The King's Singers News Archive
News Archive
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News Archive
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News This Year
| Date & Time | Title | Article |
04 / 01 / 2010 |
Lyrics for Les Barker's 'Auntie Beryl's new PC' |
There are certain charities that are dear to us as individuals and that the group supports on a continuing basis. There are many enquiries that, much as we might like to help, we just do not have time for but every now and then a new association is possible. Some while back the British Computer Association for the Blind contacted our Manager, Claire, to ask whether we might record a track for their new CD, 'Cat Nav' and we were delighted to be able to fit this into our schedule. This collection of the songs and poems of Les Barker has other contributions from the likes of George Hamilton IV, Dr. Rowan Williams - Archbishop of Canterbury, Alan Titchmarsh, Louis de Berniere, Dave Cash, Richard Briers and many more. Our poem is set to the hymn tune, 'Eternal Father, strong to Save' and we can all relate to Les' wonderful text. The album has had considerable radio airplay and we have received many requests for the lyrics, and so we share them here:
AUNTIE BERYL'S NEW PC by Les Barker
Drive c or d, master or slave, O keep our every gigabyte, Our data safe both day and night; Let all that is now always be On Auntie Beryl's new PC.
Of we who use Outlook Express; O guard us with thy primal force Against a worm and Trojan horse And keep our emails virus free On Auntie Beryl's new PC.
Who bid them Hush in MS Word, Please keep us all, while we have breath, Safe from thy blue screen of death For we installed Windows XT On Auntie Beryl's new PC.
Say, art thou dead or dost thou sleep? I press control, alt and delete Though all my work is incomplete And gone unto eternity In Auntie Beryl's new PC.
The file Mad is not here now. The seed I've sown, I shall not reap; (A)bort/(R)etry/(B)reak down and weep. A thousand million curses be On Auntie Beryl's new PC.
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07 / 01 / 2010 |
Catherine Tate show - TV Christmas Special |
We have had a number of enquiries following Catherine Tate's TV Christmas Special, and can confirm that our recordings of 'You are the New Day' and 'O Little One Sweet' were used in the show. |
11 / 01 / 2010 |
Visit to CBSO Youth Choirs |
Before our term begins at the end of the week we are heading to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Centre to work with two youth choirs of which we are honoured to be Patrons, CBSO Boys' Choir and CBSO Young Voices. In addition to the current members, Birmingham Music Service has opened the event to schools around the City so that young people with an interest in singing can come to the workshop as a taster session for possible membership of these groups, run by the choirs' conductors with us as 'guests'. Over 100 youngsters have signed up so far which is great news. We look forward to seeing you all. |
13 / 01 / 2010 |
New shop offers for 2010 |
We have an eye on next month's Valentine's Day in our webshop, with Romance du Soir, Chanson d'Amour and the EP From the Heart, newly released worldwide, all featured as great gifts. Romance du Soir is one of three special offers we are currently promoting: take £1 off! The Simple Gifts CD and Songbook combination is now £17, and the CD Six which includes 'Down to the River to Pray', 'Lullabye (Goodnight my Angel)' and 'Blackbird' is now only £5. |
22 / 01 / 2010 |
Live from Salle Gaveau, Paris |
Our concert in Paris' beautiful concert hall, Salle Gaveau, this week was broadcast live on Radio Classique. The audience was warm and appreciative and we had a great evening. The following day we appeared on Lionel Esparza's show on France Musique, and although we have headed back to the Netherlands and Belgium for concerts at this end of the week, we will be back in France (Cannes) for a live appearance next Tuesday. Watch this space! Photo below - a moment of reflection while rehearsing in Salle Gaveau:
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23 / 01 / 2010 |
Triumphs of Oriana CD on eclassical.com |
Our CD 'The Triumphs of Oriana' is currently featured on the website www.eclassical.com. The disc is an extravagant musical compliment paid to Queen Elizabeth I. It consists of 25 madrigals by 23 different English composers. BBC Music Magazine calls it 'Outstanding'; and Classic FM Magazine says: 'This disc is a triumph of a majestic vocal ensemble'. |
25 / 01 / 2010 |
'Live at the BBC Proms' wins MIDEM Classical Award - special offer in our shop |
We are delighted to announce that our DVD 'Live at the BBC Proms' has won a MIDEM Classical Award in the DVD: Concerts category. The Best Concert DVD award will be presented on Tuesday 26 January, 2010 at a live ceremony in Cannes, France. 'Live at the BBC Proms', released in 2008, is a full, live recording of the concert that formed a highlight of The King’s Singers’ 40th anniversary celebrations, with bonus features including interviews with The King’s Singers by Gareth Malone. Featuring the crème de la crème of pieces from our vast repertoire, the programme demonstrates the spectacular artistry for which the ensemble has become renowned the world over. Reviewing the concert, The Daily Telegraph said, “Every edge was bevelled smooth, every chord was bang in tune, every word perfectly audible” and The Guardian noted that the ensemble’s “versatility and sheer musicianship have kept them at the top of the range of a cappella consorts for an amazing 40 years”. The 'Live at the BBC Proms' DVD is available in our web shop in both PAL and NTSC formats, and in celebration of the Award it is currently available at a SPECIAL OFFER PRICE.
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28 / 01 / 2010 |
Your Valentine's Dedication Made Live From Nashville by The King's Singers |
On Sunday 14 February we will perform a special Valentine's Day concert at Wesminster Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN. This collaboration with ClassicsOnline will allow you to choose part of the concert's repertoire. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Westminster Presbyterian Church Youth Ministry's Mission and Laudate Youth Choir tour to Guatemala. To participate, visit the ClassicsOnline site and vote for your favourite KS song. Once your vote is cast, you'll have the opportunity to submit a dedication that goes along with your favourite song. One winning dedication will be selected for each of the top 6 songs and will be performed at this special Valentine's Day concert. These 6 song dedications will be filmed and posted to ClassicsOnline for the winners and the rest of the world to see. Tickets can be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets. |
04 / 02 / 2010 |
KS fly to US today |
We fly to the United States today to begin our three week tour which begins in Schenectady, NY on the 5th. From there we will fly to St Cloud, MN and on Monday the 8th we will perform live on American Public Media's show Performance Today at 10 AM (CST). In Moorhead, MN on the 10th we will be recording a new album in collaboration with the Concordia College Choir, which will include pieces by Eric Whitacre and former King's Singer Bob Chilcott. This tour includes a world premiere of a new piece entitled Tres Mitos de Mi Tierra by Gabriela Lena Frank at Herbst Theatre on 17 Februrary in San Francisco. Please visit our concert calendar for all the US concert dates, and we hope to see you at one of the performances. |
04 / 02 / 2010 |
Win a copy of 'Live at the BBC Proms' DVD |
Be one of five participants to answer the following questions correctly, and win a copy of our DVD, Live at the BBC Proms, which recently won the Midem Classical Award for Best Concert DVD. To enter, please send your answers by email to friends@kingssingers.com and be sure to include your name and address. Questions: Which Englishman founded one of the world's greatest music festivals -- the Proms -- in 1895 in London's Queen's Hall, and which man conducted them for over half a century? Contest expires on 28 February 2010. The King's Singers will choose at random five winners from the correct entries. |
05 / 02 / 2010 |
Listen to the KS on 'Performance Today' |
On Monday February 8th at 10 AM (CST) we will be live on the American Public Media show Performance Today from the studios in St Paul, MN. We'll be performing pieces from albums old, new and one that's yet to be released. Listen to the show and see if you can spot which pieces came from which album! |
08 / 02 / 2010 |
New releases |
This month sees two new releases from The King's Singers. Our new EP From the Heart is now available for purchase worldwide, and is currently available in our webshop. Sheet music of two of the pieces from this album, My Heart is a Holy Place, by Patricia Van Ness and Conceit, by Graham Lack are now for sale in the United States. Conceit is also now available for purchase in Europe. |
10 / 02 / 2010 |
Last chance to vote for your favourite KS song and make a Valentine's dedication |
On Sunday 14 February we will perform a special Valentine's Day concert at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN. This collaboration with ClassicsOnline will allow you to choose part of the concert's repertoire. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Westminster Presbyterian Church Youth Ministry's Mission and Laudate Youth Choir tour to Guatemala. To participate, visit the ClassicsOnline site and vote for your favourite KS song. Once your vote is cast, you'll have the opportunity to submit a dedication that goes along with your favourite song. One winning dedication will be selected for each of the top 6 songs and will be performed at this special Valentine's Day concert. These 6 song dedications will be filmed and posted to ClassicsOnline for the winners and the rest of the world to see. Tickets can be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets. |
15 / 02 / 2010 |
Valentine's Songs of Praise now on BBC iPlayer |
Aled Jones seeks out examples of Christian love on St Valentine's Day featuring special performances from The King's Singers on BBC Television's iPlayer. Hymns include O For a Heart to Praise My God and Love Divine. |
17 / 02 / 2010 |
Tickets for 'A German Vespers' at Cadogan Hall now on sale! |
This week tickets went on sale for our concert 'A German Vespers' on 29 April, 2010 at Cadogan Hall. This collaborative concert of German Vespers reaffirms the richness, diversity and sublime beauty of late seventeenth century German instrumental and sacred music by Buxtehude and the Bach family. This concert includes a world premiere performance of Pachelbel's Vespers. |
28 / 02 / 2010 |
'Bewitching Singing From Across the Pond' |
.. is how San Francisco Classical Voice titled their review of our concert in the San Francisco Performances series on 17 February. The first few paragraphs of the review are below, and the full review can be seen in our Reviews section below the About Us tab. this concert featured the world premiere of the piece written for us by Gabriela Lena Frank, generously commissioned by the Minnesota Commissioning Club:
There wasn’t any doubt which piece on their San Francisco Performances program that the King’s Singers had really come to Herbst Theatre to perform on Wednesday. It was the premiere of Tres mitos de mi tierra (Three myths of my land), by Berkeley-native composer Gabriela Lena Frank.
Most works for a small group of unaccompanied solo singers are fairly short little pieces. By these customary standards, Frank has composed the Ring Cycle of the genre. Each of the three movements is a large, complex composition of half a dozen long, elaborate verses by itself. Put them all together, and it’s 20 minutes straight, seeming longer because of how much content is packed in there, for all six singers — two countertenors, one tenor, two baritones, and a bass — with hardly a break for any, and not a sip of water or a throat-clearing in sight.
This would have been amazing enough, had Frank written merely a minimalist om. She is not that kind of composer. Even the slower central song is thoroughly busy, written with awesome detail and a thorough attention to her text. The precision of the singers’ enunciation was vital here. Lyrics and music were inspired by the South American Andean portion of Frank’s multicultural ancestry. Her text, though in English, has many Spanish words and phrases inserted, and is all written, she tells us, with “the rhythms and cadences of Spanish.”
The infusion is complete. Throughout the third song, the elaborate courting call of a man to a bewitching woman, the text is counterpointed with the word “Hechicera” (sorceress), both the title of the song and the word he uses to describe her at the beginning. The text and the repeated word intertwine in the parts, forming an elaborate multilayered conversation. The first song, “Travel Song,” is built similarly, with entrances cascading over each other, parallel word phrasing in successive lines reflected in repeated musical phrasing, and the voices suddenly coming together into a single line at critical points.
Frank’s musical style is as eclectic and wide-ranging as her word-setting: South American rhythms and vocal styles, combining the traditions of the Spanish- and Quechua-speaking peoples, to be sure. Other echoes come in, as well, intended or not. I heard a sense of blues in Stephen Connolly’s bass solo in the second song, “Himno del pinto anónimo”; elsewhere there was a touch of sea chantey and even a moment where the repeatedhechicera sounded almost like a quotation from “Que sera, sera.”
Preceding this, we had a set of Renaissance madrigals: Elizabethan ones by Thomas Weelkes and John Bennet, and continental ones by Claudio Monteverdi and Heinrich Schütz. It made an appropriate juxtaposition, and not just because the madrigals were selected for lyrics with mythological themes. Whether music like this inspired Frank or not, the same kind of interweaving of vocal lines, carrying the words over and around each other, was used in these madrigals, particularly the English ones. And Monteverdi singles out the repeated cry “Ahi” in his “Si, ch’io vorrei morire” in the same way that Frank emphasizes selected words. The context of the madrigals gave us the right ears to hear Tres mitos with.
(continues ..... David Bratman, San Francisco Voice)
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01 / 03 / 2010 |
New CD release - 1 March - Pachelbel Vespers |
Our collaborative recording with the exceptional early music group, Charivari Agréable, is released today on Signum Records. Known best for his Canon, Johann Pachelbel's perfectly executed vocal music for the service of Vespers has rarely been heard since the time of its writing. The world premiere recording of Pachelbel's Vespers can be purchased here. See our press release: FIRST EVER RECORDING OF PACHELBEL’S VESPERS AND WORLD PREMIERE PERFORMANCE AT CADOGAN HALL Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706) Vespers
The King's Singers
Charivari Agréable directed by Kah-Ming Ng
David Hurley said: ―It has been a great pleasure for The King's Singers to explore this wonderful music by Johann Pachelbel and we are grateful to Kah-Ming Ng for his careful musicology, which has enabled these settings of texts from the Office of Vespers to be heard once more. In rehearsing and recording the music we have been made aware of Pachelbel's strong understanding of the human voice, which makes these pieces a joy to sing. It is also interesting for us to move away from our usual world of a cappella to work with other musicians and in Charivari Agréable we have discovered a group of fine players who were always tuned in to our singing. For most of the tutti passages voices and instruments were doubled, providing rich colour to the music. At other times individual members of the group were given the rare opportunity to sing as soloists
Kah-Ming Ng, Director of Charivari Agréable, assembled the music heard on this new release from the manuscripts in the Tenbury collection of the Bodleian Library, Oxford University. They would never have existed there were it not for France‘s expansionist foreign policy and the War of the Grand Alliance under Louis XIV, the Sun King. Pachelbel, serving the Court of Württemberg in Stuttgart in 1692, fled the French attacks. A dalliance with the offer of a position as organist in an Oxford college (turned down due to 'family') and a short stint in Gotha ensued before he was triumphantly parachuted into a plum position at the splendid St Sebald Church of his hometown of Nuremberg. It is for this well-to-do establishment, so keen to appoint him that the usual job examination was suspended and the city paid his per diem expenses, that the works were written.
