Ensembles

The Holst Singers are one of Britain’s foremost choirs, described by the BBC as “a leading chorus on the international stage”. Based in London, in addition to their busy concert diary they regularly record for leading classical labels. With the support of their President, James Bowman, and Musical Director, Stephen Layton, the choir has developed an interest in exploring new and neglected works as well as core choral repertoire. In concert the choir is renowned for dramatic and engaging performances, described by The Times as “interactive concert-going at its most revelatory”.

Recent CD releases include A Ceremony of Carols & Saint Nicolas with Allan Clayton, City of London Sinfonia, and the choir of Trinity College, Cambridge; and Ikon II, the long awaited sequel to Ikon (1997), a disc that immediately became a cult classic and a best-seller. Ikon II brings together a selection of Russian choral masterpieces in an extraordinary disc which is immediately enthralling. Recently reviewed on BBC Radio 3 Record Review, the disc was described as “impeccable… so, so well-conceived” and Jeremy Summerly, the guest-reviewer, commented on the choir’s “phenomenal sound”.

Other notable recordings include Veljo Tormis (Hyperion); The Tavener Collection (Decca), which followed the critically acclaimed performances of which the Times commented “I don’t think I shall hear singing this year more thrilling”; Schnittke’s Choir Concerto (Hyperion); Ikon, including music by Pärt, Sviridov, Gorecki and Tchaikovsky; Gretchaninov’s Vespers; and Over Hill, Over Dale, Vaughan Williams’ settings of Shakespeare songs and English folk songs (all Hyperion).

Recent concert highlights include the Scott Centenary Concert Tour with the City of London Sinfonia; performances celebrating Gabrieli’s 400th anniversary at Temple Church and Trinity College, Cambridge; collaboration with Imogen Heap on her highly acclaimed soundtrack to The Seashell and the Clergyman; and performances in the CLoSer concert series at Village Underground and the Reverb Festival at the Roundhouse. Recent touring includes Santiago da Compostela with the Hilliard Ensemble in Easter 2011 and Estonia in 2009. Future engagements include the world premiere of a new choral commission from Eriks Esenvalds for the Voices Now Festival in June 2013, and a July performance of Poulenc Gloria and Faure Requiem with City of London Sinfonia in Gloucester Cathedral for the 2013 Cheltenham Festival.

Recently voted the fifth best choir in the world in Gramophone magazine's "20 Greatest Choirs", The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge comprises around thirty Choral Scholars and two Organ Scholars, all of whom are ordinarily undergraduates of the College.

The College’s choral tradition dates back to the all-male choir of the fourteenth century, when former Chapel Royal choristers studied in King’s Hall which later became part of Trinity College. Directors of Music have included Charles Villiers Stanford, Alan Gray, Raymond Leppard and Richard Marlow. Female voices were introduced in the 1980s by Richard Marlow, in a new departure for Cambridge choral music. Stephen Layton has been Director of Music since 2006.

During term, the Choir’s main focus is the singing of the liturgy in the College Chapel, exploring a repertoire drawn from both Catholic and Protestant traditions. Outside term, the Choir’s programme of performances and recordings recently included a BBC broadcast of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in London, Haydn’s Nelson Mass with the City of London Sinfonia in Aldeburgh and Cambridge, Poulenc’s Gloria with Britten Sinfonia in Norwich Cathedral, and Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum with the Academy of Ancient Music in London and Cambridge.

Recent additions to the Choir’s extensive discography include Howells Requiem & other works which won a Gramophone Award in 2012; Beyond All Mortal Dreams, settings of contemporary American a cappella music, which was nominated for a US Grammy Award in2012; Baltic Exchange, choral music from the Baltic region; David Briggs’ Mass for Notre Dame; Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum; Handel’s Chandos Anthems; and new works by Polish composer Pawel Lukaszewski, all released on the Hyperion label. The latest release is Britten's A Ceremony of Carols & St Nicolas.

Its ambitious programme of tours has taken the Choir to destinations in Europe, the USA, Canada, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Peru. In 2010, the Choir spent a month touring Australia, and in 2012 tour concerts included sold-out performances at the American Guild of Organists National Convention and the Cathedrals of Atlanta and Memphis.

Led by our Artistic Director, Stephen Layton, and Principal Conductor, Michael Collins, we regularly work with world class artists as well as up and coming talent, including in the last year: Gwilym Simcock, Tim Garland, Polyphony, Hugh Brunt, Roderick Williams and Elizabeth Watts among others. We perform across London at all the major concert halls and venues, as well as St Paul's Cathedral and other venues in the City of London and on the City fringes. We are resident orchestra at the capital's popular Opera Holland Park and regular guests at major UK festivals, performing at the BBC Proms, Brighton, Spitalfields Music and Cheltenham Festivals this year.

Our education and outreach programme, Meet the Music, was one of the first established by a UK orchestra. Last year our musicians spent over 100 days making music with a wide range of groups throughout the country, reaching over 10,000 people.

The Orchestra has an extensive discography of over one hundred recordings, which includes the award-winning recording of Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes. Our current recordings include Weber's Clarinet and Horn Concertos with Michael Collins on CHANDOS, and Britten's St Nicolas with the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, Holst Singers and Stephen Layton, on Hyperion.

Our Vision
To push the artistic boundaries and audience experience in live orchestral music.

Our Mission
To create dynamic, engaging and outstanding musical experiences for people of all ages and backgrounds.

We create dynamic and engaging musical experiences for people of all ages and backgrounds. We perform throughout London and the UK in venues ranging from traditional concert halls, to schools and hospitals, alternative venue spaces and diverse community settings. We place our audiences at the heart of everything we do, bringing unforgettable music and cultural events to them.