Holst Singers and City of London Sinfonia in Part and Tavener

The Holst Singers

The Holst Singers is joining forces with the City of London Sinfonia, the Hilliard Ensemble and conductor Stephen Layton to perform Arvo Part's Litany. Written in 1994/1996, Litany's subtitle is Prayers of St John Chrysostom for each hour of the day and night which Part has set for vocal ensemble, choir and orchestra. The performance forms part of a concert at Southwark Cathedral on 27 March, with John Tavener's Supernatural Songs, his 2003 settings of W.B. Yeats late, Hinduism-inspired poems, and the UK premiere of Gavin Bryars The Voice of St Columba. (Further information from the Spitalfields Music website).

The Holst Singers and Stephen Layton will be performing more John Tavener on 10 April, when they given concert of his a cappella music including The Lamb, The Tyger, Funeral Ikos and Song for Athene. The concert takes place at Christ Church, Spitalfields on 10 April 2014 at 9.30pm (further information from Spitalfields Music). The concert will be preceded by a performance of Tavener's The Protecting Veil given by the City of London Sinfonia, with cellist Matthew Barley and conductor Stephen Layton. Barley and the orchestra will also be playing some of Barley's arrangements of Brazilian music inspired by his time in the Brazilian rainforest. (further information from Spitalfields Music). If you book for all three concerts then Spitalfields Music is offering 15% discount.  The concerts are also part of the City of London Sinfonia's Natural/Supernatural series, which also includes a performance of Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time on 23 April 2014, one of their CLoSeR events at Village Underground.

Rather further ahead, the Holst Singers and Stephen Layton are performing excerpts from both Rachmaninov's and Gretchaninov's settings of the Vespers, the Russian Orthodox All Night Vigil, on 14 May at Temple Church