The Choir of King's College, Cambridge under conductor Stephen Cleobury presents Britten's enchanting choral masterpiece Saint Nicolas, with Hymn to St Cecilia and Rejoice in the Lamb, celebrating 100 years since Benjamin Britten's birth. The recording features soloist Andrew Kennedy, a former choral scholar at King's College, Cambridge, the renowned Britten Sinfonia, Sawston Village College Choir and Cambridge University Musical Society.
The album's release will be accompanied by an extensive international press and marketing campaign, supported by advertising and video for online and instore use.
The Choir will be touring the release repertoire in the UK in the Autumn, with concerts in Cambridge, Eton, Barbican and the Birmingham Symphony Hall.
Press coverage achieved for Mozart Requiem: Realisations, the second album released on the King's College, Cambridge label included: BBC Radio 3, In Tune, and a reception with UK Prime Minister David Cameron, in addition to news, preview and review coverage in key music and trade publications such as BBC Music Magazine, Gramophone, Choir & Organ, and International Record Review. The Choir's Christmas 2012 release of Nine Lessons & Carols reached number 2 in the UK Specialist Classical Chart.
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge is one of the world's foremost choirs and unquestionably among the most widely heard. It owes its existence to King Henry VI, who envisaged the daily singing of services in his magnificent chapel. This remains the Choir's raison d'être, and is an important part of the lives of its 16 choristers, who are educated at King's College School, and the 14 choral scholars and two organ scholars, who study a variety of subjects in the College. The Choir has been a breeding ground for numerous professional singers, including James Gilchrist and Christopher Purves.
“The choristers are polished but the echo-rich acoustic isn't always suited to the simplicity of effect the composer often seeks. Still, full marks to Andrew Kennedy for his tenor eloquence, and for not sounding like Peter Pears; applause too for the Britten Sinfonia, pungent against the odds.” (The Times, November 2013)
“[Britten's] 50-minute dramatic cantata should be far better known, and this new recording on King's own label does it superb justice…The disc includes equally polished performances of two of Britten's most popular choral works, Hymn to St Cecilia and Rejoice in the Lamb.” (Financial Times)
“This Saint Nicolas is involving from the outset…Kennedy is a gripping Nicolas, palpably a man of practical Christian action, though careful not to over-project operatically…he has a storyteller's subtlety and sensitivity…I'm not sure I've ever heard the resonant King's College acoustic captured better.” (BBC Music)
“I had some concern before listening to this disc that the choir might be too small and too sophisticated for the work, but to my surprise that is not the case…Overall the performance avoids the trap of over-sophistication which can so easily kill the impact of the work.” (MusicWeb)