Tenebrae (choir)

Tenebrae is a London-based professional

History

Tenebrae was founded in 2001 by Nigel Short,^[1] together with Barbara Pollock. It was launched in 2001 with a performance of Nigel Short's own composition, The Dream of Herod, created to demonstrate a theatrical style of performing within religious buildings, involving movement around the performance venue as well as dramatic use of lighting and ambiance.^[2] In 2002, they commissioned John Tavener to compose Mother and Child, setting a poem by Brian Keeble for choir, organ and temple gong. They performed the world premiere and made a recording of the same title, including other contemporary sacred music.^[3]

In 2006 the group toured with Joby Talbot's

label.

When Tenebrae toured New York in 2011, The New York Times wrote: "if the group toured here as often as The Tallis Scholars, it could probably match — perhaps even draw on — that ensemble’s considerable following in New York."^[4]

Tenebrae have also ventured into popular genres, performing "

So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish" in the film version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Tenebrae features also on the soundtrack of the film Children of Men

.

In 2019 Tenebrae first appeared at the

Rheingau Musikpreis of 2023 during a performance called The Immersive Night of Choral Music; it offered Victoria's Officium Defunctorum, secular and sacred motets sung by the Tenebrae Consort of five to eight solo voices, and ending with Path of Miracles.^[1][5] The jury noted the choir's perfect intonation, precision and sound balance, serving emotionally touching concerts.^[1][5] A reviewer from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung described the sopranos as "floatingly free" and the basses as "fulminantly rich and sounding like a deep organ register".^[5]

Recordings

• Mother and Child^[3]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Rheingau Musik Preis 2023 an den Tenebrae Choir". MIZ (in German). 24 July 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
2. ^ "Tenebrae: Choir". Three Choirs Festival. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
3. ^ ^{a b} Witherden, B. (October 2003). "Mother and Child". Gramophone. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
4. ^ ^{a b} Kozinn, Allan (8 November 2011). "From Britain, the Sounds of a Century". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
5. ^ ^{a b c} Zibulski, Axel (24 July 2023). "Schwebend freie Soprane und fulminant satte Bässe". FAZ (in German). Retrieved 24 July 2023.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tenebrae (choir).

• Official website
• IMDB cast list for The Hitchhiker's Guide