Tuesday, 27 January 2009

2009 The Year of Celebration

Purcell was born 350 years ago in 1659 and Handel popped his clogs one hundred years later. We're celebrating these historic musical landmarks, alongside contemporary composer James MacMillan's 50th birthday and our very own 30th anniversary on our major national tour, The Choral Pilgrimage 2009.

We're touring to at least 25 venues across the UK with two different programmes - an a cappella Purcell & MacMillan programme which includes Purcell's heartfelt Funeral Sentences and James MacMillan's powerfully emotive A Child's Prayer, written in memory of the Dunblane Tragedy. In 6 venues we'll be performing Handel's Coronation Anthems with both the choir and orchestra of The Sixteen - a celebration not to be missed.

Visit our website to see what and when we're performing near you!

http://www.the-sixteen.org.uk/tours/tour_cp_dates.htm

Tuesday, 11 November 2008

Christmas is coming

It's getting dark, the Christmas lights are up and crackers are on sale at the supermarket. But the sign that the festive season is truly upon us is The Sixteen's glorious Messiah, which they'll be performing along with a stellar line-up of soloists, at the Barbican Hall on Wednesday 3 December 2008. BBC New Generation Artist Elizabeth Watts will be joined on stage by Catherine Wyn-Rogers (who can be heard on our new recording of Messiah 'graphically evoking the refiner's fire'), James Gilchrist and Christopher Purves, also to be heard on our new recording 'adding a sonorous bass extension to his incisive baritone'.

Join us if you can for what promises to be a remarkable evening - not least because it will be the 150th time that The Sixteen have performed Messiah.

Wednesday, 1 October 2008

It was a busy weekend with an Open Rehearsal on Saturday afternoon followed by The Sixteen's debut performance in St James' Church, Grimsby as part of the St Hugh's Festival.

Both events a great success.

Next up is the Kings Place festival opening weekend - 100 concerts in 5 days! The first of our 2 performances is now sold out but it will be possible to catch the foyer performance from 1pm on Sunday 5 October. Visit
http://www.kingsplace.co.uk/ for details.