Polyphony (choir)
Encyclopedia
Polyphony is a small English choir formed by Stephen Layton
for one particular concert put on in King's College, Cambridge
in 1986. They have released many critically acclaimed recordings, the most recent of which is Bruckner - Mass in E Minor and Motets. They record and perform a wide range of music mainly on Hyperion Records
. Every year they perform Handel
's Messiah
and Bach
's St John Passion
in St John's Smith Square to sell-out audiences. Many of their recordings have been Gramophone editor's choice.
Including many talented musicians such as Tom Williams (english counter tenor), Polyphony have performed many times in the BBC
Proms and performed works by John Tavener
on his 60th Birthday in the Barbican
as part of its Great Performers series. They have also premiered and released prominent recordings of the music of Arvo Pärt
.
founded the choir in 1986 and has directed it since. He is also the director of the choir of Trinity College, Cambridge
.
Bruckner: Mass in E Minor and Motets
Whitacre: Cloudburst and other Choral Works
A Christmas Present from Polyphony
O Magnum Mysterium
Lauridsen: Nocturnes
Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna
Part: Triodion
Jackson: Not No Faceless Angel
Tavener: Choral Works
Rutter: Music for Christmas
Britten: Sacred and Profane
Stephen Layton
Stephen Layton is an English conductor.Layton was raised in Derby, where his father was a church organist. Layton learned the piano as a youth. He was a chorister at Winchester Cathedral, and subsequently won scholarships to Eton College and then King's College, Cambridge as an organ...
for one particular concert put on in King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
in 1986. They have released many critically acclaimed recordings, the most recent of which is Bruckner - Mass in E Minor and Motets. They record and perform a wide range of music mainly on Hyperion Records
Hyperion Records
Hyperion Records is an independent British classical record label.-History:The company was named after Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology. It was founded by George Edward Perry, widely known as "Ted", in 1980. Early LP releases included rarely recorded 20th century British music by...
. Every year they perform Handel
HANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
's Messiah
Messiah (Handel)
Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742, and received its London premiere nearly a year later...
and Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
's St John Passion
Johannes Passion
The St John Passion , BWV 245, is a sacred oratorio of Johann Sebastian Bach from the Passions. The original Latin title Passio secundum Johannem translates to "The Suffering According to John" and is rendered in English also as St. John Passion and in German as Johannespassion...
in St John's Smith Square to sell-out audiences. Many of their recordings have been Gramophone editor's choice.
Including many talented musicians such as Tom Williams (english counter tenor), Polyphony have performed many times in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Proms and performed works by John Tavener
John Tavener
Sir John Tavener is a British composer, best known for such religious, minimal works as "The Whale", and "Funeral Ikos"...
on his 60th Birthday in the Barbican
Barbican Centre
The Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Located in the City of London, England, the Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory...
as part of its Great Performers series. They have also premiered and released prominent recordings of the music of Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt is an Estonian classical composer and one of the most prominent living composers of sacred music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs his self-made compositional technique, tintinnabuli. His music also finds its inspiration and influence from...
.
Stephen Layton
The director of Polyphony, Stephen LaytonStephen Layton
Stephen Layton is an English conductor.Layton was raised in Derby, where his father was a church organist. Layton learned the piano as a youth. He was a chorister at Winchester Cathedral, and subsequently won scholarships to Eton College and then King's College, Cambridge as an organ...
founded the choir in 1986 and has directed it since. He is also the director of the choir of Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
.
Recordings
Polyphony recordings include:Bruckner: Mass in E Minor and Motets
Whitacre: Cloudburst and other Choral Works
A Christmas Present from Polyphony
O Magnum Mysterium
Lauridsen: Nocturnes
Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna
Part: Triodion
Jackson: Not No Faceless Angel
Tavener: Choral Works
Rutter: Music for Christmas
Britten: Sacred and Profane