The King's Consort
Encyclopedia
The King's Consort is a prominent British period music orchestra
founded in 1980 by the English conductor
and harpsichordist
Robert King
(b. 1960, Wombourne
). The ensemble has an associated choral group, Choir of The King's Consort. Together, they have made over 90 recordings, largely on the Hyperion
label, and sold over 1,000,000 discs. The orchestra performs concert seasons in the UK and tours internationally.
Their repertoire is primarily from the baroque
and early classical
periods but has also included late 19th century repertoire as well as contemporary commissions by Michael Finnissy
and, more recently, Michael Berkeley
and includes recordings and live performances of opera
and instrumental music. The ensemble's main performing base has been in London's Wigmore Hall
from 1987, and the larger Cadogan Hall
for performances that required both the orchestra and the choir. The King's Consort have performed seven times at the BBC Proms including The Coronation of King George II a special programme to celebrate the Golden Jubilee
of Queen Elizabeth II (2002), Monteverdi
's Vespers of 1610 (2004), Michael Haydn
's Requiem Mass and Mozart's Coronation Mass (2006).
The King's Consort Choir appears on the sound tracks of several films, including The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
, Kingdom of Heaven
, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
and The Da Vinci Code
.
Amongst their awards was the 2006 BBC Music Magazine
Choral Award for their recording of Michael Haydn's Requiem Mass.
In June 2007, harpsichordist Matthew Halls temporarily took over as the group's Artistic Director from Robert King, who was jailed for indecent assault. On 1 May 2009, a new group directed by Halls (consisting of some of the then-current players, singers and soloists of The King's Consort) was launched under the new name, Retrospect Ensemble
, following a decision by The King's Consort Board of Trustees. The name "The King's Consort" had been temporarily licensed to Halls's group but in 2009 reverted to Robert King.
At Easter 2010, The King's Consort under Robert King's baton performed an extensive European tour of Bach's St. Matthew Passion which sold out concert halls in Spain, Switzerland and The Netherlands. During the 2010-11 season, further concerts are scheduled in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Mexico, The Netherlands, Spain and the UK (including the Wigmore Hall ). Works to be performed will include Couperin
's Leçons de Ténèbres
, Handel's Ottone, Messiah and Dixit Dominus, Michael Berkeley's Touch Light, Vivaldi's Gloria and Bach's Lutheran Masses. Soloists will include Carolyn Sampson, Mhairi Lawson, Claire Debono, Tuva Semmingsen, Lorna Anderson, Hilary Summers, Iestyn Davies, Robin Blaze, James Gilchrist, Charles Daniels, Andrew Foster-Williams and David Wilson-Johnson.
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
founded in 1980 by the English conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
and harpsichordist
Harpsichordist
A harpsichordist is a person who plays the harpsichord.Many baroque composers played the harpsichord, including Johann Sebastian Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, George Frideric Handel, François Couperin and Jean-Philippe Rameau...
Robert King
Robert King (conductor)
Robert King is an English conductor and harpsichordist. As a youth, he was a member of the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge...
(b. 1960, Wombourne
Wombourne
Wombourne is a very large village and civil parish located in the district of South Staffordshire, in the county of Staffordshire, 4 miles south-west of Wolverhampton. Local affairs are run by a parish council. At the 2001 census it had a population of 13,691...
). The ensemble has an associated choral group, Choir of The King's Consort. Together, they have made over 90 recordings, largely on the Hyperion
Hyperion Records
Hyperion Records is an independent British classical record label.-History:The company was named after Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology. It was founded by George Edward Perry, widely known as "Ted", in 1980. Early LP releases included rarely recorded 20th century British music by...
label, and sold over 1,000,000 discs. The orchestra performs concert seasons in the UK and tours internationally.
