THE KING’S SINGERS
David Hurley; Counter-tenor, Robin Tyson; Counter-tenor, Paul Phoenix; Tenor, Philip Lawson; Baritone, Christopher Gabbitas; Baritone, Stephen Connolly; Bass

For more than 30 years, an affable group of six British chaps has been gathering accolades around the globe. Lauded as much for their adventurous programming as their flawless vocal technique, the King’s Singers have garnered a devoted following and the praise of critics everywhere.

Whether singing a Renaissance madrigal or a Zulu lullaby, few a capella groups are as comfortable as the King’s Singers, whose training in the English cathedral choir tradition affords them the confidence to tackle anything ….. and they do so superbly. They constantly add to their extensive discography with titles as diverse as “Oriana” - a series dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II on her Golden Jubilee - and “Street Songs”, including commissioned pieces by Steve Martland and featuring Scottish percussionist, Evelyn Glennie. Other collaborators have included pianist, Emmanual Ax and former Beach Boy, Brian Wilson. Newly released in 2005 is “Sacred Bridges”, with Sarband, a Middle Eastern early-music group and a performance DVD is also in the pipeline.

Although the King’s Singers ‘sound’ is created by six English voices, the material they sing is multi-ethnic; indeed, they’ve been singing world music since before ‘world music’ was a buzzword! And although there have been a few changes in personnel over the years, their unique arrangements ensure the pure sound of the King’s Singers remains unmatched.

Long an international favorite of other professional singers, choristers and voice students, the King’s Singers appeal is reaching an ever-broadening audience, with a schedule for this season of more than 100 concerts in 14 countries. For the first time in twenty years, the King’s Singers toured Australia and New Zealand in May 2005 and close the year back in the U.K. with a spectacular event commemorating the 400th anniversary of the infamous “Gunpowder Plot” of 1605, complete with fireworks!

SARBAND
The group’s name SARBAND stems from Persian and Arabic, and denotes an improvised coupling of two parts within a musical suite. Vladimir Ivanoff founded Ensemble SARBAND in 1986 and has been pursuing an archaeology of complex connections ever since: Above all, SARBAND endeavors to show all possible connections between European music, and Islamic and Jewish music-culture. Both sensitively and intensely, SARBAND celebrates the symbiotic relationship between the Orient and the Occident.

The continuous musical collaboration within the Ensemble ensures that a dialogue on equal terms is maintained. It is the exchange of practical musical experience between musicians from different cultures that make the performances of SARBAND gripping, lively and utterly authentic.

“[The King’s Singers] comprises soloists whose collective virtuosity has the same microscopic perfection one sometimes hears from purely instrumental chamber musicians… technically breathtaking luxuriously beautiful and musically exact.” - The Washington Post 

“Sarband’s roots are earthly - and centered in Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean – yet its musical foundations and vocal expressiveness are equally grounded in the spiritual realm.”- ClassicsToday.com