The Sixteen's Blog http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk Wed, 16 May 2012 09:16:01 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 To Norwich Cathedral (by train) http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/05/to-norwich-cathedral-by-train/ http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/05/to-norwich-cathedral-by-train/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 09:16:01 +0000 John http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/?p=918 Heading off later for the 14.12 Greater Anglia Cambridge-Norwich train, to get to our Choral Pilgrimage concert in Norwich Cathedral tonight, which is sponsored by said transport company.  Greater Anglia (in its various franchise guises) has long been a supporter of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival and other arts organisations in East Anglia.  In these tough economic times it is great to be able to acknowledge such enlightened corporate support.  Full concert details are here. The concert is sold out, but it is always worth calling about possible returns.


 

]]> http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/05/to-norwich-cathedral-by-train/feed/ 0 Monteverdi in Chipping Campden http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/05/monteverdi-in-chipping-campden/ http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/05/monteverdi-in-chipping-campden/#comments Sun, 13 May 2012 17:06:27 +0000 John http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/?p=912

The violins and continuo team

Emily has just sent me these photos of the rehearsal for tonight’s concert in St James’ Church in Chipping Campden, where we are performing more of Monteverdi’s Selva Morale e Spirituale in the music festival there.  Full details of the programme are here.

The concert rounds off another busy week, which included our Choral Pilgrimage visit to Greenwich, a reception to mark the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Representative Office of the Government of Flanders in London, and the RPS Awards.

The broadcast on BBC Radio 3 of the latter – featuring Kirsty, Katy, David, Sam and Greg – was earlier this afternoon, and can be heard for the next seven days on the iPlayer. 


 

]]> http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/05/monteverdi-in-chipping-campden/feed/ 0 RPS Music Awards – result! http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/05/rps-music-awards-result/ http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/05/rps-music-awards-result/#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 09:48:38 +0000 John http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/?p=904

RPS Music Awards

To the Dorchester last night for the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards, where ‘We Are Shadows’ won the Learning and Participation award for Spitalfields Music.  The Sixteen took part in this community opera – with music by John Barber to a libretto by Hazel Gould – last summer, and Kirsty, Katy, David, Sam and Greg performed ‘Dawn’ last night at the ceremony, to great acclaim.  You can hear a programme from the Awards on BBC Radio 3 next Sunday afternoon.  The citation said: ‘The performance was brave and ambitious, uniting a broad spectrum of participants through work that was musically fresh and vibrant.’  The RPS Music Awards are the most prestigious classical awards in the UK, exemplified last night by the presentation of the RPS Gold Medal to Mitsuko Uchida who, as always, made a brilliant and inspiring speech!

Our next innovative project with Spitalfields Music is in June, with four performances of Samuel Becketts ‘Old Earth’. The Sixteen joins forces with Jericho House to present this significant theatrical event: the first staged presentation of a series of Samuel Beckett monologues with a new music commission by leading British composer Alec Roth.  More details nearer the time, but tickets are on sale here.


 

]]> http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/05/rps-music-awards-result/feed/ 0 Truro to Taunton http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/05/truro-to-taunton/ http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/05/truro-to-taunton/#comments Fri, 04 May 2012 08:40:51 +0000 John http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/?p=899

Truro Cathedral

Countertenor David Clegg: ‘I write this from the curry house in Truro following another successful concert of the Pilgrimage programme. Most of the choir are here but no sign of maestro Christophers. His aversion to curry is legendary within the group but he is really missing out in this restaurant as the food is delicious. A nice concert tonight with a lovely audience. I think it’s the first time we’ve been here since 2002 and it was a great pleasure to be back. Tomorrow on to Taunton and a first appearance there. We look forward to it. Anyone know a decent curry house there?’

So, the Choral Pilgrimage moves onwards.  Details of future concerts are here.


 

]]> http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/05/truro-to-taunton/feed/ 0 Heffers Sound, Cambridge http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/05/heffers-sound-cambridge/ http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/05/heffers-sound-cambridge/#comments Tue, 01 May 2012 19:17:49 +0000 John http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/?p=892

Heffers Sound, Cambridge

Our British Library CD was released worldwide today.  I spotted our window display in Cambridge this evening.  It’s a great compilation with tracks by The Sixteen and The Hilliard Ensemble.  If you are not near Heffers Sound, copies are available here.


 

]]> http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/05/heffers-sound-cambridge/feed/ 0 Choral Pilgrimage continues http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/04/choral-pilgrimage-continues/ http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/04/choral-pilgrimage-continues/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:05:04 +0000 John http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/?p=886

Exeter Cathedral

The West Country leg of our tour starts on Wednesday in Exeter Cathedral.  It is a couple of years since we were last there. Here is a brief history of one of our favourite venues.

After that, we go to Truro on Thursday, Taunton on Friday and Llandaff Cathedral on Saturday.  Details of how to obtain the few remaining tickets (Taunton is already sold out) are here.

We’ll be asking some of the singers to write about life on the road (or train-track, in many instances) as the week progresses.


 

]]> http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/04/choral-pilgrimage-continues/feed/ 0 Choral Pilgrimage commences http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/04/choral-pilgrimage-commences/ http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/04/choral-pilgrimage-commences/#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2012 10:04:09 +0000 John http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/?p=879

Winchester Cathedral

The Sixteen’s 2012 Choral Pilgrimage starts this evening in Winchester Cathedral, in a programme entitled The Earth Resounds.

Harry has written: ‘I have decided to explore the quite amazing sacred music emanating from Flanders in the 15th and 16th centuries.  This extraordinary music spans 100 years of innovation and brilliance.  Josquin Desprez, Antoine Brumel and Orlande de Lassus were truly European composers, leaving their origins to work in the top establishments of Aix-en-Provence, Ferrara, Rome and Munich. Their music has a unique sonority which I believe will astound you’.

Here are Julie Cooper and Harry talking about the start of the tour during rehearsals yesterday.


 

]]> http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/04/choral-pilgrimage-commences/feed/ 0 Sixteen Social http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/04/sixteen-social/ http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/04/sixteen-social/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:03:14 +0000 John http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/?p=872 Tonight at 7pm London-time (GMT+1), you can join Harry Christophers via Facebook for the first Sixteen Social: a chance to ask him questions about The Sixteen, our history and our future plans.

All is explained here.

This is the week the 2012 Choral Pilgrimage starts: The Earth Resounds, with music by Josquin, Brumel and Lassus.

We are in Winchester Cathedral on Friday evening and St Albans Cathedral on Saturday: there are some tickets still available.  Contact the National Centre for Early Music for details.

]]> http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/04/sixteen-social/feed/ 0 Jamie Cullum, John Tavener, and The Sixteen http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/03/jamie-cullum-john-tavener-and-the-sixteen/ http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/03/jamie-cullum-john-tavener-and-the-sixteen/#comments Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:21:00 +0000 John http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/?p=862 It is not the first time (and, we hope, not the last) that The Sixteen will be chosen by a guest on Radio 4′s Desert Island Discs, but yesterday’s programme was a particularly eclectic selection of eight tracks by jazz pianist and singer Jamie Cullum.  He played three songs himself (unusually, the programme was recorded with a live audience in Bristol), closing with Randy Newman’s I think it is going to rain today.  His sole classical choice was our recording of John Tavener’s The Lamb.  You can see the full selection of works and listen again on iPlayer here and you can buy our John Tavener CD Ikon of Light from our shop.


 

]]> http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/03/jamie-cullum-john-tavener-and-the-sixteen/feed/ 0 Le programme du week-end spécial Londres des 24 et 25 mars http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/03/le-programme-du-week-end-special-londres-des-24-et-25-mars/ http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/2012/03/le-programme-du-week-end-special-londres-des-24-et-25-mars/#comments Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:18:50 +0000 John http://blog.the-sixteen.org.uk/?p=855 Belgian Radio’s classical channel, RTBF MUSIQ3, is broadcasting a whole sequence of programmes over the weekend about the top venues in London and the great ensembles based in the UK capital.  You can see the full schedule here. The weekend includes a programme about The Sixteen and Victoria on Sunday at 13.00 (with the clock change this weekend, I can’t exactly work out what time that will be in the UK!).  You can listen live here.


 

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