The Gesualdo Six

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The Gesualdo Six
Vocal ensemble
line-up of young men in black suits
The Gesualdo Six at Trinity College Chapel in 2024
OriginCambridge, UK
GenreMedieval, Renaissance and Contemporary choral music
DirectorOwain Park
LabelHyperion
Websitethegesualdosix.co.uk

The Gesualdo Six are a British vocal consort, directed by Owain Park. The group performs a broad-ranging repertoire, from the music of the medieval period through to contemporary compositions of the present day.

The Gesualdo Six was founded in Cambridge in 2014 for a performance of the Tenebrae Responsories for Maundy Thursday by Carlo Gesualdo, in the chapel of Trinity College.[1]

The ensemble were St John's Smith Square Young Artists for the 2015–2016 season,[2] and in partnership with St John's Smith Square and the Music Sales Group, curated a composition competition in 2016, which attracted over 170 entries from across the globe.[3] A second composition competition in 2018 attracted over 300 entries.[4]

Performances and tours

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The Gesualdo Six perform widely around the UK and internationally. Performances have included concerts at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, the Snape Maltings Concert Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, the York Early Music Festival, the Lammermuir Festival and the Little Missenden Festival.[5]

The group has collaborated with the string ensemble Fretwork on an immersive theatrical concert, Secret Byrd, which presents the life and work of the Elizabethan composer William Byrd.[6]

In addition to regular concerts across the UK and Europe,[7][8][9] the ensemble undertakes several inter-continental tours a year, these have included several tours of the United States,[10] Canada,[11] Australia[12][13] and New Zealand.[14]

Recordings

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In 2018 the Gesualdo Six released their debut album, English Motets, on the Hyperion label.[15][16] It features works from the English Renaissance by composers including Dunstaple, Cornysh, Byrd, Tallis, Tomkins, Sheppard and Morley. It was selected for the quarterly Bestenliste by the German Record Critics' Awards in August 2018.[17]

A second CD, Christmas, was released in November 2019, again on the Hyperion label.[18] It was selected as The Times 'Album of the Week' for 15 December 2019.[19] Their third album, Fading, was released in March 2020,[20] and won Limelight magazine's "Vocal & Choral Recording of the Year".[21]

Subsequent recordings on the Hyperion label have been Josquin's legacy (2021),[22][23] Tenebrae Responsories for Maundy Thursday (2022),[24][25] Lux aeterna (2022),[26][27] Byrd: Mass for five voices & other works (2023),[28][29] and Morning star (2023).[30]

Discography

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  • Byrd: Mass for five voices & other works (2023), Hyperion CDA68416
  • Christmas (2019), Hyperion CDA68299
  • English Motets (2018), Hyperion CDA68256
  • Fading (2020), Hyperion CDA68285
  • Tenebrae Responsories for Maundy Thursday (2022), Hyperion CDA68348
  • Josquin's legacy (2021), Hyperion CDA68379
  • Lux aeterna (2022), Hyperion CDA68388
  • Morning star (2023), Hyperion CDA68404
  • Queen of Hearts (year), Hyperion CDA68453

References

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  1. ^ "Meet the team – The Gesualdo Six". The Gesualdo Six. Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  2. ^ "Past Young Artists". St John's Smith Square. Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  3. ^ "Composition Competition 2016 – The Gesualdo Six". The Gesualdo Six. 2016-05-10. Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  4. ^ admin (2019-01-25). "Composition Competition 2019". The Gesualdo Six. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  5. ^ "Past Performances". The Gesualdo Six. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  6. ^ Paget, Clive (29 January 2023). "Secret Byrd review – cloak-and-dagger concert hails a musical genius". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  7. ^ "The Gesualdo Six - The Wishing Tree @ Cork International Choral Festival 2023". The Journal of Music | News, Reviews and Opinion. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  8. ^ "Kerst met The Gesualdo Six". www.theateraandeparade.nl. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  9. ^ "24 July The Gesualdo Six at the Church of St Catherine". Vilnius 700. 2023-06-26. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  10. ^ "The Gesualdo Six - 2/18 at 8PM". Miller Theatre at Columbia University. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  11. ^ "A Fulfilling First Canadian Tour for the Gesualdo Six – Seen and Heard International". seenandheard-international.com. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  12. ^ Mohseni, Aryan (2023-04-06). "Review: The Gesualdo Six". State of the Art Media. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  13. ^ "★★★★★ English Motets (The Gesualdo Six, Perth Festival)". Limelight. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  14. ^ "William Dart review: Six sing in great wonderment". NZ Herald. 2024-01-26. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  15. ^ "English Motets − The Gesualdo Six, Owain Park (conductor)". Hyperion-records.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  16. ^ Pritchard, Stephen (2018-04-08). "Home listening: the joys of evensong, on disc, online and on Radio 3". The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  17. ^ Kirsch, Holger. "Bestenliste 3-2018". Schallplattenkritik.de (in German). Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  18. ^ "Christmas". Hyperion-records.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  19. ^ Canning, Hugh; Cairns, Dan; Driver, Paul; Pettitt, Stephen (2019-12-15). "On record: classical — December 15". The Times. London. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  20. ^ "Fading : The Gesualdo Six". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  21. ^ Paget, Clive (23 November 2020). "Recording of the Year 2020 winners revealed". Limelight. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  22. ^ "Josquin's legacy". Hyperion. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  23. ^ Keebaugh, Aaron (9 October 2023). "CD Review: Josquin and Friends Inspire Gesualdo Six to the Heights". Early Music America. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  24. ^ "Tenebrae Responsories for Maundy Thursday". Hyperion. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  25. ^ Palmer, Andrew (5 March 2022). "Classical Music Review: Tenebrae Responsories Feria Quinta The Gesualdo Six". yorkshiretimes.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  26. ^ "Lux aeterna". Hyperion. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  27. ^ "Lux Aeterna (The Gesualdo Six, Owain Park)". Limelight. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  28. ^ "Byrd: Mass for five voices & other works". Hyperion. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  29. ^ "Byrd Mass for Five Voices". Gramophone. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  30. ^ "Morning star". Hyperion. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
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