Winter 2014 - Music ProductionsThe King’s Singers are double Grammy® award-winning artists,...

www.kingssingers.com

Winter 2014

Music Productions Ltd. +44 (0) 1753 783 739 Claire Long, Manager [email protected]

David Hurley Countertenor

Timothy Wayne-Wright Countertenor

Julian Gregory Tenor

Christopher Bruerton Baritone

Christopher Gabbitas Baritone

Jonathan Howard Bass

Acclaimed worldwide for their virtuosity, life-affirming energy and irresistible charisma, The King’s Singers are in global demand. Their work – synonymous with the very best in vocal ensemble performance – appeals to a vast international audience. Every year they sing over 120 concerts, touring regularly to Europe, the United States, Asia and Australasia. Instantly recognisable for their immaculate intonation, impeccable vocal blend, flawless diction and incisive timing, The King’s Singers are also consummate entertainers – a class act with a delightfully British wit. The King’s Singers are among Britain’s greatest musical exports. Highlights of the group’s 2014/15 season include: two performances in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, a Christmas performance in Washington National Cathedral; a visit to the Grand Philharmonic Hall of St. Petersburg; an invitation to perform at the American Choral Directors Association annual conference in Salt Lake City, where they will give the world premiere of a new work by Jake Heggie, and their second residential Summer School in the UK. Their repertoire has evolved to become one of the most diverse and compelling imaginable. The King’s Singers have commissioned over 200 works, including landmark pieces from leading contemporary composers including Berio, Ligeti, MacMillan, Penderecki, Takemitsu, Tavener and Whitacre. They have also commissioned thrilling arrangements of everything from jazz standards to pop chart hits, explored medieval motets and Renaissance madrigals, and encouraged young composers to write new scores. The 2014/15 season will see the world premiere performance of a commission from Joanna Marsh as part of the London A Cappella Festival. Their openness to fresh artistic experiences, led to the release by Deutsche Grammophon in 2013 of Let it Snow, a collaborative project with oboist Albrecht Mayer on the theme of winter. Recording plays a significant part in the life of The King’s Singers. Their discography, which comprises over 150 albums and includes more than 2,000 pieces of music, reflects the group’s breath-taking repertoire range. Reviews of recent releases confirm that The King’s Singers are at the top of their game. Their contribution to classical recording was recognised in June 2013 when they were selected as one of only two vocal ensembles to join the Gramophone Hall of Fame. The King’s Singers are double Grammy® award-winning artists, honoured in 2009 for their Signum Classics release, Simple Gifts, and again in 2012 for their contribution to Eric Whitacre’s Light and Gold album on Decca. Since signing to Signum Classics in

2003, The King’s Singers have developed distinctively themed recording and concert programmes. Their studio album and live performance programme, Great American Songbook, includes seventeen new arrangements, and following the launch of the project in October 2013 at the Royal Albert Hall in London it has been performed live in concert to more than 20,000 people in fifteen different countries. The King’s Singers own a strikingly rich history of television appearances. Their fruitful relationship as favourites of The Mormon Tabernacle Choir notably led to a broadcast performance at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City; they were also featured guests in the choir’s recent Christmas concert, aired on PBS across the US to a combined live audience of 80,000 and subsequently released on DVD. Their performance at the BBC Proms, televised and issued on DVD, received a MIDEM International Classical Award at Cannes in 2010. In addition to performing to capacity audiences and creating highly regarded recordings, The King’s Singers share their artistry through numerous workshops and masterclasses. Their work has also reached countless singers in the form of prodigious quantities of sheet music: at present, two million items have been distributed through the group’s publisher, Hal Leonard. Their arrangements are sung the world over.

BIOGRAPHY


September

Performance for the Federation of Cathedral Old

Choristers’ Associations, UK

October

Great American Songbook orchestral performance

with the Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg

Tour of Finland

November

Concert with Mädchenchor Hannover to

celebrate 300th anniversary of the union

between the Electorate of Hanover and Great

Britain

December

Tour of the United States of America and

Canada - 15 concerts in 10 different states

Performance at Brigham Young University, Idaho

January

World premiere performance of a new

commission by British composer Joanna Marsh at

the London A Cappella Festival

Performance at Royal Holloway, University of

London as part of Artist In Residence activities.

February

Tour to the United States of America with

fourteen performances taking place across eleven

states.

Appearance at the annual ACDA conference with

world premiere performance of a new work by

composer Jake Heggie.

March

Great American Songbook performance in

Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw.

Tour of Germany

April

Launch of early music disc Trionfo di Dori on

Signum Records, with a performance in Venice.

Tour of Italy

May

Tour to Asia and Australasia.

June

Launch of collaboration with Hannover NPR

Orchestra, with the first Great A

July

Second King’s Singers Summer School to take

place within the stunning setting of Royal

Holloway, University of London.

Great American Songbook tour of Germany and

The Netherlands with Hannover NPR Orchestra.

2014/2015 HIGHLIGHTS


Postcards (2014)

Throughout their travels, The King’s Singers have amassed a wonderful collection of folksongs and popular songs from numerous

countries, many of which are used as encores when they visit. “Postcards” is a selection of songs from around the world—the influences

and sources are extraordinarily far-ranging and each song has its own local characteristics. The songs reflect The King’s Singers lives as

itinerant musicians, with songs from Europe, North and South America, Asia, Australasia and Africa.

In line with the release of the album,, The King’s Singers have created a new website where they are inviting friends, supporters and

colleagues from across the world to submit their own postcard of a musical memory in either photo or video format. So far the site has

attracted submissions from the Philippines, Czech Republic, Isle of Skye, USA, Spain and Germany, and the website will continue to grow

as the group perform across the world. (kspostcards.com)

Jean Richafort: Requiem — Tributes to Josquin Desprez (2013)

Few composers of any age have enjoyed the widespread admiration and unanimous praise of successive generations as Josquin Desprez.

He is considered the greatest creator and innovator of musical composition during the Renaissance, and for some half a millennium his

music has stood the test of time. He is remembered as much for his own works as for his lasting influence on those of his

contemporaries and students, demonstrated in many of the compositions in tribute of 'the master' featured in this programme. The

programme's centrepiece is Jean Richafort's Requiem mass (missa pro defunctis), a tribute that employs several of Josquin's

compositional devices. The King’s Singers Foundation supported the work and research of Dr. David Skinner from Sidney Sussex College,

Cambridge in the creation of new scholarly editions of these pieces, some of which have rarely been performed.

“The uniformly high standard of the music and the impeccably stylish singing” Early Music Review

RECENT RELEASES

Albrecht Mayer and The King’s Singers — Let It Snow! (2013)

A joint album with internationally acclaimed oboist Albrect Mayer, Let It Snow! is a specially chosen mixed-genre programme woven

around the theme of winter: snow, ice, fireplaces, sleigh rides, Christmas, Hogmanay and good will. The programme contains new

arrangements of seasonal favourites including well-known King’s Singers pieces “Little Drummer Boy” and “Jingle Bells” as well as

classical works reimagined for this unique pairing. The album was released on Deutsche Grammophon.

“Ever since I can remember, I had a huge desire to : to meet even the King's Singers After more than 30 years, this wish was for me

now a reality , and more ... The fact that I was allowed to record this album, with this worldwide unique and absolute. memorable

vocal ensemble , is a wonderful gift for me. " Albrecht Mayer“They circle the well-known songs with charm and wit...these men offer

to all their musical charm” NDR Kultur (translated)


Around the time The King's Singers was just starting up, one of the most productive

periods of song-writing in history was coming to a close in America. Starting with

composers such as Gershwin, Kern, Berlin and Porter in the early 1920s, and

continuing through to the early 1960s, a body of work was slowly built up that

unofficially gained the title "The Great American Songbook." Many of the songs

were originally written for musicals but stand proudly on their own merits, such is

the quality of the melody-writing and wittiness of the text.

Comprising 17 brand-new a cappella and eight orchestral arrangements by

renowned jazz composer and arranger Alexander L'Estrange, Great American

Songbook is a stunning tribute to some of the most enduring and influential American

popular songs of the 20th century.

Launched at the Royal Albert Hall, London, in October 2013, the album reached

number 3 in the iTunes jazz chart in the week of release. Already performed in the

UK, France, Finland and Russia, 2014 will see The King’s Singers continue their world

tour, with confirmed performances in Hungary, United States, Germany, Australia

and New Zealand.

“the epitome of vocal perfection in every way” Critical Jazz

A CAPPELLA

Harold Arlen I’ve got the world on a string

Cole Porter Begin the Beguine

Cole Porter I’ve got you under my skin

Cole Porter It’s de-lovely

Cole Porter Night and day

Cole Porter Let’s misbehave

Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein won’t dance

Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart Bewitched, bothered and

bewildered

Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh The best is yet to come

Arthur Hamilton Cry me a river

Charles Trenet and Jack Lawrence Beyond the sea

Victor Young and Edward Heyman When I fall in love

Irving Berlin Cheek to cheek

Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart My funny Valentine

Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart The lady is a tramp

Etta James At last

Cole Porter Every time we say goodbye

ORCHESTAL

Harold Arlen I’ve got the world on a string

Cole Porter Begin the Beguine

Cole Porter It’s de-lovely

Cole Porter Let’s misbehave

Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart My funny Valentine

Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart The lady is a tramp

Etta James At last

Cole Porter Every time we say goodbye

THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK


The King’s Singers’ strong relationship with Signum Classics has led to 26 releases on the label. The group has amassed both awards and significant critical acclaim over their

long and illustrious recording career. Their studio album Simple Gifts on Signum was awarded a Grammy® in 2009 and the Live at the BBC Proms DVD became the winner of the

Best Concert DVD prize at the MIDEM Classical Awards 2010. March 2010 saw the release of a world premiere recording of Music for Vespers by Pachelbel with Charivari

Agréable which was awarded Classic FM Magazine’s Disc of the Month in May 2010 among multiple superb reviews. For Christmas 2011, the group released a DVD of Christmas

music recorded at LSO St. Luke’s in London, containing many of their festive favourites.

In 2010 the group appeared as special guest artists on Eric’s Whitacre’s Grammy® award winning first CD for Decca, Light & Gold, performing The Stolen Child, which the group

commissioned from him in their 40th anniversary year. The King’s Singers collaborated with internationally acclaimed oboist Albrecht Mayer for a winter-themed release on

Deutsche Grammophon in 2013 entitled Let It Snow!

RECORDINGS


In its 46 years, The King’s Singers have commissioned a huge number of new works.

Luminaries such as György Ligeti, Toru Takemitsu, Peter Maxwell Davies, Ned Rorem,

John McCabe, Eric Whitacre and Luciano Berio head the list. Many of these pieces have

entered the regular repertoire of other choirs and ensembles.

In their fifth decade the group are keen to continue and develop their commissioning.

Over the next few years they plan to create a set of four new works based around the

seasons of the year for individual use within their standard repertoire, but also as a

single entity providing an hour-long sequence of music following the cycle of the

seasons. Peter Maxwell-Davies has contributed a work for Winter, and James MacMillan

wrote a piece about Spring, which was premiered in April 2014. The group hope to

have the full cycle available for recording by 2018. They believe that this quartet of

compositions will become a wonderful addition to the repertoire of many choral

ensembles.

In addition to these pieces by established composers, The King’s Singers are keen to

promote the work of younger writers through further commissions and composition

competitions. It is their hope to bring a new generation of aspiring composers to the

attention of choral groups around the world.

György Ligeti Toru Takemitsu,

Peter Maxwell Davies Ned Rorem

John McCabe Eric Whitacre

COMMISSIONS


The inaugural King’s Singers Summer School took place in the beautiful grounds and buildings of

Royal Holloway, University of London, in July 2013. The group welcomed 93 singers, ranging in age

from 14 - 67, travelling from over twenty different countries including France, Germany, Australia,

Mexico and the United States.

The second Summer School will be taking place between 6—11 July 2015, with applications open to

ensembles from across the globe. It will be an opportunity for groups to come to a supportive, fun

environment to develop as a group, fully immersing themselves in music, learning and sharing with

others. Ensembles will develop their skills through tailored workshops and masterclasses leading up

to a gala performance on the final night. They will have the opportunity to observe the tuition of

other groups, have sessions with members of The King’s Singers and have focussed private study

time each day. In addition to this, all members on the course will come together once a day to use

the skills from the individual ensemble training in a choral setting.

As well as a busy singing schedule, there will be many social events including a welcome BBQ on the

first evening, a pub quiz and a sports evening. All participants will be resident at Royal Holloway,

University of London, for the duration of the course. Named as the top music department in the UK,

and the only department to have been awarded the prestigious Regius Professorship by The Queen,

Royal Holloway has exceptional facilities within the grounds.

THE KING’S SINGERS SUMMER SCHOOL


In 2012, The King’s Singers led a new initiative designed to provide composers from across the United Kingdom with the chance to have their music performed in the stunning setting of King’s College, Cambridge and recorded for broadcast on Classic FM. Composers of all ages were invited to submit a carol in one of four categories, including the opportunity to write for The King’s Singers. The four categories that composers could submit to

were:

A composition for un-auditioned community choir (written unison or two part)

A composition for SATB choir written by a composer aged 18 or under

A composition for SATB choir written by a composer aged 19 or over

A composition for The King’s Singers Over 300 carols were received from entrants aged from 9 to 83. The competition was judged by Stephen Cleobury CBE (Director of Music, Choir of King’s College, Cambridge), John Rutter CBE (composer, conductor and record producer) and David Hurley (member of The King’s Singers). The winning carols for the first three categories were performed by youth choirs from across the UK who were invited to King’s College Chapel for the event.

Inner Voices—London

Quay Voices—Newcastle

CBSO Young Voices—Birmingham

King’s Junior Voices—Cambridge The King’s Singers Foundation helped to support the transport costs to enable these choirs to come to Cambridge, providing the unique opportunity for young people of all backgrounds to sing in the Chapel of King’s College. The King’s Singers performed the winning carol from Category 4 as part of their evening concert on the same day. Plans are currently underway for a second Carol for Christmas event in December 2015.

A CAROL FOR CHRISTMAS


Launched in 2012, the Gramophone Hall of

Fame was set up to "celebrate those

performers, producers, engineers and label

executives whose contributions to classical

music recording, whether through artistic

excellence, innovation or imagination, have

proved the most influential and inspiring."

Members of the public from across the world

were able to vote for the artists of their

choice, and The King’s Singers were selected

for the "vocal and instrumental ensemble"

category.

Composer, conductor and record producer John Rutter wrote the following

about the group:

Formed by six choral scholars at King’s College, Cambridge, in 1968, The King’s

Singers quickly gained an international following and despite regular changes

of personnel, (there have been 22 singers in all), their sound and style remains

instantly recognisable.

For more than 40 years now The King’s Singers have set the standard for

comparable vocal groups everywhere. Essentially they are vocal chamber

musicians, their art as refined and elegant as a flawless instrumental sextet,

their repertoire ranging across every genre from Renaissance motet to the

coolest of vocal jazz—all delivered with the deceptive air that it’s easy.

Travelling the world as unofficial ambassadors for the a cappella art and for

British ensemble singing generally, they delight audiences wherever they go

and their many recordings remain benchmarks. A unique, enduring and much-

loved musical phenomenon.

GRAMOPHONE HALL OF FAME


“The superlative vocal sextet.” The Times

"they whiz through as though the words 'technically challenging' had vanished from the dictionary". BBC Music Magazine, Joy to the World SIGCD268

“ … a typically far-ranging, stylistically diverse and impeccably tuned programme of 18 carols frequently leaving one amazed at how six voices can achieve such rich sonority and long fluid lines.” Gramophone, Joy to the World SIGCD268

“They remain consummate entertainers.” The Boston Globe, Boston Early Music Festival Debut, June 2011

“Words and music weave together to evoke reflections of place and memory in this album, its programme elegantly constructed and beautifully performed by the King’s Singers.” Classic FM Magazine, Landscape & Time SIGCD090

“One can’t but admire the impeccable intonation, rhythmic precision and immaculate ensemble of this performance…” BBC Music Magazine, Spem in Alium SIGCD071

“The King's Singers' Gesualdo: Tenebrae Responsories for Maundy Thursday is simply superb and belongs in any well-rounded collection of Renaissance music.” All Music Guide, Gesualdo SIGCD048

“No coffee or whisky blend matches the suavity of the unaccompanied King's Singers. Their intonation is excellent in this sumptuous collection of Spanish, Portuguese and Mexican church Music.” The Times, The Golden Age SIGCD119

“…if you're new to the King's Singers, one listen to this entertaining, characterful concert will have you looking for more.” Classics Today, Live at the BBC Proms SIGCD150

“… joined together [The King’s Singers] bond into a bright rainbow of colours – just right for the music’s sunny demeanour.” The Sunday Times, Pachelbel Vespers SIGCD198

EDITORIAL


Pick of this years Christmas Albums: Joy to the World

From the all-male St John’s Choir to two all-male vocal ensembles. On Joy to the World,

the King’s Singers, recorded live at Cadogan Hall in December 2010, presents a typically

far-ranging, stylistally diverse and impeccably tuned programme of 18 carols frequently

leaving one amazed at how six voices can achieve such rich sonority and long, fluid

lines (‘Gabriel’s message’, ‘Stille nacht’).

Highlights? Saint-Saëns little-known part-song ‘Sérenade d’hiver’, a virtuoso rendition

of ‘Jingle Bells’, and ‘God rest you merry gentlemen’ in an arrangement by Goeffrey

Keating ‘which owes rather a lot to Dave Brubeck’s hit “Take Five” ‘ (booklet). Keating is

also responsible for the clever setting of ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’ using the celebrated

series of thank-you letters by John Julias Norwich. The (spoken) delivery is a bit arch but

it’s a well-drilled routine which has the audience audibly in stiches.

EDITORIAL


EDITORIAL


The King’s Singers Enthrall

McCarter Audience

The King’s Singers returned to McCarter Theatre on Monday night, sharing their music and wit

with a nearly packed house.

From the moment the group of six British men walked onto the McCarter stage, they had the

audience entranced while performing a program that included sacred and secular texts, from the

serious (“Even Such is Time” by Sir Walter Raleigh) to the funny (“anyone lived in a funny how

town” by e.e. cummings).

The group includes bass Jonathan Howard, baritones Christopher Bruerton and Christopher

Gabbitas, tenor Paul Phoenex, and countertenors David Hurley and Timothy Wayne-Wright.

The countertenors sing as falsettists and sound like sopranos: the first time David Hurley opened

his mouth on stage, some began to look around for the female singer. There was none.

Member of The King’s Singers introduced each of the nearly two dozen works during the two-

act performance. Immediately before intermission, the singers loosened their ties, tossed aside

their jackets and performed a skit and song ("Il gioco di Primiera") about the Italian card game

of Primiera.

At the end of the formal program, the singers walked out from behind the tables they stood

behind for much of the concert, performing renditions of “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz,

"Greensleeves" and “Penny Lane” by The Beatles, among others.

It is nearly impossible to classify the type of music The King’s Singers perform because they

seem to do a little bit of everything. And not only does the group perform some 120 concerts a

year, it also conducts workshops around the world.

On Monday, the group spent the day with the American Boychoir School in Princeton, and

students were seated in the balcony during Monday night’s performance. When The King’s

Singers mentioned their work with local students, the audience gave the American Boychoir

School students a round of thunderous applause.

The King’s Singers received a standing ovation at McCarter and and returned to stage several

times before adjourning to sign CDs and meet with audience members in the lobby.

Veteran British harmonisers jazz up their repertoire

WITH their barbershop harmonies and beaming smiles, the King's Singers sound and look as

if they have been teleported from the 1940s.

This is no nostalgia act: the celebrated

British vocal sextet is a serious

ensemble that is committed to

performing new works by Krzysztof

Penderecki, Gian Carlo Menotti, Richard Rodney Bennett and other contemporary composers.

But since their heyday in the 70s, the King's Singers have tended to present themselves to the

larger public as purveyors of retirement pop, jazz and ballads from yesteryear. The image of

straw boaters and striped jackets comes straight to mind when these six dapper gents stride on

to the stage.

After a Union Jack-waving curtain raiser from the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra with William

Walton's Crown Imperial march, they delivered a neatly clipped, impeccably enunciated and

almost irritatingly likeable rendition of Dance ti thy Daddy.

They change gear so deftly that the mood swings like artful conversation. Next came a hushed,

crooning version of I Love My Love and then the brightest, jolliest of traditional medleys,

culminating in a toe-tapping What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor?

Faure's Pavane with orchestra sounded decidedly un-French, and their way of singing such jazz

standards as Ellington's It Don't Mean a Thing is quintessentially British, but the singers' polish

was never in doubt. It is simply inimitable.

Mellifluous singing in Mia Makaroff's Silent Love, Gershwin's Sweet and Lowdown and a

sentimental arrangement of Over the Rainbow, complete with birdcalls from one of the singers,

all added to the warm glow.

Since they last came to Australia in 1984, the King's Singers have given themselves a mild

stylistic update, adding beatboxing and arrangements of Michael Buble songs to their

repertoire. A resonant dum-dum-dum from the group's bass, Jonathan Howard, and terrific solo

singing from tenor Paul Phoenix gave Jason Mraz's I'm Yours some good kick.

Adding a dash more contemporary flavour was a heart-warming arrangement of Buble's Home,

with baritone Christopher Gabbitas taking the lead. It is all pleasantly tame but jolly good fun.

EDITORIAL


The King’s Singers set to perform and record in Nashville

Nashville’s classical community has benefited greatly in recent years from its close

proximity to Naxos USA. The Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Alias Chamber Ensemble

and musicians from Middle Tennessee State University and the Blair School of Music

have all recorded with the Franklin-based label. The symphony, for one, has garnered a

half-dozen Grammys thanks to this relationship.

Another advantage of the Naxos connection is the quality of talent the label attracts to

Music City. A case in point is the King’s Singers, the Grammy Award-winning a cappella

men’s chorus that is currently touring the United States and Canada. Following its

appearance at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, the group will travel directly to Nashville

for a performance at the Cathedral of the Incarnation on Saturday, March 24. The

ensemble is singing at the behest of Naxos.

“The label has wanted us record with them for some time,” says Timothy Wayne-

Wright, one of the group’s countertenors. “Well, we wanted to perform in Nashville,

and we thought this would be a great opportunity to record a live album.”

Founded in 1968 at King’s College in Cambridge, England, the King’s Singers has long

been one of the world’s most popular vocal groups. The six-member ensemble’s

appeal stems both from its virtuosity and versatility. Like many a cappella choral

groups, the King’s Singers can easily find its way around early music – motets,

madrigals and Gregorian chant.

But the group also performs a lot of contemporary music as well as pop music. Indeed,

the singers are at their most entertaining when engaged in lighthearted pop

performances – just check out this delightful rendition of Randy Newman’s “Short

People.”

Yet regardless of whether the group is singing the music of Renaissance

composer William Byrd or something by Billy Joel, the sound remains essentially the

same. The King’s Singers perform with a pure, luminous vocal quality, using vibrato

sparingly and only to add a touch of color.

“We don’t pour on the vibrato as a kind of default setting,” says Wayne-Wright.

Instead, the King’s Singers anchor all of their performances in the rich, burnished

sounds of the baritones, which support the lighter, creamier textures of the tenor and

countertenors. The ensemble refers to this arrangement as the “Pyramid of Sound.”

This approach is ideally suited to the concert that the King’s Singers will perform in

Nashville. The program, called “Pater Noster,” is devoted entirely to music that was

inspired by “The Lord’s Prayer.” The wide-ranging concert will feature the works of

Josquin des Prez, Palestrina, Byrd, Stravinsky, Bernstein, Duruflé, among others.

Nashville is the only city in the King’s Singers current North American tour that will

hear this program live. Everyone else will have to wait for release of the Naxos CD.

“’Pater Noster’ is probably our favorite program, but it’s not one we sing a lot in the

United States,” says Wayne-Wright. “But it is one we perform a lot in big European

cathedrals, because the sound is just so glorious.”

EDITORIAL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANIj1wfMuK4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANIj1wfMuK4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V5uaqKDFHU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2xpg3N1DA8


Kiwi baritone having princely time in company of Kings

New Zealander Christopher Bruerton is the new baritone on the block with King's

Singers, who close their 40th anniversary Australasian tour with a concert in Auckland

Town Hall tonight. Bruerton hails from Christchurch and his solid musical background

includes years as a Cathedral chorister and regular stints with the New Zealand

Secondary Schools Choir as well as the National Youth Choir under Karen Grylls.

Grylls' utter professionalism has made him aware that "many of our choral conductors

need to have a better understanding of the singing voice and the techniques it

demands.

"If you're running a 100m race, you need to know how the muscles work," he explains.

"And you require that same knowledge to unlock the colours the voice can produce."

Moving to England after his studies at the University of Canterbury, Bruerton joined the

prestigious Choir of Christ Church Oxford and, just last year, was invited to audition for

the prestigious King's Singers.

"It came out of the blue," he laughs. "And, after the second audition, I was offered the

job.

I had to sing in all sorts of combinations. There was an arrangement of the folk-

song Loch Lomond where I started off solo, and the rest of the group joined in around

me, gradually moving to the full six voices."

Bruerton has been with his new colleagues for a matter of months. "It's a real delight to

be able to work so regularly with the same line-up. We have a symbiotic relationship.

It's almost like osmosis when you all breathe together and come in together."

Talking through tonight's programme, which opens with a set of Tudor madrigals,

Bruerton confesses he is "a bit of a sucker" for the slow ones.

"If there'd been a chance to do Orlando Gibbons' The Silver Swan I'd certainly have put

my hand up."

But tonight's Weep, weep mine eyes by John Wilbye is "absolutely stunning. And our

challenge is to sustain the legato in acoustics that change from venue to venue".

He singles out Mateo Flecha's La Bomba from a set of Italian madrigals.

"It's a mixture of folksong, medieval Portuguese Latin and the secular, meshed into

Flecha's own composition about these guys who are shipwrecked. It's a great story," he

adds, without divulging its denouement.

An Australian and New Zealand selection has Po karekare ana and Po ata ran, arranged

by fellow KS baritone Christopher Grabbitas in a way that "just lets the melody do its

own thing".

On the contemporary side, there is the specially commissioned River's Lament from

Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin, who was present at its Antipodean premiere

last week.

"It's based on poetry by the American Charles Anthony Silvestri which tracks the

journey of a river and the life it gives to each area it flows through."

The concert will end with music stands being put to the side, and the six men doing a

close-harmony popular bracket.

Bruerton himself first sang some of these arrangements, of songs

likeMichelle and Blackbird, back in his Christchurch days, in the Cantores Youth Choir

under Brian Law.

Although, in Australia, the King's Singers popped Michael Buble and Jason Mraz in

amongst the Beatles and Gershwin, how might a 27-year baritone update the list?

Celine Dion's name briefly passes through our conversation.

