The King's Singers
Comprising an ever-changing cast of six members -- two countertenors, a tenor, a bass, and two baritones -- The King's Singers are a long-running British vocal ensemble that tours the world singing a variety of repertory. Since their inception in the '60s and into the new millennium, the group has continued to perform, frequently to sold-out audiences.
The ensemble was formed in 1965 by six choral scholars of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. They decided to make a private recording of some of the secular music they had been working on, calling themselves "Schola Cantorum Pro Musica Profana in Cantabridgiense." They commissioned 100 pressings to keep and give to friends and families. From this start, the six (Martin Lane, Alastair Hume, Neil Jenkins, Richard Salter, Simon Carrington, and Brian Kay) decided to undertake a tour, and booked themselves as "Six Choral Scholars from King's College." The tour was a success, and a new name -- The King's Singers, suggested by an Argo Records executive -- was chosen.
Their first concert officially took place on May 1, 1968. By 1971, The King's Singers had drawn considerable attention in England and they began making their first recordings. By Appointment and The King's Music appeared in 1971 and 1972, respectively. In the '80s, The King's Singers experienced their first personnel changes, but the group's popularity remained high, bolstered by a heavy touring schedule that even included an appearance on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. Then-recent recordings, like their All at Once Well Met: English Madrigals (1985) and The Beatles Connection (1986), achieved impressive sales.
The King's Singers continue to entertain audiences with their music, maintaining their meticulous style through numerous changes in the ensemble's lineup. Of their past members, the longest serving was Alastair Hume, who remained with The King's Singers until the end of the 1992 season. Several former members, such as Nigel Short, Gabriel Crouch, and composer Bob Chilcott, have established successful solo careers. As of mid-2020s, the group's membership included countertenors Patrick Dunachie and Edward Button, tenor Julian Gregory, baritones Christopher Bruerton and Nick Ashby, and bass Jonathan Howard.
The King's Singers have made several dozen recordings of a wide variety of music for several labels, everything from madrigals and motets to Japanese folk songs to a cappella arrangements of pop songs. They have also commissioned a large number of new compositions from composers such as Luciano Berio, György Ligeti, Toru Takemitsu, James MacMillan, and Gabriela Lena Frank. In addition, they teach master classes and summer programs for young musicians. In 2009, the King's Singers won a Grammy Award for their recording Simple Gifts, on the Signum label. They were also part of Eric Whitacre's 2012 Grammy-winning recording Light & Gold. Great American Songbook followed in 2013 and Postcards in 2014. In 2017, they issued Gold, a three-disc set that featured their takes on traditional classics and pop hits from the likes of Wiz Khalifa ("See You Again"), The Beatles ("And I Love Her"), KT Tunstall ("Black Horse and the Cherry Tree"), John Legend ("All of Me"), and many more. 2020 saw the release of Finding Harmony, a 19-track set that spanned both styles and centuries, with the intent of uniting the world through song. The year 2023 saw four releases from The King's Singers, including Wonderland, which contained performances of György Ligeti's Nonsense Madrigals.
© TiVo Staff /TiVo
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Meet You in the Maze
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Signum Records on 2 Sep 2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Remember Me (From "Coco")
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 25 Nov 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Down to the River to Pray (Arr. Philip Lawson)
Classical - Released by Signum Records on 1 Sep 2020
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover (Arr. Andrew Jackman)
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Signum Records on 20 May 2021
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Choral Essays, Vol. 2: Reflections
Classical - Released by The Sound Corporation on 1 Apr 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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In The Real Early Morning (Arr. Patrick Dunachie)
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Signum Records on 3 Jun 2021
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Let It Snow
Albrecht Mayer, The King's Singers
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Somewhere Over The Rainbow
The King's Singers, Misha Mullov-Abbado, Liam Dunachie
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Signum Records on 23 Jun 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
When I See An Elephant Fly
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 27 Jan 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Alive
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Signum Records on 3 Aug 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Rhythm of Life
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Signum Records on 30 Jun 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Let It Snow
Albrecht Mayer, The King's Singers
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
If I Can Help Somebody (arr. Stacey V. Gibbs)
Classical - Released by Signum Records on 20 Jan 2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Harmonious Voices: An Acapella Christmas
Christmas Music - Released by East Props Music - OMiP on 9 Dec 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Let it Go (From "FROZEN")
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 24 Mar 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
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Sermons & Devotions
Classical - Released by RCA Red Seal on 4 Jun 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
My Heart Is a Holy Place
Pop - Released by East Props Music - OMiP on 15 Mar 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
One Last Time
Pop - Released by East Props Music - OMiP on 29 Mar 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo