The Queen of Heaven: The Sixteen at the Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam

By Rosemary Carlton-Willis, 27 May 2014

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Reviewed at Muziekgebouw aan’t IJ: Main Hall, Amsterdam on 21 May 2014

Gregorian, Other (Regina Coeli)

Palestrina, Regina caeli

Palestrina, Missa Regina Caeli (Kyrie, Gloria, Angus Dei I-III)

Palestrina, Stabat Mater

Palestrina, Vineam meam non custodivi

Palestrina, Improperium expectavit cor meum

Palestrina, Song of Songs: Pulchrae sunt genae tuae

Allegri, Miserere mei, Deus

MacMillan, Strathclyde Motets (Dominus dabit benignitatem, Videns Dominus, O radiant dawn)

The Sixteen

Harry Christophers, Conductor

Bach and Gluck resound in Bath Abbey with The Sixteen

Roy Westbrook, 21st February

Large ecclesiastical buildings, with their hard surfaces and long high naves, are challenging for complex music like Bach’s.

****1

Angel of Peace: The Sixteen’s annual choral pilgrimage

Leighton Jones, 4th April

Harry Christophers and The Sixteen refresh their choral pilgrimage with works old and new, that show innovative programming at its imaginative best.

*****

Heavenly sounds from The Sixteen with Harry Christophers in Dublin

Andrew Larkin, 20th June

The Sixteen offer glorious tones, smooth polyphonic lines and vivid word paintings at the National Concert Hall.

****1

Uneven Mozart and Haydn from The Sixteen at Cadogan Hall

Mark Valencia, 16th February

The Sixteen’s work is spoilt by a shortage of violins and some uneven solo contributions. Such imperfections only serve to highlight the excellence of the very best.

***11

The Sixteen and Julian Joseph: a one-sided conversation

David Karlin, 27th January

The latest instalment of Kings Place's “Sound Unwrapped” series delivers wonderful musicianship in both jazz and early music, but not the promised “continuous fusion of styles”.

***11

Exalted Messiah: The Sixteen and Harry Christophers

Roy Westbrook, 6th December

How do you conduct the same over-familiar work for the 200th time, and make it sound quite new?

*****

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Rosemary Carlton-Willis

Rosemary Carlton-Willis is a soprano based in the Netherlands. She has one masters degree in Music (Historical Performance) from the University of York, and a second in Singing from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where she studied in both the Classical and Early Music departments. She has worked for the York Early Music Festival, the National Centre for Early Music and the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall.