Singer

The spells are undone, the lovers are united. Now Oberon weaves a new enchantment; an entertainment without parallel under the starlit canopy of a summer night. Purcell’s The Fairy Queen is A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but not remotely as you know it – there’s no Shakespeare, for a start! – and for Harry Christophers, it’s ‘undoubtedly Purcell’s greatest work for the London stage’.

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The Fairy Queen: London

Cadogan Hall 

‘One charming night gives more delight than a hundred lucky days…’ Harry Christophers and The Sixteen present a lively concert performance of Purcell’s The Fairy Queen.

The spells are undone, the lovers are united. Now Oberon weaves a new enchantment; an entertainment without parallel under the starlit canopy of a summer night. Purcell’s The Fairy Queen is A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but not remotely as you know it – there’s no Shakespeare, for a start! – and for Harry Christophers of The Sixteen, it’s ‘undoubtedly Purcell’s greatest work for the London stage’.

The Sixteen

Spain’s Siglo de Oro, the Age of Gold, gave rise to some of the greatest sacred choral music of the Renaissance. We devote our latest Choral Pilgrimage to pieces by two outstanding Spanish composers, exploring majestic works by Cristóbal de Morales, famed throughout Europe and in the New World, and the exquisite polyphony of Sebastián de Vivánco, whose intricately crafted counterpoint adorned services at the cathedrals of Ávila and Salamanca during the late 1500s.

Our programme also features spellbinding settings of words by Saint John Henry Newman: Sir James MacMillan’s Nothing in Vain for soloists and double choir and the world premiere of Kerensa Briggs’ Lead, Kindly Light, specially commissioned for the Choral Pilgrimage.

The Choral Pilgrimage 2026: London

Old Royal Naval College

St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, London

The Choral Pilgrimage 2026: Rochester

Rochester Cathedral

The Choral Pilgrimage 2026: Exeter

Exeter Cathedral

The Choral Pilgrimage 2026: Truro

Truro Cathedral

The Choral Pilgrimage 2026: Croydon

Croydon Minster

The Choral Pilgrimage 2026: Oxford

University Church (Oxford), Oxford

Spain’s Siglo de Oro, the Age of Gold, gave rise to some of the greatest sacred choral music of the Renaissance. We devote our latest Choral Pilgrimage to pieces by two outstanding Spanish composers, exploring majestic works by Cristóbal de Morales, famed throughout Europe and in the New World, and the exquisite polyphony of Sebastián de Vivánco, whose intricately crafted counterpoint adorned services at the cathedrals of Ávila and Salamanca during the late 1500s.

Our programme also features spellbinding settings of words by Saint John Henry Newman: Sir James MacMillan’s Nothing in Vain for soloists and double choir and the world premiere of Kerensa Briggs’ Lead, Kindly Light, specially commissioned for the Choral Pilgrimage.

Part of the York Early Music Festival

Bass

Ben Davies

Events

Upcoming events

May 12 - Sep 3, 2026

The Choral Pilgrimage 2026: London · The Sixteen

Jun 6, 2026

The Choral Pilgrimage 2026: Rochester · The Sixteen

Jun 11, 2026

The Choral Pilgrimage 2026: Exeter · The Sixteen

Jun 12, 2026

The Choral Pilgrimage 2026: Truro · The Sixteen

Jun 15, 2026

The Choral Pilgrimage 2026: Croydon · The Sixteen

Past events

Sep 25, 2024

The Fairy Queen: London · The Sixteen

Sep 25, 2024

The Sixteen · Cadogan Hall

Future and recently performed repertoire

Singer in Christus factus est pro nobis by Vivanco

The Sixteen

Singer in Emendemus in melius by Morales

The Sixteen

Singer in Assumpta est Maria by Vivanco

The Sixteen

Singer in Gaude et laetare Ferrariensis civitas by Morales

The Sixteen

Singer in Lead, kindly light by Briggs

The Sixteen

Singer in Magnificat Octavi toni by Vivanco

The Sixteen

Singer in Emendemus in melius by Morales

The Sixteen

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