Founded and directed by former King’s Singers member Nigel Short
The London-based chamber choir Tenebrae will perform Thursday, Nov. 1, at 7:30 p.m. in Brigham Young University’s de Jong Concert Hall and will be joined by the BYU Singers and Concert Choir. This will be the first time Tenebrae has allowed a college choir to perform with them in concert.
Tickets are available through the Fine Arts Ticket Office at (801) 422-4322 or online at byuarts.com/tickets. General seating tickets are $19, with discounts available to students, alumni and senior citizens. The show is also part of the BYU Performing Arts Series and artsPASS season ticket packages.
The choir will perform works by Rachmaninoff, Chesnokov, Tchaikovsky, Kalinnikov, Pärt, Kedrov and Paul Mealor. The BYU Singers, conducted by Ronald Staheli, will join Tenebrae for “Ave Maria” by Rachmaninoff. Later in the performance the Concert Choir, conducted by Rosalind Hall, will share the stage with them for “Salvator mundi” by Paul Mealor.
Tenebrae has established itself as the chamber choir of choice for critics and audiences in the United Kingdom and around the world. Founded and directed by former King’s Singers member Nigel Short, the group blends the passion of a large cathedral choir with the precision of a chamber ensemble to create a unique and enchanting sound, one which is as dazzlingly effective in medieval chant as it is in contemporary works.
With every performance exploiting the unique acoustic and atmosphere of each venue in which they perform with movement and light, often using candlelight as the sole means of illumination, the carefully chosen team of singers enables the audience to experience the power and intimacy of the human voice at its very best.
Formed in 2001, the group was launched to critical acclaim with a performance of Nigel Short’s own composition, “The Dream of Herod.” Their dedication to the music of today is complemented by a commitment to the music of the past; from medieval chant to Romantic masterworks, they respond to the demands inherent in whatever they sing with equal passion and musicality.
The group has toured all over the world, visiting Ireland, France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the USA and Bermuda, performing in many renowned festivals (BBC Proms, Montreux Choral Festival and Edinburgh Festival) and tailoring their distinctive performances to many venues (Royal Albert Hall, King’s College Chapel and Lausannes Cathedral).
For more information contact Jeff Martin at (801) 422-6340 or email jeff_martin@byu.edu or visit www.tenebrae-choir.com.
Writer: Preston Wittwer
