Name: The Deer’s Cry: Tanglewood Festival
Start: 2025-08-14T20:00:00
Location: Tanglewood Music Center

Step into a world where music transcends time and space with The Sixteen's Choral Pilgrimage 2025: Angel of Peace, a harmonious tour de force that blends the ancient with the modern. This remarkable series spans multiple venues across the UK and Europe, featuring works by medieval abbess Hildegard of Bingen and contemporary composer Anna Clyne. Join conductor Harry Christophers, violinist Sarah Sexton, and the acclaimed ensemble as they explore peace through music. Complementing this pilgrimage is the Sounds Sublime series, a vibrant celebration of youth and family choirs, offering workshops and performances to inspire and uplift all ages.

Harmony Through Time: A Journey with The Sixteen

2025 promises a rich tapestry of choral experiences, blending historical reverence with contemporary innovation. From The Sixteen's Choral Pilgrimage: Angel of Peace, offering a serene journey through centuries of music, to Tanglewood Festival's exploration of sacred works by Byrd and Pärt, audiences will immerse in diverse artistic expressions. Workshops and recitals at venues like Chichester Cathedral and Tanglewood Music Center further enrich these events, spotlighting both celebrated compositions and new contributions by artists like Anna Clyne.

2025's Choral Highlights: Celebrating Peace, Tradition, and Innovation

Harry Christophers

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: Exeter

Exeter Cathedral

The Choral Pilgrimage 2026: Truro

Truro Cathedral

Join us for a day of singing, learning and vocal discovery with The Sixteen’s Choral Workshops for Wellbeing. These relaxed and welcoming workshops are designed for singers who want to enjoy making music together while also learning more about how to care for their voice.

The day begins with an introduction to vocal health before moving into singing. After a guided warm-up, participants spend the morning working on choral repertoire together, led by The Sixteen’s Associate Conductor Eamonn Dougan with members of The Sixteen Charlotte Mobbs (Vocal Habilitation Professional) and Julie Cooper (Nutritional Therapist). Through practical rehearsal and ensemble singing, you’ll explore beautiful repertoire while developing confidence, technique and vocal awareness.

Choral Workshop for Wellbeing: Rochester

King’s School Rochester

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

The Choral Pilgrimage 2026: York

York Minster

Join us for a day of singing, learning and vocal discovery with The Sixteen’s Choral Workshops for Wellbeing. These relaxed and welcoming workshops are designed for singers who want to enjoy making music together while also learning more about how to care for their voice.

The day begins with an introduction to vocal health before moving into singing. After a guided warm-up, participants spend the morning working on choral repertoire together, led by The Sixteen’s Associate Conductor Eamonn Dougan with members of The Sixteen Charlotte Mobbs (Vocal Habilitation Professional) and Julie Cooper (Nutritional Therapist). Through practical rehearsal and ensemble singing, you’ll explore beautiful repertoire while developing confidence, technique and vocal awareness.

Following a lunch break, the afternoon explores how wellbeing supports great singing. Sessions on nutrition and vocal care offer practical insights into how breathing, posture, diet and overall health can support your voice. The day then returns to singing, with further repertoire work and a final run-through to bring the music together.

Choral Workshop for Wellbeing: Oxford

Wesley Memorial Methodist Church, Oxford

The Choral Pilgrimage 2026: Hereford

Hereford Cathedral

The Choral Pilgrimage 2026: Middlesbrough

Saint Mary's RC Cathedral

The Choral Pilgrimage 2026: Hexham

Hexham Abbey

The Choral Pilgrimage 2026: Edinburgh

Greyfriars Kirk

Whilst coming from very different eras, William Byrd and Arvo Pärt are both considered masters of sacred music despite having faced considerable persecution for their work. As part of  the 2025 Tanglewood Festival, this programme presents six of William Byrd’s works from the Cantiones Sacrae including the monumental Tribue, Domine, and the mighty eight-voice motet Ad Dominum cum tribularer. The three works by Arvo Pärt speak in his unmistakable voice, with its unique blend of ancient and modern, and include his mesmerising Nunc dimittis which is crafted in his bell-like ‘tinitinnabuli’ style.

The Deer’s Cry: Tanglewood Festival

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