The King’s Singers

“They are still unmatched for their sheer musicality and ability to entertain.”
– The London Times

Described as possessing an “impeccably manicured vocal blend, enchanting the ear from first to last note” (Gramophone Magazine), The King’s Singers maintain the highest calibre of a cappella performance. The group continues to be one of the most sought-after vocal ensembles in the world, adding a prestigious Grammy Award in 2009 to their array of accolades. In January 2010 The King’s Singers have received the MIDEM Classical Award in the DVD: Concerts category for their ‘Live at the BBC Proms’DVD on Signum Vision. Featuring the crème de la crème of pieces from their vast repertoire, the programme demonstrates the spectacular artistry for which the ensemble has become renowned the world over.

Their concert diary includes in excess of 120-130 performances annually, delighting their widespread and enthusiastic fan-base. They have sung from Anchorage to the Azores, Beirut to Beijing, Cape Town to Copenhagen and Zweibrücken to Zurich. Recent highlights include performances in London’s Royal Albert Hall, Windsor Castle, The Sage Gateshead, King’s College Chapel, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Berlin Philharmonie, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Salzburg Mozarteum and Paris Salle Gaveau. In the US recent concerts include Cincinnati, Lincoln Center (New York), Dallas, Salt Lake City (with the Utah Symphony), Princeton University, and New York City’s Carnegie Hall.

The breadth of The King’s Singers repertoire in concert and on CD is vast. They have collaborated with such musical luminaries as pianist Emanuel Ax, jazz legend George Shearing, soprano Kiri te Kanawa, mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne, percussionist Evelyn Glennie as well as world music ensemble Sarband, viol consort Concordia, the WDR Big Band of Cologne, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, and the early music improvisation band L’Arpeggiata. Expanding the scope of their library The King’s Singers commission new works. The long list of composers who have written for the group includes György Ligeti, Richard Rodney Bennett, Luciano Berio, Peter Maxwell Davies, Krysztof Penderecki, Eric Whitacre, Toru Takemitsu and John Tavener.

The group has received numerous awards and plaudits for their recordings, and is fast approaching 100 album releases. Now recording with Signum Classics, the group has covered music from the renaissance in “The Golden Age: Siglo de Oro” (“unmissable”, Classic FM Magazine), to “Landscape & Time”, a contemporary album (“impeccable singing” Gramophone Magazine) and a studio album of folk, spiritual and pop “Simple Gifts”, released in the group’s 40th anniversary season in 2008, which went to No.1 in the iTunes crossover charts and won the coveted Grammy Award in 2009. Their most recent recordings are “Romance du Soir”, containing music by Saint-Saëns, Elgar, Schubert and others, and a live performance CD and DVD from the Royal Albert Hall at the BBC Proms.

The charm, wit and extraordinary musicianship of The King’s Singers are further enjoyed through many workshops and masterclasses. The group is “Prince Consort Ensemble in Residence” at The Royal College of Music in London, and holds a bi-annual summer course and residency at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.

The King’s Singers

Recording has always played a vital part in The King's Singers schedule, whether it be on the numerous worldwide television and radio broadcasts they customarily make, or on its list of almost 100 albums. This body of work reflects the diversity of the group's live performance venues, as well as displaying its customary flawless intonation and musicality. After the debut 'By Appointment' album, (re-released in 2000 by Chandos Records) the group signed to EMI and enjoyed a career which spanned both EMI's classical and pop divisions. As part of the group’s 2008 40th anniversary celebrations, EMI released both a double-disc ‘Greatest Hits’ compilation and a five-disc set including ‘The Beatles Connection’, ‘A Tribute to the Comedian Harmonists’, ‘Folksongs of the British Isles’, ‘Madrigal History Tour’, and ‘The King’s Singers Believe in Music’. EMI has plans to make its full catalogue available for digital re-release so that best-selling titles like 'Out of the Blue', 'The King's Singers sing Flanders & Swann and Noel Coward', and 'Get Happy' (with jazz legend George Shearing) will be available to download. Moving to BMG in the 1990s albums like 'Good Vibrations' sit alongside 'Sermons and Devotions', 'Street Songs' (with percussionist Evelyn Glennie), and 'Spirit Voices', which includes 'Our Father' written and produced by Bruce Johnston, a track originally written for, but never recorded by The Beach Boys.

The King's Singers have guested on albums too, and have in recent years enjoyed working with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra on a Beatles album (produced by George Martin), and taking part in Sony's complete Ligeti Edition with his Nonsense Madrigals, written for the group. They have also recorded with L'Arpeggiata on their album 'Los Impossibles', and for the Salvation Army (The Quiet Heart, Reflections). A new DVD and CD are now on general release with The Mormon Tabernacle Choir. ‘Rejoice and be Merry’, recorded during live performances in December 2007, and shown on PBS on Christmas Eve 2008.

The King's Singers now records with Signum Records, and the partnership has released ten albums in five years: ‘King’s Singers Christmas’, Gesualdo's 'Tenebrae Responsories for Maundy Thursday', ‘Sacred Bridges’, ‘Six’, ‘Treason & Dischord’, a concert performance DVD ‘From Byrd to the Beatles’, Tallis’ ‘Spem in Alium’, ‘The Triumphs of Oriana’, and Landscape & Time’ are all in the catalogue. New releases for 2008 are ‘The Golden Age - Siglo de oro’, a disc of Iberian sacred music, and ‘Simple Gifts’, an album of ballad, spiritual and folk song arrangements. In December 2008 both a CD and DVD of the group’s anniversary concert at the BBC Proms (Royal Albert Hall, London) were released, and ‘Romance du Soir’ is released in 2009. 2010 will see The King's Singers release ‘From the Heart’ in  February, ‘Pachelbel Vespers’with Charivari Agreable in March and ‘Swimming Over London’ in June which uses smooth jazz as the inspiration for new pieces and arrangements.

For more information on the group’s latest news and all concert dates, visit www.kingssingers.com

Counterpoint Taidal Management sole represents The King’s Singers in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Faroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland.