Königin Elisabeth I. © Trustees of the British Museum
he upheavals of the English Reformation did nothing to undermine the musical role of the Chapel Royal, and choral music throughout the country continued to flourish. Every court chapel and important church employed its own choirboys, singers, choirmasters, and composers. Even Henry VIII did not reduce the number of musicians employed by his Chapel Royal, and influential institutions such as Westminster enjoyed a level of musical production that involved not only professional musicians but also the wider community. St. Margaret’s, the parish church of Westminster and arguably the city’s musical center, engaged other chapel choirs and even amateur singers for special occasions.
In this spirit, we invite our audience to sing with us one of the most extravagant works of the Renaissance Chapel Royal: Thomas Tallis’s Spem in alium, written for eight choirs of five voices each and rich in numerical symbolism surrounding the number forty and the Latin alphabet.
Choir & Organ
Grace Newcombe – Voice; Director
You are warmly invited to take part in our free workshop choir and sing with us at the concert.
Please register using this link.
Main rehearsals:
Saturday, 24 October, 2:00–6:00 p.m.
Sunday, 25 October, 4:30–5:45 p.m.
Free admission – collection
Sa Nydeggkirche, Bern
Su Barfüsserkirche, Historisches Museum Basel
Kirche Reigoldswil &
Barfüsserkirche Basel
Barfüsserkirche
Historisches Museum Basel