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Angel of Peace: The Sixteen’s choral pilgrimage reaches celestial heights in Liverpool

By Leighton Jones, 06 April 2025
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“the silvery violin line seemed to float ethereally above the wash of choral sound”
Reviewed at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, Liverpool on 4 April 2025
Programme
von Bingen, Ave Generosa
Pärt, Tribute to Caesar
Todd, I shall be an angel of peace (* with solo violin)
Taverner, Gaude plurimum
von Bingen, Ave Generosa
Pärt, Da pacem Domine
Clyne, Orbits (* with solo violin)
Pärt, Magnificat
Taverner, O splendor gloriae
Performers
The Sixteen
Harry Christophers, Conductor
Sarah Sexton, Violin
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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.
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Andrew Larkin, 20th June
The Sixteen offer glorious tones, smooth polyphonic lines and vivid word paintings at the National Concert Hall. 
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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. 
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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”.
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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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The Sixteen's captivating Choral Pilgrimage reaches Winchester
David Truslove, 2nd April
This well devised programme brought out the best of The Sixteen in first rate performances under the charismatic Harry Christophers.     
*****
More reviews...
Read reviews of
Anna ClyneArvo PärtAve GenerosaDa pacem DomineHarry ChristophersHildegard von BingenJohn TavernerMagnificatO splendor gloriaeThe SixteenWill Todd
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Leighton Jones
Leighton Jones
Leighton has extensive teaching experience from early years to postgraduate level music. Currently he works as a primary music specialist, visiting instrumental teacher and examiner. As a pianist, he was inspired to play after hearing Moura Lympany at a young age and has a large collection of her recordings. Leighton’s postgraduate studies focussed on his interest in 20th-century English orchestral music, with particular study of Britten, Rawsthorne, Walton and Vaughan Williams. A keen choral singer he has developed a comprehensive knowledge of chiefly British choral music.