Biography
Whether you’re dreaming of a white Christmas or drowning in Christmas cards, the latest album from The King’s Men is an essential addition to anyone’s Christmas playlist.
The King’s Men is the close-harmony vocal group formed by the current choral scholars of King’s College, Cambridge. After the success of After Hours (which topped the iTunes Classical Charts in June 2014) for their latest album on the college’s own label, they showcase the lighter side of their seasonal repertoire. Here they perform a mixture of Christmas tunes you won’t be hearing in Nine Lessons and Carols any time soon.
Unlike many close-harmony groups, The King’s Men record together, balancing their voices acoustically instead of tracking each voice separately. This results in stronger musical cohesion and a more authentic sound. Highlights of Twelve Days of Christmas include traditional favourites such as “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” alongside Pat Dunachie (now first alto in the King’s Singers) channelling Mariah Carey on “All I want for Christmas is You” as well as Keith Roberts’ jocular arrangement of “Twelve Days of Christmas”.
About The King’s Men, Cambridge
The King’s Men is the close harmony group formed from the Choral Scholars of the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge. As Choral Scholars they follow the daily routine of Chapel services throughout term, as well as undertaking a busy concert and recording schedule in the vacations.
The Choir is, of course, most famous for the broadcast of theFestival of Nine Lessons and Carolson radio each Christmas, and its companion programme,Carols from King’s, on BBC television.
The King’s Men, however, functions separately from the main Choir, and is run entirely by the members of the group itself. It performs regularly around Britain, and has performed as far afield as North America, Australia and Hong Kong.
From now until the end of 2016 The King’s Men will perform a number of concerts across the UK, including an in-store performance at the Foyles flagship store in Charing Cross Road, London.
About the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
Founded in the fifteenth century, the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge is undoubtedly one of the world’s best-known choral groups. While the Choir exists primarily to sing the daily services in King’s College Chapel, its worldwide fame and reputation, enhanced by its many recordings, has led to invitations to perform around the globe, and to an extensive international tour schedule.
The Choir of King’s College owes its existence to King Henry VI who, in founding the College in 1441, envisaged the daily singing of services in his magnificent chapel, one of the jewels of Britain’s cultural and architectural heritage. As the pre-eminent representative of the great British church music tradition, the Choir regards the singing of the daily services as its raison d’être, and these are an important part of the lives of its sixteen choristers, fourteen choral scholars and two organ scholars who study in the College itself.
The choristers are educated at King’s College School in Cambridge and receive generous scholarships from King’s College to help pay for their education.
The School has 400 boys and girls aged four to thirteen. Parents who are considering a choristership for their son at King’s are encouraged to meet informally with the Director of Music, Stephen Cleobury. Most boys will start as a probationer in Year 4,when they are given training to enable them to start performing with the Choir at some point in Year 5.
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The King’s Men is the close-harmony vocal group formed by the current choral scholars of King’s College, Cambridge. After the success of After Hours (which topped the iTunes Classical Charts in June 2014) for their latest album on the college’s own label, they showcase the lighter side of their seasonal repertoire. Here they perform a mixture of Christmas tunes you won’t be hearing in Nine Lessons and Carols any time soon.
Unlike many close-harmony groups, The King’s Men record together, balancing their voices acoustically instead of tracking each voice separately. This results in stronger musical cohesion and a more authentic sound. Highlights of Twelve Days of Christmas include traditional favourites such as “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” alongside Pat Dunachie (now first alto in the King’s Singers) channelling Mariah Carey on “All I want for Christmas is You” as well as Keith Roberts’ jocular arrangement of “Twelve Days of Christmas”.
About The King’s Men, Cambridge
The King’s Men is the close harmony group formed from the Choral Scholars of the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge. As Choral Scholars they follow the daily routine of Chapel services throughout term, as well as undertaking a busy concert and recording schedule in the vacations.
The Choir is, of course, most famous for the broadcast of theFestival of Nine Lessons and Carolson radio each Christmas, and its companion programme,Carols from King’s, on BBC television.
The King’s Men, however, functions separately from the main Choir, and is run entirely by the members of the group itself. It performs regularly around Britain, and has performed as far afield as North America, Australia and Hong Kong.
From now until the end of 2016 The King’s Men will perform a number of concerts across the UK, including an in-store performance at the Foyles flagship store in Charing Cross Road, London.
About the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
Founded in the fifteenth century, the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge is undoubtedly one of the world’s best-known choral groups. While the Choir exists primarily to sing the daily services in King’s College Chapel, its worldwide fame and reputation, enhanced by its many recordings, has led to invitations to perform around the globe, and to an extensive international tour schedule.
The Choir of King’s College owes its existence to King Henry VI who, in founding the College in 1441, envisaged the daily singing of services in his magnificent chapel, one of the jewels of Britain’s cultural and architectural heritage. As the pre-eminent representative of the great British church music tradition, the Choir regards the singing of the daily services as its raison d’être, and these are an important part of the lives of its sixteen choristers, fourteen choral scholars and two organ scholars who study in the College itself.
The choristers are educated at King’s College School in Cambridge and receive generous scholarships from King’s College to help pay for their education.
The School has 400 boys and girls aged four to thirteen. Parents who are considering a choristership for their son at King’s are encouraged to meet informally with the Director of Music, Stephen Cleobury. Most boys will start as a probationer in Year 4,when they are given training to enable them to start performing with the Choir at some point in Year 5.
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