In the Renaissance, Advent—the weeks preceding the celebration of Christ’s birth at Christmas—was a time of wonder and reflection. Centuries-old carols tell this story, with some works presented here in their inherited form, others reimagined by skilled arrangers. This programme reaches across the ages: from the eternal beauty of the Tudor church right up to the twenty-first century, with each piece chosen to evoke a sense of mystery and joy.

Veni Emmanuel

Smith Square Hall

The contrasting timbres of the violin, clarinet, and piano bring to life a vibrant variety of musical imaginations in this program of rhythmic vitality and melodic invention.

EPSG:4326

Spring Contrasts

Piedmont Center for the Arts

Noe Valley Ministry

Immerse yourself in the ethereal sounds of the Baroque era with "Celestial Voices - Music of the Baroque," a concert series that promises to transport audiences back in time through the power of music. Under the baton of Principal Guest Conductor Nicholas Kraemer, the Music of the Baroque Chorus and Members of the Orchestra will showcase their incredible talent and versatility. The program features a rich tapestry of compositions from the Renaissance to the Baroque period, including works by Tallis, Palestrina, Purcell, Monteverdi, Byrd, Pachelbel, Rameau, and Bach.

The concert series will highlight the shimmering sounds of Palestrina and Byrd, the intricate compositions of Purcell, and culminate in the high energy of Bach’s "Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied" (Sing unto the Lord a new song), BWV 225. This selection of music not only showcases the technical prowess of the performers but also the emotional depth and spiritual uplift inherent in Baroque music.

"Celestial Voices" will be performed at two iconic locations, offering audiences a choice of venues to experience the magic of Baroque music. The first performance will take place on Sunday, May 11, 2025, at 7:30 PM at the Faith, Hope, & Charity Church in Winnetka. The series will continue with a performance on Monday, May 12, 2025, at 7:30 PM at the Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago. For those unable to attend in person, an on-demand performance will be available on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 5:00 PM.

This concert series is a must-attend for lovers of choral and orchestral music, offering a rare opportunity to experience the breadth and depth of Baroque music performed by a talented ensemble under the guidance of Nicholas Kraemer. Don't miss your chance to be part of this musical journey through time.

Celestial Voices

Fourth Presbyterian Church

Sts Faith, Hope, And Charity Catholic Church

On Good Friday, 18 April 2025, the Lay Clerks and Organists of Canterbury Cathedral will perform a selection of contemplative music by candlelight in the beautiful and intimate surroundings of Canterbury Cathedral’s Quire.

The programme, with its backbone of Renaissance polyphony including works by Tallis and Victoria, also features contrasting organ music by twentieth century composer Herbert Howells, lauded for his exceptional contribution to church music. The programme finishes with the fittingly atmospheric De profundis by contemporary Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.

The Choir will be directed by Jamie Rogers, Assistant Director of Music, Canterbury Cathedral and the organ will be played by David Newsholme, Director of Music, Canterbury Cathedral.

Canterbury Cathedral presents A Concert of Music for Holy Week by Candlelight

Canterbury Cathedral

Charting the progress from twilight to sunrise, this programme concentrates on Renaissance composers but includes a recent work by Nico Muhly specially written to form part of the nocturnal trajectory.

Stile Antico

Wigmore Hall

One of the world's most renowned choral ensembles, The Sixteen makes their Miller debut with a stunning program pairing works by William Byrd and Arvo Pärt. Though hailing from different eras, the two composers are both celebrated masters of sacred music, despite facing considerable persecution for their work. The program alternates between works from Byrd’s Cantiones Sacrae, including the mighty eight-voice motet Ad Dominum cum tribularer, and three works by Pärt that highlight his signature style, with its unique blend of ancient and modern.

The Sixteen

The Church of St. Mary the Virgin

An intriguing programme from a leading Renaissance-specialist ensemble in which works by composers from an earlier period are matched with those of recent times and today, several of them specially commissioned to mirror their predecessors.

Renaissance Reflections

The Civil Service Choir return to Smith Square for the third time this year, with a charity concert featuring Norwegian composer Kim André Arnesen’s Holy Spirit Mass, in a programme celebrating the mixing of the Latin and English liturgies in sacred choral works.

Charity Concert: Holy Spirit Mass

Join us for the final of the Philip Carne Chamber Music Competition, celebrating the incredible wealth of chamber music that happens at Trinity Laban.

The Philip Carne Chamber Music Competition Final

Conway Hall

From the pale moon’s glow and the calm atmosphere of prayer to the full blaze of human ‘joie de vivre’, the combination of comfort and radiance has always been central to our emotional and spiritual needs. In compiling the music for Draw On Sweet Night, VOCES8 show that composers across the ages, and therefore all of us, have always felt the same way.

Voces8

St Martin’s Church

**Renaissance Choral Music: A Night with Voices of Ascension**

**Date & Time:** Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at 7:30 PM  
**Location:** Church of the Ascension, W 10th St & 5th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Dive into the Golden Age of Choral Music with the Voices of Ascension as they present an evening dedicated to the splendor of Renaissance choral music. This exceptional concert will take place in the magnificent Church of the Ascension, a venue renowned for its acoustical beauty and historical significance in the world of choral music.