The USA can be credited with allowing us to gain possession of the manuscript. Some time before 1734 Pachelbel's son Charles Theodore emigrated to the States, circulating in Boston, Newport (Rhode Island), New York, and Charleston (South Carolina). The route across the Atlantic required a pit-stop in England, during which time - possibly laden with too much baggage and anxious to gather new music to take to America – Charles offloaded his father's (by that time antiquated) music onto Maurice Greene, whose collection was inherited by William Boyce. It is uncertain if Pachelbel junior was persuaded to part with his father's legacy for money, or if it was bequeathed to a persuasive collector for fear of it perishing in high waters; in any case, the speculation and psychology behind his decision is an interesting talking point.
On 29 April The King’s Singers will give the world premiere performance of the Pachelbel Vespers at Cadogan Hall. The German Vespers programme will also include music by J.C. Bach, Krieger, J.M Bach and Buxtehude. The structure of the concert is based on practices adopted in the early Reformation which reached their zenith during Pachelbel‘s lifetime, during his tenure at the St Sebald Church of Nuremburg and while J.S. Bach was at St Thomas‘ in Leipzig. Martin Luther had urged congregations of urban, and therefore more sophisticated, churches to continue to use Latin (i.e. Catholic) forms in their services, including music with instruments and to use German translations where necessary. This programme is not a reconstruction of a German Vespers and no music list for services in Pachelbel‘s St Sebald Church survives; it does however show the richness, diversity and sublime beauty of late seventeenth-century German instrumental and sacred music.
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04 / 03 / 2010 |
Stephen Connolly to be Head of Vocal Studies at one of the UK's top schools |
We are delighted to announce that Stephen has been appointed to be Head of Vocal Studies at Cheltenham Ladies' College. This is a great opportunity for Stephen, and one that will make good use of all his wonderful talents. He will take up his new post in September, but will be fulfilling his KS commitments until the end of the month, performing his last concert in Bad Homburg on Sunday 26th September. We hope you will join us in congratulating Stephen as he prepares to embark upon his life beyond The King's Singers. |
15 / 03 / 2010 |
First review released for 'Pachelbel Vespers' |
Our new album 'Pachelbel Vespers' was released on 1 March, 2010 and has received a four-star review from The Sunday Times. The full review is below: From The Sunday Times, March 14, 2010 Pachelbel: Vespers The King’s Singers, Charivari Agréable, dir Kah-Ming Ng By Stephen Pettitt For those who know Pachelbel only through the Canon, this disc will be revelatory. The music, unearthed and edited by Kah-Ming Ng, comes from a manuscript now in the Bodleian Library. It’s not a complete Vespers setting, but includes five settings of the Ingressus and two Magnificats, all composed for a rich-textured ensemble of voices, strings and continuo. The influence of Monteverdi is evident in the music’s contrasts of scoring and of mood, and in the sheer delight Pachelbel takes in writing virtuoso passage work. But there’s also some counterpoint that looks forward to Bach. Each piece is beautifully served by the ensemble. Signum SIGCD198
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19 / 03 / 2010 |
KS to perform on Good Morning Sunday, BBC Radio 2, with Aled Jones |
On Sunday 21 March The King's Singers will join Aled Jones on Good Morning Sunday on BBC Radio 2 from 07:00. Tune in to hear a few of your favourite pieces! |
22 / 03 / 2010 |
Listen to The King's Singers' performance on BBC R2 |
If you missed the KS on 'Good Morning Sunday' yesterday morning, you can listen on BBC iplayer Radio here, performing a few favourites and a piece from our album Swimming over London, to be released in June 2010.
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23 / 03 / 2010 |
Images from the KS concert at The Anvil 20 March |
Last Saturday, The King's Singers performed at The Anvil in Basingstoke with the Farnham Youth Choir, a talented group of young men and women directed by David Victor-Smith. Herewith are several images from the performance, by photographer Jeremy Smith.
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26 / 03 / 2010 |
Win a copy of 'Gesualdo Tenebrae Responsories for Maundy Thursday' |
Next week we will perform Gesualdo's Tenebrae Responsories for Maundy Thursday in Vicenza and Turin, Italy. In celebration of our Easter holiday, we give you another CD competition. The composer Carlo Gesualdo led quite a colourful life. What was the scandal surrounding his marriage to his first wife, Maria d'Avalos? Send your response to friends@kingssingers.com with your name and address by 31 March and be one of two lucky participants randomly chosen from the group of correct answers and win a copy of the CD. |
01 / 04 / 2010 |
King's Singers on Gesualdo: BBC Radio 3, Music Matters |
Listen to BBC Radio 3 on the BBC iPlayer (7 days from 3 April), in a Music Matters exploration of the fascinating, colourful and wonderful composer, Gesualdo. From the BBC website: The Italian Renaissance Composer Carlo Gesualdo is infamous for the murder of his first wife and her lover, his enjoyment of self-flagellation, and his encounters with witchcraft and poison. However he also composed some of the most tortuously, exquisitely chromatic music ever written. Tom talks to Glenn Watkins, author of ‘The Gesualdo Hex’ and Michael Sandle who was inspired by the composer to create the massive sculpture ‘Monumentum pro Gesualdo’. We also hear from The Kings Singers on the challenges of singing this astonishing music. The KS recording of Gesualdo's Tenebrae Responsories for Maundy Thursday can be sampled, here. |
07 / 04 / 2010 |
Congratulations to the winners of our Easter CD competition |
A few weeks ago we asked the question "Composer Carlo Gesulado led quite a colourful life. What was the scandal surrounding his marriage to Maria d'Avalos?" Gesualdo's first marriage ended with the death of his wife Maria d'Avalos. After discovering his wife was having an affair, Gesualdo hired a professional assasin to murder Maria and her lover. The medical report states Maria received 53 stab wounds, mostly to the lower regions of her body. Such was Gesualdo's outrage at her infidelity that he single-handedly felled a large portion of woodland on his estate. Congratulations to our two winners, representing the State of Qatar and the United Kingdom. |
12 / 04 / 2010 |
Pachelbel Vespers is Classic FM 'Disc of the Month' |
Our new album Pachelbel Vespers has been chosen as May's disc of the month in Classic FM Magazine. Andrew Mellor's full article including an interview with David Hurley can be read in the May issue of the magazine, in newsstands now. Below are a few highlights. "Three centuries on from the Vespers' creation, he [Kah-Ming Ng] summoned his own Baroque ensemble Charivari Agréable and vocal group The King's Singers to a Gloucestershire Church last June to breathe life into the Vespers for the first time since it was presented at St Sebald's Church in Nuremberg by the composer himself." "His instrumental passages intricately weave the work's melodic themes around one another with the sort of ease you expect from Bach. And when two solo voices intone the 'Gloria' towards the end of the first Magnificat, they seem to become instruments themselves." "invigorating, sensitive, heartfelt and gloriously melodious...Pachelbel sets out his stall as a composer of significant and individual talent." The King's Singers and Charivari Agréable will perform a concert of German Vespers with pieces from the new album live at Cadogan Hall on 29 April. Tickets are available at the Cadogan Hall Box Office on 020 7730 4500, or by visiting www.cadoganhall.com.
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15 / 04 / 2010 |
Pachelbel Vespers CD competition |
In anticipation of our upcoming concert of 'A German Vespers' on 29 April at Cadogan Hall, we are delighted to announce another CD competition. Be one of six lucky contestants randomly chosen from the group of correct answers and win a copy of our album Pachelbel Vespers, released last month on Signum Records. Question: When Johann Pachelbel’s son, Carl Theodorus, emigrated from Germany, his travels brought him through the UK where he likely sold his father’s Music for Vespers. In which country did Carl Theodorus (himself a composer, organist and harpsichordist) eventually settle? Please email your response to friends@kingssingers.com with your name and address by 31 May, 2010. Good luck! Why not join us on 29 April and be one of the first to hear this world premiere of Pachelbel's music for Vespers in over four centuries. Tickets can be purchased from the Cadogan Hall website, or by phoning +44 (0)20 7730 4500. We hope to see you there!
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19 / 04 / 2010 |
KS travel to Scandinavia |
The current travel chaos caused by the ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano will not stop The King's Singers from travelling to Copenhagen on Thursday for their concert series in Denmark over the weekend. Please visit David's blog for details. |
23 / 04 / 2010 |
KS on the road to Copenhagen |
The KS are driving to Copenhagen today for their performance at Tivoli Concert Hall. Stay tuned to Paul's blogs for updates from the road! |
26 / 04 / 2010 |
The King's Singers on Songs of Praise |
This Sunday 2 May, The King's Singers will be featured on BBC One's Songs of Praise, performing two Salvation Army hymns, Breathe on Me, and All for Thee. On 22nd May the KS will join forces with the Salvation Army in a live performance at the Royal Albert Hall, London. For tickets, please visit the Royal Albert Hall website. |
26 / 04 / 2010 |
Contemporary A Cappella Society nominates The King's Singers for award |
