The Sixteen
The Sixteen has established itself as an elite ensemble in the world of choral music. Acclaimed for its interpretation of music from the Renaissance and the Baroque, the Sixteen has also ventured forward in time to the music of the 20th and 21st centuries. The ensemble has reached audiences across the globe through its performances, recordings, and outreach initiatives.
The Sixteen was founded in 1977 by Harry Christophers as a nameless choir, adopting the "Sixteen" name and giving its first billed concert in 1979. The ensemble's concept from its inception was to perform the music of the English polyphony through contemporary choral music. Christophers created a period-instrument ensemble for the Sixteen as well, dubbed at different times as the Orchestra of the Sixteen and the Symphony of Harmony & Invention; the ensemble is essential to the Sixteen's performance of the oratorios, odes, and operas of composers such as Handel, Monteverdi, and Purcell. The ensemble premiered Sir Harrison Birtwistle's opera Gawain at Covent Garden in 1991, and it has toured extensively, regularly performing throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The ensemble has made recordings almost from the beginning of its existence, recording for Hyperion, Chandos, and Virgin Classics, among others. The Sixteen has won several awards, including the 1992 Gramophone Award for The Rose and the Ostrich Feather: Music from the Eton Choirbook, Vol. 1, as well as the Diapason d'Or and Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik.
Beginning in 2000, the Sixteen annually tours England with a concert series titled the Choral Pilgrimage. In 2001, the group established the Coro label, where it has since issued its recordings. In 2009, Classic FM named the Sixteen "Artist of the Year." Since 2010, the ensemble has worked with the Genesis Foundation in the U.K., which has fostered a youth program, Genesis Sixteen. The foundation also commissioned a new work for the Sixteen, James MacMillan's Stabat Mater, which the ensemble premiered in 2016; it has also been featured on the BBC series Sacred Music. In 2017, the group embarked on its first tour of China. In 2019, the Sixteen celebrated its 40th anniversary with 40, an album of highlights from the group's recordings. The Sixteen has continued adding to its prolific recording catalog, issuing multiple albums each year, including four in 2021 alone. In 2022, it issued An Old Belief (the same title was used for that year's Choral Pilgrimage), featuring music by Hubert Parry, Thomas Campion, and Cecilia McDowall.
© Keith Finke /TiVo
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Blest Cecilia: Britten Choral Works 1
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers
Classical - Released by Coro on Jan 1, 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Victoria: Hail, Mother of the Redeemer
Classical - Released by CORO on Jan 31, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Into The Light
Kaori Muraji, The Sixteen, Harry Christophers
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Great European Choral Works
Classical - Released by Coro on May 28, 2012
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J.S. Bach: Cantatas 34, 50, 147 (Studio)
Classical - Released by Coro on Jan 1, 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
An Immortal Legacy
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers
Classical - Released by Coro on Apr 29, 2013
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Israel In Egypt
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers
Classical - Released by CORO on Jul 1, 1993
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Hodie Christus natus est
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers
Classical - Released by CORO on Jul 13, 2018
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Vivaldi: Gloria in D Major, RV 589 / Bach: Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers
Classical - Released by CORO on Nov 14, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Crown of Thorns: Eton Choirbook Volume II
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers
Classical - Released by Coro on Mar 1, 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sheppard: Church Music, Vol. 3
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers
Classical - Released by Hyperion on May 1, 1992
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Royal Manuscripts : The Genius of Illumination (Medieval & Renaissance Music inspired by the British Library Exhibition)
Classical - Released by The Sixteen Productions Ltd. on Apr 30, 2012
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The Earth Resounds (Josquin, Brumel, Lassus)
Classical - Released by The Sixteen Productions Ltd. on Jan 30, 2012
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J. S. Bach: Lutheran Masses, Vol. 1
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers
Classical - Released by CORO on Sep 30, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Music from the Chapel Royal - 'The King's Musick'
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers
Classical - Released by Coro on Oct 10, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Star of Heaven - The Eton Choirbook Legacy
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers
Classical - Released by CORO on Nov 2, 2018
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
John Tavener : Ikon of Light (Special Commemorative Edition)
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers
Classical - Released by Coro on Jan 1, 1994
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The Mystery Of The Cross
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers
Classical - Released by CORO on Mar 17, 1998
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The Queen of Heaven
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers
Classical - Released by Coro on Apr 1, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Requiem, Op. 48: Agnus Dei
Classical - Released by CORO on Aug 13, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo