The King's Singers

06 / 02 / 2008

Hispanic Music at Cadogan Hall, and 40 Years of Perfect Harmony

We have sung the first of three concerts spread throughout the year in London's Cadogan Hall. The mini-series celebrates our 40th Anniversary. The first concert included music from our new CD, which will be available on full release soon. Find out more about the series at Cadogan Hall's official web site

Here is a review of that concert, from the London Times:

Scarlet ties, blue velvet suits and little dumbshows of fluting, plucking and drumming: this was the start of a series of three concerts celebrating the 40th anniversary of the King's Singers. And the audience loved it every bit as much as on that day in 1968 when six entirely different King's Singers took to the stage at the new Queen Elizabeth Hall and performed everything they knew.

That suave, quintessentially English answer to the barber-shop tradition has somehow stayed in character over four decades, yet retuned itself to the times. With every choir worth its salt now joining the pilgrim route to Santiago di Compostela, the King's Singers clearly decided not to be left behind. They brushed up their Hispanic dialects, and offered a Spanish Renaissance programme.

Their own take on the Santiago theme was to mock it gently. They rifled the Cancionero Musical de Palacio, an early 16th-century anthology, and found a song about shipwrecked sailors who promise the saints to go on a pilgrimage - but forget all about it once they're saved from the briny. La Bomba, by the Catalan composer Mateo Flecha, was a riot of music and mime, causing visiting Spaniards in the audience to jump out of their seats with joy.

This piece was an ensalada - a mixed salad of original composition, folk and religious music. And so was Flecha's El Fuego, with its little melodrama of the fire of sin being doused by the life-giving waters of faith. The preceding bawdy song, about a withered old wine-bag, was delightfully understated in its tongue-twisting declamation of the wisely anonymous words.

All this Hispanic hilarity had followed a first half of sublime lamentation. Three settings of the responsory, Versa est in luctum, from the Book of Job, was El Greco for the ear. And the Lamentationes Ieremiae Prophetae by Alonso Lobo interspersed exquisite vocal melismas on single Hebrew letters with its Latin text. Finely imagined timbres and immaculate blend characterised all this singing.

Anniversary series continues at Cadogan Hall on April 30 and November 21 (020 7730 4500)

Hilary Finch

07 / 02 / 2008

Extra anniversary show added at Cadogan Hall!

By popular demand, an additional concert has been added to our 'An Evening with The King's Singers' show on April 30th, which has all but sold out. The extra date is May 4th at 7pm. Our advice is to act fast and buy tickets here: Tickets...

07 / 02 / 2008

40 Years of Perfect Harmony

Review - 40th Anniversary concert at Cadogan Hall

Evening Standard
Harmonious:  The King's Singers - It's an ancient conundrum: If the constituent parts of an object have been replaced one by one, is it still the same object? For The King's Singers, the answer is definitely "Yes".

This year marks their 40th anniversary and while none of the current members was in at the beginning, it is recognisably the same ensemble with the same characteristics: immaculate harmony, minutely synchronised delivery, identikit blazers and ties. This opening concert of its birthday celebrations could easily have been a greatest hits package.

Nothing so frivolous. Instead we got an austere, even ascetic survey of 16th-century Iberian polyphony, the first half sacred, the second mostly secular.

It may not have been obviously crowd-pleasing but it made a perfect showcase for the sextet's architecturally layered sound, keening falsetto and droning bass providing top and bottom, tenor and baritone floating discreetly in between.

Before the interval, renaissance bassoon provided another texture, low and intestinal one minute, pleading and mournful the next. Merging perfectly with the voices, it floated like pungent incense.

The centrepiece was a massive, 20-minute setting of the Lamentations of Jeremiah by Alonso Lobo, a vocal challenge despatched with almost nonchalant precision. They are too refined ever to sing loud, of ocurse, but they have an imposing weight of sound that it seems impossible for just six voices to achieve.

After the interval, things got as near raucous as they ever do with this group. The good humour was infectious, yet even in bawdy songs about well-hung sailors there was no hint of vulgarity.

At times it might be nice to hear some grit and grime in the glistening pearl of their harmonies but then they would no longer be The King's Singers.

Nick Kimberly

19 / 02 / 2008

First studio album for over 10 years – Simple Gifts

While touring in the US, Canada and Mexico this February we have been working on the post-production of our first studio album for over 10 years. Produced by Gregg Jackman and recorded at the studio of Status Quo’s music legend, Francis Rossi, Simple Gifts has wonderful vocal harmony coupled with the impeccable style for which the group is justly famous. Each of the 16 tracks on the album has earned its place because of its great melody, covering classic pop ballads, spirituals, and folksongs. Out on Signum Records and available in our shop in May 08; US release June 08.

07 / 03 / 2008

The Times (London) welcomes 1st CD release of the 40th anniversary year

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 opening processional raises the risks of British politeness, but the voices gather colour and character, and Alonso Lobo's Lamentations offers abundant rewards. The music is centred on death; but where there is beauty there is life.

Geoff Brown

The Times - 7th March 2008

The Golden Age  (on Signum Classics)

11 / 03 / 2008

Christmas with the New York Pops

We are really delighted to have a chance to perform at Carnegie Hall again this Christmas with the New York Pops Orchestra.  Conducted on this occasion by Rob Fisher, this is the creme de la creme of Pops orchestras.  We have had great fun putting together a spirited programme for the two shows on December 19th and 20th.  It will feature 2 arrangements from Mack Wilberg - arrangements we performed just last Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  If you live in Europe, why don't you plan to do some shopping in the Big Apple for Christmas and hear the concert?  We hope to see you there.

25 / 03 / 2008

King's Cambridge 40th anniversary celebrations to be broadcast on BBC Radio 3

On 1 May 2008 we will be back in King's College Chapel celebrating 40 years of The King's Singers with King's College Choir and Stephen Cleobury, giving the world premiere of a new piece by Bob Chilcott.  BBC Radio 3 is recording the concert for broadcast on 6 May at 1900 (UK time) on Performance on 3.

10 / 04 / 2008

LIVE AT THE BBC PROMS 2008

14 / 04 / 2008

NEW ALBUM RELEASE - SIMPLE GIFTS

To coincide with our 40th anniversary this May we are delighted and excited to release on Signum Classics the first full-length light album The King's Singers has made for over 10 years.  Simple Gifts is a studio-recorded album of ballads and folksongs, which are all unique arrangements.  Traditional songs like Greensleeves, Swing Low Sweet Chariot and The Gift to be Simple rub shoulders with tracks by Crosby Stills & Nash, Sting, James Taylor, Billy Joel and others.  We are proud of it, and are sure you will love it!  Buy it from our online shop now.

18 / 04 / 2008

STOLEN MOMENTS WITH ERIC WHITACRE

Taking part in the National Youth Choir of Great Britain's 25th anniversary concert last Sunday at Birmingham's Symphony Hall was wonderful in itself, but the premiere of Eric Whitacre's The Stolen Child was awesome.  Read our blog.

05 / 05 / 2008

CONCERT FROM KING'S BROADCAST

The 40th Anniversary Concert from King's Cambridge broadcast:  We have spent the last few days in the company of former King's Singers, friends and fans celebrating the group's 40th anniversary.  There will, no doubt, be blogs and plenty of pictures coming to this site soon.  In the meantime you can still catch our anniversary concert from King's College Chapel on the BBC's 'listen again' website service for a week.  It was a very special concert - tune in if you can!  http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/listen/index.shtml (finishes Tuesday 13 May)