City Of London Sinfonia
The City of London Sinfonia is a medium-sized group that often collaborates with choirs and opera companies. The group has a major presence in London's concert life, appearing everywhere from traditional concert halls to clubs.
The City of London Sinfonia, often CLS, was founded in 1971 by conductor Richard Hickox, who shaped the group fundamentally and remained its music director until 2008. It was originally called the Richard Hickox Orchestra. The group collaborated with choirs from the beginning, appearing in a 1973 performance of Handel's Messiah at a Royal Albert Hall Promenade concert. The CLS made its first recording in 1975, issuing an album of Bach masses on the Argo label. The change to the name City of London Sinfonia came in 1979 when the group was installed as resident ensemble at the still-under-construction Barbican Centre. The CLS began its international career with a tour of West Germany in 1985 and has continued to tour in many countries, often annually. In the mid-'80s, the CLS made several recordings for the Collegium label of music by John Rutter with the Cambridge Singers. The group began a new residency at the summer Opera Holland Park company in 2004 and continues to hold that position as of the mid-2020s.
The group often collaborates with both choral ensembles and opera companies and in 1997, its recording of Benjamin Britten's opera Peter Grimes won a Grammy Award. The group has a large repertory ranging from the Baroque to contemporary works; in its earlier years, it often focused on British music. Michael Collins was named principal conductor in 2010, with Stephen Layton serving as artistic director; since 2017, the group has been led by violinist Alexandra Wood in the position of creative director. The orchestra's recording catalog is vast, although its pace slowed somewhat in the 2010s; it has recorded for Chandos, Signum Classics, Hyperion, and many other labels. In 2023, the CLS backed The Wimbledon Choral Society on a Signum Classics recording of Cecilia McDowall's Da Vinci Requiem and 70 Degrees Below Zero. By that time, the group's recording catalog comprised more than 60 digital items, plus earlier releases during the LP era.
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John Rutter Christmas Album
Stephen Varcoe, Ruth Holton, Gerald Finley, Cambridge Singers, City Of London Sinfonia, John Rutter
Classical - Released by Collegium on 24 Sep 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vaughan Williams: Christmas Music
Richard Hickox, City Of London Sinfonia, Sarah Fox, Roderick Williams, Joyful Company of Singers
Choral Music (Choirs) - Released by Chandos on 1 Oct 2006
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Fauré: Requiem & Other Sacred Music
John Rutter, The Cambridge Singers, City Of London Sinfonia
Classical - Released by Collegium on 1 Jan 1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Christmas Night: Carols of the Nativity (Remastered 2020)
John Rutter, The Cambridge Singers, City Of London Sinfonia, Nicholas Sears, Ruth Holton, Gerald Finley
Ambient/New Age - Released by Collegium on 1 Jan 1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Britten: A Ceremony of Carols & St Nicolas
The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, Holst Singers, City Of London Sinfonia, Stephen Layton
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 Oct 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
John Rutter: Magnificat
John Rutter, City Of London Sinfonia, The Cambridge Singers
Classical - Released by Collegium on 5 May 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cello Concertos, Vol. 4
Raphael Wallfisch, City Of London Sinfonia, Nicholas Kraemer
Concertos - Released by Naxos on 9 Feb 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Concertos pour violoncelle (volume 1)
Raphael Wallfisch, City Of London Sinfonia, Nicholas Kraemer
Cello Concertos - Released by Naxos on 9 Feb 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Finzi: Cello Concerto and other Orchestral Works
Vernon Handley, Richard Hickox, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, City Of London Sinfonia, Raphael Wallfisch, Tasmin Little
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1 Jan 2007
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Cello Concertos, Vol. 3
Raphael Wallfisch, City Of London Sinfonia, Nicholas Kraemer
Classical - Released by Naxos on 13 Feb 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
La Flute Enchantée
Susan Milan, Michael Dussek, Richard Hickox, City Of London Sinfonia
Chamber Music - Released by Chandos on 1 May 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Arnold: Orchestral Works
Richard Hickox, City Of London Sinfonia
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1 Nov 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Be Thou My Vision - Sacred Music by John Rutter
Cambridge Singers, Caroline Ashton, City Of London Sinfonia, David Rix, John Rutter
Classical - Released by Collegium on 1 Oct 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonies, Vol. 2
Classical - Released by Naxos on 2 Oct 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sing, Ye Heavens: Hymns for All Time
John Rutter, The Cambridge Singers, City Of London Sinfonia
Classical - Released by Collegium on 1 Aug 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
OBOE (THE ART OF THE) - Famous Oboe Concertos (Camden)
Anthony Camden, London Virtuosi, City Of London Sinfonia, John Georgiadis, Nicholas Ward
Classical - Released by Naxos on 1 Jan 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
John Rutter: Music for Christmas
Polyphony, City Of London Sinfonia, Stephen Layton
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 Oct 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Poulenc Gloria Stabat Mater
Richard Hickox, City Of London Sinfonia
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 1 Jan 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
O Praise the Lord of Heaven
John Rutter, The Cambridge Singers, City Of London Sinfonia
Choral Music (Choirs) - Released by Collegium on 1 Sep 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Finzi: Dies natalis, Clarinet Concerto & Farewell to Arms
Martyn Hill, Michael Collins, City Of London Sinfonia, Richard Hickox
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 17 Sep 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cello Concertos, Vol. 2
Raphael Wallfisch, Keith Hurvey, City Of London Sinfonia, Nicholas Kraemer
Classical - Released by Naxos on 8 Feb 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo