In 2008 the ensemble celebrates 40 years of music making. Regularly performing in excess of 100 concerts every season complemented by recording and teaching, The King's Singers delight audiences around the world with their incomparable musicianship, charm and wit. With the recent album release 'Landscape and Time' having been described as possessing 'singing of rare distinction', and 'stunningly high musical standards', they have maintained their place at the apex of a cappella singing, and are counted amongst the world's elite classical performers.
The King's Singers repertoire is all encompassing; from medieval music to masterpieces of the Renaissance, from lieder to folk, pop and jazz or with a contemporary commission from a leading composer, they are constantly expanding their repertoire. Since their debut concert in 1968 they have commissioned works from many well-known composers including Krystof Penderecki, Luciano Berio, Peter Maxwell Davies, Richard Rodney Bennett and Gyorgy Ligeti. With a dozen such commissions since 2000, the latest works will come from John McCabe, Eric Whitacre, Michael Nyman and Jay Greenberg.
The list of venues at which they have appeared is equally diverse, including cathedrals and palaces as well as with many of the world's major concert halls. They have joined forces with many famous orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinatti Pops Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and in the last season with chamber ensembles Concordia, Sarband and L'Arpeggiata.
The group also team-up with distinguished soloists like Kiri Te Kanawa, Emanuel Ax, George Shearing, Evelyn Glennie, and even Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys. These collaborations have often resulted in recordings to add to the group's discography of nearly 100 albums on the Signum Classics, BMG and EMI labels.
Renowned for their commitment to blend, balance and intonation in their own performances, they are keen to pass on their knowledge through educational work. They conduct masterclass courses in many countries, and have for 10 years been Prince Consort Ensemble-in-Residence at the Royal College of Music, London.
But above all it is their simple enjoyment of what they do that has captured the imagination of the public all over the world. As the London Times puts it, they are 'still unmatched for their musicality and sheer ability to entertain.'
| David Hurley |
Counter-tenor |
Now in my eighteenth year as a King's Singer, I continue to enjoy my life as an itinerant musician, travelling around the world to an enormous variety of concert venues. My future life as a singer was kick-started when in 1970, aged 7 and a half, I was offered the choice by my parents of watching Southampton's soccer team, or attending the choir trials for Winchester Cathedral Choir. I chose the latter, and that set a chain of events in action which leads me here today. Having said that, I can't help feeling that if my choice had been different, I would not be reflecting on a career in soccer. After three years at Oxford University, I began my life as a professional singer, which led me into my current position on the right wing of the King's Singers. Away from the concert platform, I love being at home with my wife, Sarah, where we are constantly trying to tame our rather wild garden. When time and weather permit, I like to spend time sailing my boat, which is very like being a member of The King's Singers - hard work, with a lot of time spent making sure everything is in order, but capable of providing wonderful moments of happiness and satisfaction.
| Robin Tyson |
Counter-tenor |
I was hooked on The King's Singers the moment my first audition began, when the five people huddled around me began a piece by taking a breath at the same time. 'What a brilliant idea,' I thought to myself. 'I bet that's how they do it without a conductor! If I can breathe like that I might have a chance here.' 700 concerts later I've got the hang of the breathing, and more besides.
It is amazing to me that I have been singing countertenor (or 'countertinkler' as one enlightened lady from Miami once called my efforts) for half of my life. I sang treble in Canterbury Cathedral before arriving at King's College Cambridge as a squeaky 18-year-old. Performing every day in the chapel, whose acoustic makes anyone sound good, was a pure joy and convinced me I could have a career in singing. These days, without the help of that acoustic, I rely on the best colleagues anyone could wish for.
Passing 10 years with The King's Singers represents a milestone for me in several respects: firstly that I'm still here and enjoying it so much. Secondly that my thirties have been spent travelling the globe singing in some of the world's greatest performance venues, and thirdly that I'm privileged to be a member of the group during its 40th anniversary year.
However the last few years have not just been exciting musically, but also personally. I love the time at home with my wife Helena, between tours, taking William, now 11 and Edward, 7, to school, and being part of a vibrant rural community near Cambridge.
Keeping fit has taken on a new significance (something to do with turning 40!), and running in as many different countries as possible is part of the challenge (it currently stands at 20). My love of cars and motoring remains as strong as ever, and I recently bought my dream car. I won't describe it as a mid-life crisis sports car, but as a mid-life opportunity! Here's to the next ten years!
I become an instant fan of The King's Singers when I saw them perform 'Now is the month of Maying' on the BBC's daytime chat show 'Pebble Mill at One' way back in 1974. To have imagined then that twenty years later I would be a member myself of the group I came to love would have been unthinkable, but in 1982, having gained a music degree at York and three years' experience of freelance singing in London, I arrived in Salisbury to find myself in the same cathedral choir as Jamie Carrington, son of Simon Carrington, founder member of the King's Singers. I received the inevitable phone call from Simon early in the year of his retirement, 1993, inviting me to audition for his job, and although it's a terrible cliché I'm going to say it anyway: the rest is history!
While in Salisbury I had in addition to the Lay Clerkship in the Cathedral Choir been Director of Music at a local school and the pianist and arranger for a jazz band. Now, in complete contrast in January 1994, I was sitting on a plane to the USA putting the finishing touches to my learning of
Good Vibrations and Cecilia! The job is certainly different, although I still get to teach sometimes when we do workshops, and I also get to indulge my lifelong passion for composing and arranging; but after 14 years and well over 1000 concerts I still wouldn't want to do anything else. My family of very supportive wife and very lovely three daughters keep telling me it's ok – actually they probably prefer me out of the way, but since it puts thousands of miles between me and the constant nagging of four women, that's fine by me too!
| Christopher Gabbitas |
Baritone |
Born in Cornwall and raised in Kent, I am realising an early ambition in being a member of The King's Singers, having been raised by my parents listening to pieces such as
Timepiece,
Mary had a Baby and
The Mermaid as sung by the original group. My musical education began as a chorister at Rochester Cathedral, and continued through school and university where I sang both as a choral scholar in the choir of St. John's College, Cambridge and as a lay clerk at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, whilst pursuing graduate and post-graduate law studies. For a while I practiced as a solicitor in the City of London, combining this with being a member of the Choir of the Temple Church (made famous by the entirely fictional
Da Vinci Code) where I premiered Sir John Tavener's 12-hour overnight marathon
The Veil of the Temple. In 2003 I successfully auditioned for the second baritone role within The King's Singers, joining in 2004, and am thrilled to be part of this incredible group, particularly enjoying the variety of music and travel opportunities this brings, as well as being able to work with some of the finest musicians in the world. My home is in Greenwich, London, with a wonderfully supportive wife, Stephanie, and our cats, Sebastian and Amelia, waiting to greet me every time I return from tour.
As I am writing this, it occurs to me that in two days time I will celebrate my 20th anniversary with The King's Singers. It has been the most thrilling experience a singer could ever dream of. Not only to be fortunate enough to travel and sing around the globe but also to be a co-director of one of the world's most exciting vocal ensembles. My journey started as a boy chorister in Leeds, Yorkshire where I grew up. Then as a baritone at the age of 18 I was fortunate to win a scholarship to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. After three years in London and at the tender age of 21 I had a chance to audition with The King's Singers and the rest is history. Having spent many years living in London I now live in the south west of England in the beautiful county of Devon where I love to return from time to time between our busy touring schedule to be a dad to my two teenage children and to make music with them when they let me. Music and singing have been a gift in my life and it is a pleasure to be able to give back and bring joy to those around me.
