| Date and venue | Title |
|---|---|
| 17-Nov-2012 Canongate Kirk | Calton Consort: Translated Daughters |
From the altar of their customary home in Edinburgh’s 1691 Canongate Kirk, Calton Consort presented an a cappella concert enigmatically entitled “Translated Daughters”. The enigma dissolved upon hearing W.H. Auden’s text for Britten’s Hymn to St Cecilia. It features the arresting couplet: “Translated Daughter, come down and startle / Composing mortals with immortal fire.” As though the transmission of musical inspiration from Heaven to Earth were not difficult enough, Britten experienced his own earthbound obstacles.Read full review... | |
| 9-Jun-2012 Durham Cathedral | Renaissance for Durham |
In my notes for this evening’s concert by Renaissance, a chamber choir founded by the young singer, conductor and composer Ben Rowarth, one word kept recurring – “thoughtful”. This was a programme that had been carefully put together, and which was performed without any unnecessary flashiness or attempts to impress. The result was an evening of outstanding musicality and maturity; it was hard to believe that Ben Rowarth is just 20, and that almost all the singers were under 30.Read full review... | |