The Sixteen is to perform a much-anticipated concert at Croydon Minster on Monday, June 10.
The Sixteen gave its first concert in 1979 under the direction of founder and conductor Harry Christophers CBE. Their pioneering work since has made a profound impact on the performance of choral music and attracted a large new audience, not least as “The Voices of Classic FM” and through BBC television’s Sacred Music series.
The voices and period-instrument players of The Sixteen are at home in over five centuries of music, a breadth reflected in their annual Choral Pilgrimage to Britain’s great cathedrals and sacred spaces, regular appearances at the world’s leading concert halls, and award-winning recordings.
Recent highlights include the world premiere of James MacMillan’s Stabat mater, commissioned for The Sixteen by the Genesis Foundation, an ambitious ongoing series of Handel oratorios.
Whether performing a simple medieval hymn or expressing the complex musical and emotional language of a contemporary choral composition, The Sixteen does so with qualities common to all great ensembles.
Croydon concert: The Sixteen will soon be performing at the Minster
Tonal warmth, rhythmic precision and immaculate intonation are clearly essential to the mix. But it is the courage and intensity with which The Sixteen makes music that speak above all to so many people.
On The Sixteen’s programme for the 2024 Choral Pilgrimage when they perform at Croydon Minster will be Orlande de Lassus, alongside works by Josquin, Casulana and Bob Chilcott.
The visit to Croydon Minster will also include The Sixteen’s popular Choral Pilgrimage Choral Workshops, a rare and rewarding opportunity for keen amateur singers to explore a variety of music inspired by The Sixteen’s own performances.
Under the guidance of expert leaders, workshops include advice on vocal technique (breathing technique, invigorating warm-ups and voice production) as well as performance interpretation and historical context.
How to enter our exclusive prize competition
In conjunction with The Sixteen, Inside Croydon is delighted to be able to offer two prizes linked to the choir’s visit to Croydon this year: one pair of tickets for the Croydon concert, worth £50, and a CD of The Sixteen’s performing for the runner-up.
The competition is open only to fully paid-up subscribers of Inside Croydon.
To win one of our great prizes, all you have to do is answer one easy question.
Inside Croydon’s usual Ts&Cs for competitions apply, including that there is no cash alternative to the prize and anyone entering the competition should be available to attend the performance specified.
To win, all you have to do is email the correct answer to inside.croydon@btinternet.com with “SIXTEEN” in the subject header by midday on June 3.
As well as your answer, please include a daytime contact phone number and your postal address (we’ll need to mail the CD to the runner-up).
The first correct answers pulled out of the Editor’s big hat will be declared the winners, and will be contacted in the following few days to arrange to receive their prizes.
So… Drum roll… Here’s the question:
The Sixteen have used Vermeer’s Girl With A Pearl Earring in their Minster concert poster.
Name the South Croydon-based actress who played a leading role in the 2004 movie based around that portrait?
All you have to do now is:
- Make sure you’re signed up as an Inside Croydon subscriber
- Email the correct answer to inside.croydon@btinternet.com with “SIXTEEN” in the subject header
- Make sure you have done it before midday on June 3.
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
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- Inside Croydon works together with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, as well as BBC London News and ITV London
