillan, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on 14th May. Click here for more details.

 

March 2007

CAMBRIDGE KICK-STARTS CHORAL PILGRIMAGE 2007

The Sixteen's Choral Pilgrimage 2007 started amongst much applause at the opening concert in St John's Chapel, Cambridge on Thursday 15th March. The annual tour of the UK's finest cathedrals, churches and concert halls will take The Sixteen and Harry Christophers to 22 venues, from Greenwich to Tewksbury, Winchester, Wells, Liverpool, Durham, Salibury, York and Edinburgh.

Click here for full details of the Choral Pilgrimage

 

November 2006

THE SIXTEEN ANNOUNCE NEW ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR

 

After nearly 30 years at the helm of The Sixteen, Harry Christophers has decided that the time has come to officially appoint an assistant. It is with great delight that we announce Eamonn Dougan as Assistant Conductor to Harry Christophers. Eamonn is already a familiar face in The Sixteen. He has sung bass with the choir for over five years as well as singing solos for Harry on a many occasions. He has also been involved in The Sixteen’s numerous education projects and facilitated the choir’s latest  composition project with Oxford Brookes University. On the rare occasions that Harry is unable to conduct the choir, Eamonn will take over the reins. In addition he will be preparing the massed choirs (some 300 singers) for The Sixteen’s tour to Spain this December, and hopefully will be conducting a concert in Penrith next August.

Welcome Eamonn!

 

NEW RECORDINGS ON CORO

2006 has seen the release of 9 titles on The Sixteen's award-winning record label CORO, including the record-breaking A Traditional Christmas Carol Collection, just in time for the festive season! Also released recently include Music from the Chapel Royal - The King's Musick, featuring music for the 1600 Restoration by Pelham Humfrey, Henry Cooke, and John Blow. Go to Buy CDs for more information and full listing of CORO recordings.

 

October 2006

THE SIXTEEN BACK AT MOSTLY MOZART

The Sixteen will be performing once again at the Mostly Mozart Festival at London's Barbican Centre, in August 2007.

The Choir will be joined by The Symphony of Harmony and Invention, Gillian Keith, Roderick Williams, and The Academy of St Martin in the Fields, amongst others.

More details will be available from early 2007.

 

June 2006

JS BACH'S MASS IN B MINOR ON SPECIAL OFFER ON CORO

Bach’s Mass displays all the ingredients that that contribute his supreme ranking amongst his peers of any age, and also demonstrates the breadth of compositional skills amassed during his lifetime. It demands choral singing of blistering athleticism but also sensitive, responsive and, at times, majestic orchestral playing coupled with virtuosic obligatos along with a team of soloists who can breathe an immediacy of expression into the words of the mass."

All these elements are well to the fore in this magnificent recording.

Click here to buy this cd.

 

THE SIXTEEN AND BONACHELA'S DANCE COMPANY

The Sixteen has just become Associate Ensemble at London's South Bank Centre.  As a result, we have been invited to collaborate in a new venture with the celebrated contemporary composer Matthew Herbert, who has written an exciting new score for Bonachela’s Dance Company.

 

May 2006

The Sixteen travelled to Lisbon in Portugal to give the opening concerts of the Festival Rota dos Monumentos in the wonderful setting of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos.  The programme was of pieces by Lotti, Melgás and Domenico Scarlatti - including the Stabat Mater.

Photo by Alexandra Godfree

April 2006

This year’s Choral Pilgrimage, celebrating Tomás Luis de Victoria, got off to a flying start at the beginning of March. Crowds flocked to performances in Cambridge, St Albans, London and Manchester and the opening weekend of concerts prompted a five star review in The Times:

             

“To hear this majestic Renaissance polyphony sung with such understanding, grace and skill is, for me, a tiny soundbite of heaven.”  *****    Richard Morrison, The Times

 

It is a particularly exciting time for The Sixteen. At the beginning of April the group released its second recording for Universal Classics entitled Ikon. The disc, which follows last year’s award winning Renaissance - music for inner peace, has already attracted much critical acclaim and has gone straight to number 3 in the classical charts.

The Sixteen returns to the studio again in May to record a new disc for CORO of music from the Chapel Royal. Harry Christophers has long wanted to make a recording of some of the finest music that has ever been written for the Chapel. The disc, which will include little-known gems by Henry Cooke, Pelham Humphrey and John Blow, will be released in October.