New College Choir

[Yorkie]

New College choir under under their former choirmaster Edward Higginbottom is my favourite traditional choir. In his final year a French team decided to make a documentary about his time at New College and you can buy the documentary on Vimeo until the end of December and I can highly recommend it.

Along with the main film there are several bonus items, one of which is a performance given by the choristers, mainly solo, but this duet stood out to me so I thought I'd share it:

[Surpinto]

Thank you! I highly recommend this documentary. The music is excellent and the way that Higginbottom nurtures musical talents in his chorister pupils is truly inspiring.

[Celtic]

This was a great documentary and well worth buying. I also loved the extras such as that Soloists Concert, which featured E. Bennet, the last chorister to be auditioned by Higginbottom, according to his mother. (It also featured Steven Grahl on piano, who is now director of Church Church Cathedral Choir!) Bennet later went on to share the Allegri Miserere solos with Archie W. in the Liverpool Cathedral Choristers of Britain concert. So, Higginbottom certainly knew how to spot a good singer!

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2019-06-13 - Liverpool (72).JPG (1.49 MiB) Viewed 4839 times

2019-06-13 - Liverpool (72).JPG (1.49 MiB) Viewed 4839 times

I'm not entirely convinced that the new director Robert Q. is as good as Higginbottom. He does still get a good sound out of them but their last concert in London back in 2019 was a bit disorganised with several last minute changes to the programme.

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2019-12-16 - New College (1).jpg (1.69 MiB) Viewed 4839 times

2019-12-16 - New College (1).jpg (1.69 MiB) Viewed 4839 times

The three choirs concert in March was sublime, but then by its nature it wasn't possible to assess the individual choirs. Only Bach's Oratorio in Oxford this Christmas, which doesn't appeal to me. It does state in that event description that Robert has been on sabbatical, so hopefully next year might see New College return to London.

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2022-03-18 - Three Choirs Concert (15).JPG (1.2 MiB) Viewed 4839 times

2022-03-18 - Three Choirs Concert (15).JPG (1.2 MiB) Viewed 4839 times

[Surpinto]

Thanks for the update on their progress. I saw them on their US tour in 2019 and they were amazing under Quinney, one of the best choral concerts I've attended in terms of a combination of music selection and singing quality. They sang two of my absolute favorites: the "Sicut Cervus" by Palestrina and the "Miserere" by Allegri in one concert! Aside from the difficulty of singing those particular compositions, the performance was outstanding and first rate. I have yet to hear those bettered live, and that concert still remains as one of my most treasured concert memories.

Even with Libera, which I have seen live 5 times, only one concert really hit it out the park like that for me: Ely 2018. The 2014 DC concert was great, but I had really lousy seats which decreases the impact to some extent.

Also, New College will be having a US tour in April. Personally, I will be attending their joint concert with the Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys on April 1 (no April fool's joke I assure you ). Though the music selection remains a mystery. They have a solo concert at Saint Thomas as well, but seems it limited in scope, more like a mini-concert so I'm going to have to pass.

[Celtic]

Also, New College will be having a US tour in April. Personally, I will be attending their joint concert with the Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys on April 1 (no April fool's joke I assure you ). Though the music selection remains a mystery. They have a solo concert at Saint Thomas as well, but seems it limited in scope, more like a mini-concert so I'm going to have to pass.

I would fully expect that joint concert to be amazing! I am very jealous.

[Luckdragon]

Also, New College will be having a US tour in April. Personally, I will be attending their joint concert with the Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys on April 1 (no April fool's joke I assure you ). Though the music selection remains a mystery. They have a solo concert at Saint Thomas as well, but seems it limited in scope, more like a mini-concert so I'm going to have to pass.

I would fully expect that joint concert to be amazing! I am very jealous.

There's a possibility they'll also participate in a Eucharist or Evensong. Those are live streamed.

[Surpinto]

Also, New College will be having a US tour in April. Personally, I will be attending their joint concert with the Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys on April 1 (no April fool's joke I assure you ). Though the music selection remains a mystery. They have a solo concert at Saint Thomas as well, but seems it limited in scope, more like a mini-concert so I'm going to have to pass.

I would fully expect that joint concert to be amazing! I am very jealous.

There's a possibility they'll also participate in a Eucharist or Evensong. Those are live streamed.

