The world’s most acclaimed vocal ensemble, The King’s Singers, has just announced an Australian and New Zealand tour for February 2012, their first visit to these shores since 1984.
With a vast repertoire that ranges from medieval to renaissance, romantic to contemporary, folk and pop, The King’s Singers are instantly recognisable for their spot-on intonation, their impeccable vocal blend, the flawless articulation of the text and incisive timing. Described by Gramophone Magazine as ’enchanting the ear from first to last note’, The King’s Singers are renowned as consummate entertainers; a class-act with a delightfully British wit.
With a prolific discography of over 150 recordings and with over two million pieces of sheet music in circulation, The King’s Singers have garnered both awards and significant critical acclaim. Their studio album Simple Gifts was awarded a Grammy in 2009 and they won Best Concert DVD at the MIDEM Classical Awards in 2010. The groups new CD titled High Flight will be released in October this year.
Performing at the Southern Hemisphere’s most prestigious venues, with both orchestra’s and in an A Capella mode, The King’s Singers will present three magnificent programs;
The A Capella Program will feature KS ‘favourites’ from the lighter side of their repertoire, consisting of early music, arrangements of English and Australian and New Zealand folk songs, spirituals, contemporary pop songs and a recently commissioned work by Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin.
The Orchestral Program promises to be lively and cheerful and features popular contemporary songs from the groups recent release Swimming Over London, and a jazz set that includes arrangements of Gershwin and Ellington.
A special Valentine’s Day Program – A Lover’s Journey, is scheduled for Melbourne Recital Centre on February 14th, with The Kings Singer’s presenting songs of love, yearning and romance from throughout the ages.
Since their formation at King’s College Cambridge in 1968, the group has had only 20 members. This very low turnover, has, as The London Times puts it, allowed this ‘quintessentially English answer to the barber-shop tradition to stay in character over four decades, yet retuned itself to the times’.
Now, the current line up of David Hurley (countertenor), Timothy Wayne-Wright (countertenor), Paul Phoenix (tenor), Christopher Gabbitas (baritone), Jonathan Howard (bass) and Philip Lawson (baritone), will undergo another transformation. After 18 years with the group, Lawson will retire, performing his last concert at his home city of Salisbury in January 2012.
There is growing excitement around the auditions for his replacement, which begin next month in the UK. Australian and New Zealand audiences will be the first in the world to hear the ensemble with the new baritone, who will be announced in November 2011.
It has been 27 years since The King’s Singers last graced our shores, and the ensemble are extremely excited by the opportunity to perform for Australian and New Zealand audiences.
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