"But I'd be quite interested in a bit of reggae if we could do it. I'd certainly be open to

Ben Harper's Steal my kisses in a good arrangement."

EDITORIAL


The world’s best known a cappella group

return to Shanghai

As one of the world’s most successful a capella

groups return to Shanghai this month, the

ensemble’s newest member Jonathan Howard

tells Nancy Pellegrini about their enduring success

It’s been over four decades since six choral scholars

at King’s College Cambridge formed an all-male a

capella group, little knowing they would one day redefine the genre. Today, the King's

Singers are fixtures in the world’s best concert halls and cathedrals; they make regular

appearances at the UK Proms and on late-night talk shows, and count 150-plus

records in their discography. They are affable, humorous performers who explain each

work before emitting an ethereal, rapturous sound that’s been known to move

audiences to tears. Their balance and blend is sheer perfection, and their voices

nothing short of miraculous. This month, they return to Shanghai.

Newest member Jonathan Howard (bass) joined only 13 months ago, but already feels

at home, even though he is the group’s only ‘hobby singer’. As a child, he played

piano, violin and viola and started singing at age ten; at fifteen he joined his boarding

school chapel choir. ‘All the boys wanted to sing,’ he explains. ‘That’s where all the

really hot girls were.’ He studied classics at New College Oxford on a choral

scholarship then worked at an ad agency until he got the call. ‘No one applies for the

King’s Singers,’ he says. ‘Auditions are by invitation only.’

Beyond having a fine ‘raw instrument’, prospective Kings need flexibility; this helps in

absorbing copious amounts of new music in different languages and rapidly

responding to tone changes within every piece. Most of all, it’s about fitting in. ‘You

can’t sound like a soloist,’ says Howard. ‘There’s only a certain type of person who can

be a King’s Singer. We just know when it works, and it’s always unanimous.’

As for musical interpretations, the members work together but have individual

strengths. Howard is the linguist; speaking fluent Latin, Greek, German and French, he

aids in pronunciation or textual definitions. Christopher Gabbitas (second baritone)

excels at sophisticated tuning and first baritone Philip Lawson is the expert on

harmony, arranging and composition.

But even without Lawson’s contribution their repertoire is immense, ranging from the

Lion King to songs commemorating Guy Fawkes’ failed gunpowder plot, not to

mention countless commissions. ‘There aren’t many groups in the world that are six

men – a tenor, a bass, two baritones and two countertenors [men whose vocal range

equals alto or mezzo-soprano],’ says Howard. ‘It’s a huge window to write something

unique.

It’s also important that the King’s Singers seem current, taking on pieces from

contemporary pop to Renaissance polyphony, with or without orchestra. As long as it

suits our voices we have license to do anything and everything,’ he continues. ‘That’s

how we show that we’re still the best at what we do.’

Regardless, the group still focuses on works from the 15th and 16th centuries, when

vocal music hit its apogee. Instruments of the time lacked the technical capabilities to

meet composers’ demands, but voices had no limitations and endless textures. But

another reason was environment. ‘Back then, music was more a part of everyday life,

and the chief form of entertainment,’ says Howard. ‘It’s like an emotional pop song

today that really strikes a chord. Voices had the ability to convey what was at the heart

of things, the churches and the courts,’ he continues. ‘The harmony was so rich

because it was trying to convey a deeper message.’

Singing madrigals is a long way from the ad game, but for Howard, becoming a King

was an easy decision. ‘It would have been ridiculous for me to turn down a job like

this. Professionally, there are only 22 people in the universe that have ‘King’s Singers’

on their CVs.’ For Shanghai, the group has prepared a Christmas programme that

spans hundreds of years and includes exciting arrangements and new commissions. If

you only see one holiday concert this decade, make it this one.

EDITORIAL


EDITORIAL

Winter 2014 - Music ProductionsThe King’s Singers are double Grammy® award-winning artists,...

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Transcript of Winter 2014 - Music ProductionsThe King’s Singers are double Grammy® award-winning artists,...