We are pleased to announce the A Cappella Community Awards have nominated The King's Singers for an award in the 'Favorite Classical Group' category. Nominations are earned by votes from A Cappella Community Society (CASA) members, and winners will be announced on 1 June. |
05 / 05 / 2010 |
New album 'Swimming over London' |
Our much anticipated album, 'Swimming over London' will be released world-wide on 1 June. This is a follow up album to the Grammy-Award winning 'Simple Gifts' and includes jazz-inspired hits as well as commissions by Mia Makaroff, Roger Treece, Ysaye M. Barnwell and former King's Singer Bob Chilcott. |
20 / 05 / 2010 |
Auditions for new King's Singer |
Today we are delighted to audition 4 very talented gentleman for the bass position within The King's Singers. After 23 years with The King's Singers, Stephen is retiring in September and will take a position as Head of Vocal Studies at Cheltenham Ladies College. In March we held the first round of auditions and have placed 5 names on the 'short list'. We will see 4 candidates today and one on 27 May. Watch this space for updates on our next member! |
25 / 05 / 2010 |
Stop press...Stephen's successor announced - welcome Jonathan Howard |
The King’s Singers are delighted to announce that Jonathan Howard will become the new bass in the group when Stephen Connolly steps down in September 2010. Jonathan, who is 23 years old and a graduate of New College, Oxford, beat off stiff competition in the final round of auditions, held at the Royal Society of Musicians in London. Jonathan, a founding member of the Oxford Clerks – an a capella group modeled on The King’s Singers – also plays violin, viola and piano, has taken to the stage in opera and drama, plays several sports and even won medals at university for ‘Intercollegiate Trampolining’! He was chosen as one of nine ‘clevers’ to appear in the BBC3 series ‘Clever v Stupid’ last Summer – not surprising as he did five and a half A Levels and speaks fluent German and French. His passion for classical music began at his school, Christ’s Hospital in Horsham, West Sussex, and he subsequently won a choral scholarship to New College where he read classics and participated in numerous tours and recordings with the renowned New College Choir. On learning that he had won the coveted job Jonathan said: "It is an absolute dream-come-true for me to have the opportunity to perform for a living with such wonderful colleagues and singers, particularly since almost every small-consort or close-harmony venture I have done in the past has been inspired by their work. I am thrilled to accept the post, and cannot wait to start as a full-time member in October. Even now, I'm still in shock that this is actually happening." David said: “Jonathan impressed us all with the quality of his voice, his musicality and ability to blend into The King’s Singers' sound and style. His enthusiasm and his obvious enjoyment, along with his thorough preparation, made his audition an enjoyable experience for all of us. For me there is the added bonus of another Oxford graduate joining the line-up.” Stephen, who leaves after 23 years to take on a new role as Head of Vocal Studies at the prestigious Cheltenham Ladies’ College, said: “I am thrilled that we have managed to find such an energized and talented musician as Johnny. He will be a real asset to the group and bring with him a wonderful timbre of voice as well as a freshness that will help propel the KS well into the future. I can't wait to hear him in concert!” Philip said: "Flexibility is the keynote with any potential King's Singer - the ability to change your individual voice in order to make the sound of the group work. Johnny has a special kind of awareness which made me think that he would slot in very quickly to the group's way of working.” Jonathan’s first concert with The King’s Singers will be in Aix-les-Bains, France on 1st October. Stephen's last UK concert will be on 7 August, and his last performance with The King's Singers will be on 26 September in Bad Homburg, Germany. Our new album, Swimming Over London, which is Stephen Connolly’s last complete album with the group, was released on 24 May. Below: Jonathan Howard with The King's Singers, courtesy of Simon Fernandez and Classic FM Magazine.
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26 / 05 / 2010 |
Gramophone: King's Singers appoint new bass |
The King’s Singers, a six-man ensemble as renowned for their interpretations of early and contemporary vocal music as for their witty arrangements of popular music, have appointed a new bass. by Martin Cullingford Click here for full article. |
02 / 06 / 2010 |
Congratulations to the winners of the Pachelbel Vespers CD competition |
In April we posed the following question about Carl Theodorus Pachelbel: Question: When Johann Pachelbel’s son, Carl Theodorus, emigrated from Germany, his travels brought him through the UK where he likely sold his father’s Music for Vespers. In which country did Carl Theodorus (himself a composer, organist and harpsichordist) eventually settle? Answer: Carl Theodorus settled first in Newport, Rhode Island before settling permanently in Charleston, South Carolina in 1740. Congratulations to the lucky winners representing France, the USA and the UK. The winners were chosen at random from the pool of correct entries. Stay tuned for the next competition! |
04 / 06 / 2010 |
King's Singers win 2010 A Cappella Community Award - favourite Classical group |
We are thrilled to have won this most prestigiousCASA award. Take a look at the list of nominees and winners here. |
16 / 06 / 2010 |
The King's Singers on 'Performance Today' |
On 17 June The King's Singers will be featured on the American Public Media show Performance Today. This performance was recorded at Spivey Hall in Morrow, GA on 7 November 2009. The performance may also be available for web-streaming on www.publicradiofan.com. Please tune in!
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21 / 06 / 2010 |
Concerts in Taiwan and China |
Today we arrive in Taiwan for concerts in Pingtung and Taipei and from there we travel to China on Thursday. We will perform in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. Be sure to check our blogs for the latest news on our Asia tour. |
23 / 06 / 2010 |
King's Singers to perform tonight in Taipei |
Taiwan News, 23 June 2010 Founded in 1968 and considered one of the world's most celebrated vocal groups, the a cappella ensemble now has six artists: two countertenors, one tenor, two baritones and one bass. They are David Hurley, Timothy Wayne-Wright, Paul Phoenix, Philip Lawson, Christopher Gabbitas and Stephen Connolly. But Connolly, dubbed "Mr. Bean," will leave the chorus for his new job as a professor. "This concert in Taipei will be my final performance after celebrating my 22nd anniversary with the ensemble. I really missed Taiwanese delicious food such as chicken feet and stinky tofu," Connolly said, adding that Jonathan Howard, 23, will be his successor as bass and embark on his singing season with the group in October. At yesterday's news event, Hurley said that six singers hold 120-130 world tour concerts per year and that they always rehearse together two hours a day prior to performances. "During our performances, we have no music conductors but six directors," he added. The ensemble has specialized in classical music, religious hymns and pop songs such as the Beatles' hits. The first-half program of tonight's concert contains renaissance, romantic and contemporary dance music as well as traditional folksongs. The second half includes a selection of their latest album titled Swimming Over London. They also plan to sing a couple of songs in Mandarin Chinese as encores. by Yali Chen Click here to access the online article.
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25 / 06 / 2010 |
Radio Taiwan International - 'The King's Singers perform in Taipei' |
24 June 2010 The King's Singers -- a world-renowned British vocal ensemble -- performed to a packed house in Taipei on Wednesday night. The concert was held at the National Concert Hall in Taipei. It was the group's ninth time performing in Taiwan. During the show, the group performed a southern Taiwanese folk song along with the Mandarin favorite 'In that place wholly faraway'. The King's Singers also performed in Pingtung County in the south on Tuesday. They also visited a local elementary school to instruct the school's aboriginal choir. The King's Singers was founded in 1968 and is considered one of the world's most celebrated vocal groups. View the article on Radio Taiwan International's website here. |
29 / 06 / 2010 |
A note from Jonathan Howard: What it's like becoming a King's Singer |
Jonathan Howard, who will become the new bass when Stephen retires from the group in September, writes about what it’s like to audition to become a King’s Singer, hear that you have been appointed, start to learn and rehearse the group’s vast repertoire. In the first of this series, Johnny talks about preparation musically and mentally. Click here for the article in our new ‘Focus’ section. |
30 / 06 / 2010 |
Article in Time Out Kuala Lumpur |
The first time we listened to The King’s Singers, we never realised that a cappella could be so mellowing. Wait, mellowing is an understatement. ‘Beautiful’ is the word. It occurred to us that no instrument can perform such dulcet music better than the human voice. Named after King’s College in Cambridge, this vocal ensemble was formed by six choral scholars in 1968, who have since been replaced with new choristers: David Hurley (countertenor), Timothy Wayne-Wright (countertenor), Paul Phoenix (tenor), Philip Lawson (baritone), Christopher Gabbitas (baritone) and Stephen Connolly (bass). The King’s Singers seldom include musical instruments in their performances because their rich voices make up the various melodies. The tonal blend is compounded with soft falsettos and high-pitched vibratos, thus giving the music a chirpy edge whenever necessary. And when you’re too engrossed in the harmony, the bass humming in the background suddenly interjects with dashes of fortissimo to create another sonorous musical surprise. It’s amazing how their diction, phrasing and balance can be executed so dexterously. Everyone in the group knows exactly when to sing their parts or drag the music to a quicker pace. Playing to different moods, The King’s Singer can either belt out a gleeful choral presentation or set you weeping. Listening to their poignant version of ‘Danny Boy’ for example may just move you to tears. The King’s Singers are truly a legacy and their superb vocal arrangements will surely enchant all music lovers out there. Kong Wai Yeng View the article on the Time Out Kuala Lumpur website here. |
04 / 07 / 2010 |
Happy 4th of July to our American friends |
To the many friends and fans in the United States who come to our concerts and stay in touch, Happy 4th of July from David, Tim, Paul, Philip, Chris and Stephen. |
09 / 07 / 2010 |
Asia tour coming to a close |
On Saturday we will perform at the Yatsugatake Highland Lodge Concert Hall in Japan and will travel from there to Kuala Lumpur for the last concert of this Asia tour. It's been 3 weeks since the tour began in Taiwan, and the tour has seen us travel through Taiwan, China, Korea, Japan and will come to a close on Monday in Malaysia. Below is a picture of the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas Concert Hall, where we will perform on Monday.
For those in the UK about to head off on summer holidays, don't forget to save the dates for our London concerts at Cadogan Hall before you go! Buy that special Christmas treat for our Joy to the World concert on 19 December. Share in the gorgeous repertoire which contrasts romantic invocations of night by 19th century German composers with works by Britten and the celebrated German harmony group, the Comedian Harmonists, in our Nightsong programme on 22 October. Please join us! Tickets can be purchased at the Cadogan Hall Box office at 020 7730 4500 or at www.cadoganhall.com.
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13 / 07 / 2010 |
The Summer'Singers meet The King's Singers |
On 12 July, we performed in the beautiful concert hall at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas to an enthusiastic audience. They joined us post-concert in the lobby where we had the opportunity to sign CDs and chat with fans, including The Summer'Singers. A few images from the concert are below. Please visit The Summer'Singers' website for the full gallery.
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15 / 07 / 2010 |
Oxford Times: Bass Jonathan Howard talks about his recruitment to The King's Singers |
A few weeks ago, Jonathan Howard spoke with the Oxford Times about his appointment to The King's Singers. Jonathan (Johnny) will become the new bass in the group when Stephen Connolly retires in September. You can view the article on the Oxford Times website here. Bass Jonathan Howard talks about his recruitment to The King's Singers Was it my imagination, or was there just the faintest raising of eyebrows from the surrounding crowd as Jonathan Howard and I met in the gleaming, marbled foyer of London’s Langham Hotel? We were certainly more casually dressed than the mobile-hugging business executives present. But the world of smart clothes (at least in the evenings) and good hotels will soon become commonplace to Jonathan (always called Johnny), for he is about to join the King’s Singers, since 1968 one of the world’s most successful choral ensembles. To secure such a plum job at the age of 23, you might well imagine that Johnny’s life has been devoted to singing ever since he could put one word and musical note in front of another. But the reality is a little different. “I started formal singing lessons when I was 15, and really enjoyed it — it sounds awful, but loads of my really cool friends, and lots of attractive girls at school had the same teacher, so I wanted to have lessons with her too. That was really the main impetus for starting.” Johnny cheerfully and frankly admits to applying for a choral scholarship and membership of New College Choir “because I was told it would make it easier to get in”. Determined to have a life outside music at Oxford, he won medals for “Intercollegiate Trampolining”, and was chosen to appear on the BBC3 series Clever v Stupid. “The producers sent an email round to all the Oxford and Cambridge JCR presidents asking if they knew anyone with a really strange brain who would probably enjoy being on TV. We had an initial meeting in London, and they asked: ‘What marks your intelligence out?’ I replied that I love to learn lists — I rattled my way through the Kings of England, and the States of America. They also gave us logic and intuitive problems, and I managed them. Then there was a weird team-building day, when they saw how you worked as a unit. I felt a bit of a farce, everyone else was seriously clever. I felt like saying: ‘I’m just a boy with a 2:1 classics degree’.” Johnny further admits to one or two brushes with ‘authority’ at Oxford for an apparent lack of commitment to singing, but it almost seems as if his destiny was being mapped out. He was a founding member of the Oxford Clerks, who are very much modelled on the King’s Singers in their a capella singing style, and broad range of repertoire. So surely this was very good training? “Absolutely. I think it introduced me to the concept of ensemble singing. Even with New College Choir at a size of 30, there’s no way you’re going to get an absolute blend. When there are just six of you, it’s so much more important that you pay attention to everyone else, and to the sound that you’re making. That really helped me during the audition process for the King’s Singers.” It would be a considerable understatement to say that vacancies in the King’s Singers line-up are rare: the group has had only 20 members in its 42-year existence, an extraordinary record. Surely, I suggested to Johnny, there must have been thousands of applicants when it was announced that bass Stephen Connolly was stepping down after 23 years? “You can’t really apply for the job. They send emails out to a number of important music directors around the country, asking them to recommend anyone they think might be suitable. “I was the very first candidate on the very first day. It was terrifying, but also hugely fun. I didn’t in a million years imagine I would get past the first round, but I thought: ‘How can you squander a once in a lifetime opportunity to sing with these guys?’ Five of us made it through to the final round, when we were given eight pieces to learn, five with music, and three off by heart — one was sent only two days beforehand to see if we could learn things quickly.” Johnny thinks he won through because his voice is young enough to mould into the unique King’s Singers sound. His enthusiasm for his new job is plainly immense, even though there was one misgiving to start with: “I was scared initially because musicians can be really weird. It’s a dream job, but, I wondered, are they all going to be loopy? And they’re not, which is great.” |
19 / 07 / 2010 |
Back on tour in Austria and Germany |
The King's Singers return to the road today for a weeklong tour of Austria and Germany. We will perform in St Georgen, Austria tomorrow evening at the Church of St Georgen. This week we'll also perform in Millstatt, Weissenburg, Weimar, and will close the tour in Doberlug on Sunday 25th July. |
25 / 07 / 2010 |
Pachelbel Vespers on The Early Music Show |
On Saturday, 24 July The King's Singers' album Pachelbel Vespers, a collaboration with the period instrument ensemble Charivari Agréable and their director Kah-Ming Ng was featured on The Early Music Show on BBC Radio 3. The programme includes 5 tracks from the album as well as an interview with Kah-Ming Ng about the style of Pachelbel's vocal music. He also shares how the manuscripts came to reside in England, and his resurrection of the music from Oxford's Bodleian Library 300 years after they were written. Listen to the programme here. |
