Its opening chords descend like heavy steps. But this is not music of despair; it’s full of movement and fire, epitomised by the Dies Irae which races forward with haunting fury.

Mozart’s Requiem with Stephen Layton

Sydney Opera House

During the Renaissance musical composition flourished, but it was a time of great change, fuelled by religious division. This programme traces music written by some of the English Renaissance masters over a period of 200 years, encompassing florid medieval-sounding pieces by Pygott and Cornysh, intricately woven polyphonic works by Tallis and Byrd, and the beautiful simplicity of Mundy and Tomkins.

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The Gesualdo Six

Wigmore Hall

The Tallis Scholars perform the music for which they are most beloved and acclaimed the world over. As Gramophone Magazine said of their Byrd recording, ‘it’s the sort of musical bliss which should never stop’. Tallis’s moving Lamentations are interspersed with two wonderfully contrasted settings of the Mass. Byrd’s has a reflective and intense spirit, reflecting the dangers that assailed his fellow Catholics worshipping in 1590s England. But Lassus’ Missa Bel’Amfitrit’ altera is a joyous, flamboyant and spectacular celebration. It is written for two choirs and includes some of his most electrifying, rhythmic and festive music.

The Tallis Scholars : East Neuk Festival

Bowhouse

Peter Philips directs The Tallis Scholars in music of the greatest beauty, written in times of fear and darkness. The 1590s saw an intensification of the persecution of Catholics in England, and any seeking to worship had to exercise the very greatest caution and discretion. William Byrd’s 3 settings of the mass were intended for clandestine use only – in extremis, they need just a handful of singers. Yet this dangerous undertaking inspired him to astonishing heights: for all its modest scale, this music is sublime and humane, magnificent as well as intimate. Peter Philips pairs Byrd with motets by Thomas Tallis and Philip De Monte.

The Tallis Scholars - East Neuk Festival

Crail Parish Church

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?

Angels Unawares is commissioned and supported by the Genesis Foundation for Harry Christophers and The Sixteen.

Angels Unawares: London

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.

The Sixteen with Britten Sinfonia

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?

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.

Celestial Voices

Fourth Presbyterian Church Chicago

Sts Faith, Hope, And Charity Catholic Church

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

We welcome the ensemble Tenebrae in Prague for the first time. It's about time! Clouds of top-notch recordings, many nominations, even a Grammy. In our church they will take on their old masters: William Byrd or Thomas Tallis. They will lead us "de tenebris ad lucem", from darkness to light.

Tenebrae & English Renaissance

Church of Saints Simon and Jude

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

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

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

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

Smith Square Hall

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

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.

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.

Fourth Presbyterian 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

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 award-winning ORA Singers celebrates its 10th anniversary year with a choral highlights programme featuring key works from its first decade. Alongside Renaissance polyphony by Tallis, Byrd, Gibbons, Victoria, Palestrina and others sit 10 contemporary pieces from its ground-breaking 100 commissions catalogue, including the world première of its 100th commission – In Manus Tuas by Brett Dean.

ORA Singers; Suzi Digby OBE conductor

Travel back in time. Markets bustle in Paris. Church bells ring out across the Vatican. Featuring music from six different cities, each with their own distinctive sound world, this programme ranges from the playful street cries of Janequin to the serene harmonies of Allegri, bringing to life the dawn of the Baroque era.

A Renaissance Roadtrip

The title of our programme this evening points to its seasonal nature. Every item was written in praise of the Virgin Mary, most famously the Ave Maria and Salve regina. Less often set is Gaude gloriosa (Rejoice, O Glorious Mother of God), which we are thrilled to present as the third panel in a triptych of Marian antiphons commissioned from Matthew Martin. We begin and end with festal settings of the Magnificat, Mary’s universal message of hope, the first in Latin, the second in German.

Hail Mary!

Loved VOCES8? Then you will love this British vocal ensemble featuring some of the UK’s finest consort singers, directed by Owain Park.

The Royal Conservatory of Music

The BBC Singers present a concert of repertoire based on musical settings of the biblical texts of the Lamentations of Jeremiah.

Thomas Tallis

Events

Upcoming events

Oct 24, 2026

ORA Singers; Suzi Digby OBE conductor · Wigmore Hall

Oct 25, 2026

A Renaissance Roadtrip · Sinfonia Smith Square

Dec 18, 2026

Hail Mary! · Sinfonia Smith Square

Feb 7, 2027

The Gesualdo Six · The Royal Conservatory of Music

Apr 25, 2027

BBC Singers: Voices of Lament · Barbican Centre

Past events

9 - 12 Sep, 2026

Mozart’s Requiem with Stephen Layton · Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Sep 9, 2026

The Gesualdo Six · Wigmore Hall

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