**Featuring Works By:**
- **Thomas Tallis:** "If ye love me," "In ieiunio et Fletu," "O Sacrum Convivium"
- **William Byrd:** "Praise Our Lord," "Non Vos Relinquam," "Miserere mei, Domine," "Justorum animae," "Sing Joyfully"
- **Orlande de Lassus:** "Christus Resurgens ex Mortuis," "Ave Verum Corpus," "Surrexit Pastor Bonus"
- **Jan Pietezoon Sweelinck:** Selections of Psalms
- **Vicente Lusitano:** "Heu me Domine"

This concert celebrates the glory of the human voice through a broad expanse of a cappella music, featuring iconic works by Tallis, Byrd, and Lassus, alongside a Renaissance rarity by Vicente Lusitano. Experience the beauty and complexity of these masterpieces in a space that has introduced the Voices of Ascension to the world through the Billboard-topping album "Beyond Chant: Mysteries of the Renaissance."

**Tickets:** Available now. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of a memorable evening that pays homage to the Renaissance era, showcasing the timeless beauty of choral music.

Join us for a night that promises to be a profound celebration of the human voice and the enduring legacy of Renaissance music.

Renaissance Voices

Church of the Ascension

For awe-inspiring vocal magnificence and virtuosity, look no further than Tallis’ towering Spem in alium. Written for an astounding forty individual voice parts, Tallis’ motet is regarded as the pinnacle of Renaissance polyphonic ingenuity. Howells’ Requiem, a rarely performed Romantic masterpiece, is a sublime and complex work of soaring vocals and unexpected harmonies. Join the Master Chorale for a singular performance of two monumental masterpieces, and a varied sonic showcase of music reflecting on the same spirit of hope, devotion, and deliverance – including the world premiere of Carlos Simon’s Affirmations

Spem in alium

Walt Disney Concert Hall

The theme behind this seasonal programme is the Virgin Mary, whether celebrating her own divinity (in the Votive Mass written by Byrd), or in the context of the birth of Christ (in Tallis’ epic Missa Puer natus).

Mother and Child

As Christmas grows close, step into the warm glow of choral splendour as the SCO Chorus fills Greyfriars Kirk with seasonal music to captivate, calm and inspire you.

A Ceremony of Carols

Greyfriars Kirk

Just as the three wise men traveled to Bethlehem to visit the newborn baby Jesus, the DR Vocal Ensemble invites you this evening on a musical journey from darkness to light. We begin at the manger scene under the starry sky and end with the final chapter in the story of Jesus' birth: Candlemas, where the light returns, and the Virgin Mary, according to the Bible, presents Jesus in the temple.

Journey towards the light

Frederiksborg Castle

Trinity Church Copenhagen

The programme begins with Gabrieli and Victoria’s Missa O magnum mysterium, which depicts Christ’s birth. Other pieces explore miracles, such as Egressus Jesus, recounting Christ exorcising a demon, and Weir’s Ave Regina Caelorum, which reflects on the mystery of the Virgin birth.

The Tallis Scholars: Mysteries & Miracles

Milton Court Concert Hall

The exquisite singers of the Tallis Scholars visit with an Easter season program featuring works inspired by miraculous events in the biblical story of Jesus’ life.

The Tallis Scholars

First Congregational Church of Berkeley

Conductor Andrew Megill leads a celebration of our Chorus in breathtaking spaces. From the intricate counterpoint and surprising dissonance of Machaut’s Kyrie and Andrieu’s Armes, amours to the Renaissance splendor of Ockeghem, Josquin, and Byrd, the evolution of choral music unfolds. Tallis’s breathtaking 40-part motet, Spem in alium (Hope in no other), soars alongside Monteverdi’s highly expressive madrigals and Bach’s deeply moving Komm, Jesu, komm and Jesu, meine Freude.

Fourth Presbyterian Church Chicago

When Sir James MacMillan writes a new choral work, the world takes notice because few living composers write with more honesty and passion. With a span of around an hour, Angels Unawares is a major new statement from MacMillan coupled with a brilliant libretto written by Robert Willis, former Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, completed shortly before his untimely death in autumn 2024.

The Sixteen with Britten Sinfonia

Cadogan Hall 

When Sir James MacMillan writes a new choral work, the world takes notice, because few living composers write with more honesty and passion. With a span of around an hour, Angels Unawares is a major new statement from MacMillan coupled with a brilliant libretto written by Robert Willis, former Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, completed shortly before his untimely death in autumn 2024. Who better to give the work’s UK premiere than The Sixteen and the Britten Sinfonia, both tireless champions of MacMillan’s work?

Thomas Tallis

Events

Upcoming events

Dec 20, 2025

Mother and Child · Sinfonia Smith Square

21 - 22 Dec, 2025

A Ceremony of Carols · Scottish Chamber Orchestra

3 - 4 Feb, 2026

Journey towards the light · DR Vocal Ensemble

Mar 26, 2026

The Tallis Scholars: Mysteries & Miracles · Barbican Centre

Apr 24, 2026

The Tallis Scholars · Cal Performances

Past events

Dec 17, 2025

Veni Emmanuel · Sinfonia Smith Square

7 - 9 Jun, 2025

Spring Contrasts · Left Coast Chamber Ensemble

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