Both concerts are also livestreamed! Digital tickets for the joint event are "pay-as-you-wish" which translates to free tickets but with a request for donations. The mini-concert by New College is $10. Be sure to register so that you are sent the livestream link.

I expect you both to be attending this event with me virtually. I'll likely go in person.

[Luckdragon]

I expect you both to be attending this event with me virtually. I'll likely go in person.

Just purchased my tickets along with "Christmas on Fifth Avenue". Thanks for sharing.

[bachmahlerfan]

Speaking of the Albinoni "Adagio" being arranged for voices, has anybody heard this particular version? This is a very grand arrangement, while Libera's version looks to be more 'intimate' in style.

[Celtic]

Speaking of the Albinoni "Adagio" being arranged for voices, has anybody heard this particular version? This is a very grand arrangement, while Libera's version looks to be more 'intimate' in style.

I was just about to reply in the other thread! Nice recording! I wasn't aware of it, but it has a fantastic sound, thanks.

[bachmahlerfan]

Speaking of the Albinoni "Adagio" being arranged for voices, has anybody heard this particular version? This is a very grand arrangement, while Libera's version looks to be more 'intimate' in style.

I was just about to reply in the other thread! Nice recording! I wasn't aware of it, but it has a fantastic sound, thanks.

Sorry, I decided to move it here because the concert thread already has a lot of posts.

[Celtic]

Sorry, I decided to move it here because the concert thread already has a lot of posts.

Well, it's a better place for it otherwise it would get lost in the concert thread and New College Oxford have some fantastic recordings, like that one, which deserve attention!

[bachmahlerfan]

Sorry, I decided to move it here because the concert thread already has a lot of posts.

Well, it's a better place for it otherwise it would get lost in the concert thread and New College Oxford have some fantastic recordings, like that one, which deserve attention!

I really should refer to it as the "Albinoni/Giazotto" Adagio. Giazotto claimed to find a fragment of a manuscript of Albinoni's music and expanded it into a full composition. Eventually, Giazotto took full credit for the piece, so the fragment may have never existed. Here's a brief explanation about that: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Adagio-in-G-Minor

[Luckdragon]

REMINDER: The Choir of New College Oxford begins their concert at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue in less than an hour (at 7:30 PM New York time, 12:30 AM London time.)

Tickets (10.00 USD): https://ci.ovationtix.com/35174/product ... d=11105778

[Luckdragon]

Screenshot of the Grand Finale from today's Passiontide concert with both choirs. Saint Thomas is in orange, Oxford in red.

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2023-04-01_13-46-38.jpg (592.43 KiB) Viewed 4429 times

2023-04-01_13-46-38.jpg (592.43 KiB) Viewed 4429 times

Some background on each choir from the leaflet...

THE CHOIR OF NEW COLLEGE OXFORD:

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THE CHOIR OF NEW COLLEGE OXFORD is firmly established as one of the most
acclaimed British choral ensembles. Celebrated for its distinctive sound, it embodies the
splendour of the English choral tradition. The choir frequently performs in prestigious venues
worldwide, and its versatility is reflected in its diverse core repertoire, with a particular
scholarly focus on renaissance and baroque music.

When William of Wykeham founded his ‘New’ College in 1379, a choral foundation was at its
heart, and daily chapel services have been a central part of college life ever since. The choir
comprises sixteen boy choristers and fourteen adult clerks; the latter a mixture of professional
singers and undergraduate members of the college.

New College Choir is often to be heard in concert around the world, on broadcasts and
recordings, as well as via regular webcasts. Touring is an important part of the choir’s profile,
and recent highlights have included singing for Pope Francis in the Sistine Chapel, Rome,
concerts in Hungary and Normandy, and visits to both the east and west coasts of the USA.

The choir is looking forward to returning to the USA in spring 2023, to perform concerts in Houston,
Dallas, Charlotte and New York.

The choir has performed with many of the UK’s finest ensembles, including the Academy of Ancient
Music, The Orchestra of the Enlightenment, The English Concert, and more recently in performances
of Bach and Handel with Instruments of Time & Truth. Bach is fundamental to the choir’s year, with a
regular cantata programme and an annual performance of the St John Passion, most recently with James
Gilchrist as Evangelist. In March 2022 the choir made a triumphant return to the concert platform, in
the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford, with a performance of Handel’s Coronation Anthems with the Choirs
of Christ Church and Magdalen College.

The choir has an impressive discography of over 100 recordings, reflecting the diversity of its repertoire
and relish of different performance styles. Equally at home in baroque and contemporary music, the
choir has attracted stellar reviews for its distinctive sound and expressive interpretations. It was the first
choral foundation to establish its own recording label, Novum, and has also recorded for
Decca, Erato, Hyperion and CRD. Notable among the discs released with director Robert
Quinney are John Blow: Symphony Anthems, which won acclaim on BBC Radio 3 CD Review
and was an Editor’s Choice in Gramophone. Nowell sing we! celebrates the choir’s renowned
Christmas carol services alongside The Gate of Heaven: Favourite Anthems from New College, which
features music with an Oxford connection, including two new commissions. The choir’s
Parry: Songs of Farewell and other choral works, celebrated the centenary of C. H. H. Parry (1848-
1918) by focusing on Parry’s interaction with the music of his European contemporaries and
received excellent reviews in Gramophone (December 2018) - ‘laudable precision and
unfailing perception…The performance hits radiant heights…piercingly expressive’; and Choir
& Organ (January 2019) ‘near perfectly judged, the choir’s tone bright and full’. In 2020 the
choir made its debut recording on the renowned Linn label with John Sheppard: Media vita: ‘A
consistently radiant sound with strong, purposeful phrasing…[it is] thrilling to hear such
young voices do justice to one of Sheppard’s finest works’ (Gramophone, December 2020).

The choir has a long record of commitment to new music, and in June 2024 will premiere a
new commission from one of the world’s most renowned choral composers, Sir James
Macmillan. The premiere will coincide with the launch of the choir’s second disc with Linn
Records: New College: Commissions & Premieres which celebrates a century of new work written
for the choir or performed by it for the first time. It includes works by William Harris, Herbert
Howells, Kenneth Leighton, Matthew Martin, Deborah Pritchard & Joanna Marsh.

THE SAINT THOMAS CHOIR OF MEN AND BOYS:

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THE SAINT THOMAS CHOIR OF MEN AND BOYS is considered to be
the leading ensemble of its kind in the Anglican choral tradition in the United States. While its
primary raison d’être is to sing five choral services each week, the choir also performs regularly
with Orchestra of St. Luke’s and New York Baroque Incorporated as part of the Saint Thomas
Church concert series. Live webcasts of choral services and further information concerning
recordings, tours, and concerts given by the choir can be found at
www.SaintThomasChurch.org. Over recent years, the choir has toured throughout the U.S.,
Europe, and Scandinavia with performances at Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral
in London, King’s College, Cambridge, the Aldeburgh Festival, the Vatican, Dresden, and at
the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. Domestically, the choir has appeared often at National AGO
Conventions. The boy choristers make frequent appearances on local and national television
programs, such as the TODAY program, and the classical music radio station WQXR. They
have sung with Sting at the tree lighting ceremony in Rockefeller Center, performed at the
new Steinway Piano Hall on 6th Avenue, and in 2019 they appeared as the opening act at the
Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular.

Besides the annual performances of Handel’s Messiah, the choir’s concerts at Saint Thomas
Church have included presentations of the Fauré, Duruflé, and Mozart Requiems, the J.S. Bach
Passions, the Mass in B Minor; Handel’s Israel in Egypt, and James MacMillan’s Seven Last Words
from the Cross. The choir has given the U.S. premieres of works by John Tavener and Nico
Muhly, and in recent times has commissioned new choral music by Julian Wachner and Francis
Pott. In 2016, a concert in memory of former Director of Music John Scott was
performed with Orchestra of St. Luke’s under the direction of Sir Simon Rattle.

The choir has made many commercial recordings under successive Directors of Music, Gerre
Hancock and John Scott, and most recently did so under the direction of Jeremy Filsell: The
Music of Gerre Hancock, an album of music indelibly associated with Saint Thomas Church.
This year, the choir marked the 400th anniversary of the death of William Byrd by recording
the Byrd Propers for the feast of Corpus Christi, within the recreation of the pre-Reformation
Sarum Rite Mass. This recording will be available in the spring of 2023.

The Gentlemen of the Saint Thomas Choir are all professional singers, and the Boy Choristers
all attend the Saint Thomas Choir School, instituted in 1919; nowadays the only remaining
educational establishment of its type in the US. The Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys is
represented by Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc.