Stay up to date with the latest releases of choral music with the Choral Featured Album. Discover new works, new choirs, and new takes on your favorite choral music Fridays at 11 a.m. CST on the Choral Stream.
For this week's Choral Featured Album, we present "Song of the Nativity," the new record from UK-based ensemble The Sixteen. Alternating seamlessly between traditional favorites and contemporary works by Morten Lauridsen, Alan Bullard, and others, the album leads the listener through a reflective and timeless holiday program. Showcasing the ensemble's lauded musical refinement and imagination in both new and familiar selections, "Song of the Nativity" is a fitting soundtrack for the festive season.
The Sixteen
Comprising both choir and period-instrument orchestra, The Sixteen is an internationally acclaimed UK ensemble. A special reputation for performing early English polyphony and bringing fresh insights into Baroque, early Classical, and 20th and 21st century music is drawn from the passions of founder and conductor Harry Christophers.
The Sixteen are "The Voices of Classic FM" and Associate Artists of The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester. The group promotes The Choral Pilgrimage, an annual tour which aims to bring music back to the buildings for which it was written.
Over 140 recordings, including many award-winners, reflect The Sixteen's quality in a range of work. In 2009, The Sixteen was given the accolade of Classic FM Gramophone Artist of the Year as well as winning Best Baroque Vocal for its recording of Handel's Coronation Anthems.
Harry Christophers
Harry Christophers is known internationally as founder and conductor of The Sixteen and is also a regular guest conductor for many major symphony orchestras and opera companies worldwide. He has been artistic director of Boston's Handel and Haydn Society since 2008 and is a principal guest conductor of the Granada Symphony Orchestra. He has directed The Sixteen throughout multiple international tours, gaining a distinguished reputation for his work in Renaissance, Baroque, and 20th and 21st century music.
Christophers has made a significant contribution to The Sixteen's recording catalog for which he has won numerous awards including the coveted Gramophone Award for Early Music, Gramophone Artist of the Year, and the MIDEM Classical Award 2009.
Christophers received a CBE in the Queen's 2012 Birthday Honours List. He is an Honorary Fellow of both Magdalen College, Oxford, and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Resources
The Sixteen - Official Site
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