Their repertoire is primarily from the baroque
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
and early classical
Classical period (music)
The dates of the Classical Period in Western music are generally accepted as being between about 1750 and 1830. However, the term classical music is used colloquially to describe a variety of Western musical styles from the ninth century to the present, and especially from the sixteenth or...
periods but has also included late 19th century repertoire as well as contemporary commissions by Michael Finnissy
Michael Finnissy
Michael Finnissy is an English composer and pianist. His music is characterised by the range of extremes often found in his work; opposing binary structures are found commonly, often seen as juxtaposing textures, register and tempi...
and, more recently, Michael Berkeley
Michael Berkeley
Michael Berkeley is a British composer and broadcaster on music.-Early life:His father was the composer Sir Lennox Berkeley...
and includes recordings and live performances of opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
and instrumental music. The ensemble's main performing base has been in London's Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall is a leading international recital venue that specialises in hosting performances of chamber music and is best known for classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. It is located at 36 Wigmore Street, London, UK and was built to provide London with a venue that was both...
from 1987, and the larger Cadogan Hall
Cadogan Hall
Cadogan Hall is a 900-seat capacity concert hall on Sloane Terrace in Chelsea / Belgravia in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, United Kingdom...
for performances that required both the orchestra and the choir. The King's Consort have performed seven times at the BBC Proms including The Coronation of King George II a special programme to celebrate the Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was the international celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth II to the thrones of seven countries, upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, and was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50...
of Queen Elizabeth II (2002), Monteverdi
Claudio Monteverdi
Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, gambist, and singer.Monteverdi's work, often regarded as revolutionary, marked the transition from the Renaissance style of music to that of the Baroque period. He developed two individual styles of composition – the...
's Vespers of 1610 (2004), Michael Haydn
Michael Haydn
Johann Michael Haydn was an Austrian composer of the classical period, the younger brother of Joseph Haydn.-Life:...
's Requiem Mass and Mozart's Coronation Mass (2006).
The King's Consort Choir appears on the sound tracks of several films, including The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a 2005 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Andrew Adamson and based on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first published and second chronological novel in C. S. Lewis's children's epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of...
, Kingdom of Heaven
Kingdom of Heaven (film)
Kingdom of Heaven is a 2005 epic action film directed by Ridley Scott and written by William Monahan. It stars Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis, Marton Csokas, Brendan Gleeson, Kevin McKidd, Alexander Siddig, Ghassan Massoud, Edward Norton, Jon Finch, Michael Sheen and Liam...
, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is a 2006 adventure fantasy film and the second film of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, following Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl . It was directed by Gore Verbinski, written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, and produced by...
and The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code (film)
The Da Vinci Code is a 2006 American mystery thriller film directed by Ron Howard. The screenplay was written by Akiva Goldsman and based on Dan Brown's worldwide bestselling 2003 novel, The Da Vinci Code...
.
Amongst their awards was the 2006 BBC Music Magazine
BBC music magazine
BBC Music Magazine is a magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom by BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the BBC. Reflecting the broadcast output of BBC Radio 3, the magazine is devoted primarily to classical music, though with sections on jazz and world music. Each edition comes...
Choral Award for their recording of Michael Haydn's Requiem Mass.
In June 2007, harpsichordist Matthew Halls temporarily took over as the group's Artistic Director from Robert King, who was jailed for indecent assault. On 1 May 2009, a new group directed by Halls (consisting of some of the then-current players, singers and soloists of The King's Consort) was launched under the new name, Retrospect Ensemble
Retrospect Ensemble
Retrospect Ensemble is a prominent British period music orchestra, chamber ensemble and choir with an extensive international touring and recording programme.-History:...
, following a decision by The King's Consort Board of Trustees. The name "The King's Consort" had been temporarily licensed to Halls's group but in 2009 reverted to Robert King.
At Easter 2010, The King's Consort under Robert King's baton performed an extensive European tour of Bach's St. Matthew Passion which sold out concert halls in Spain, Switzerland and The Netherlands. During the 2010-11 season, further concerts are scheduled in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Mexico, The Netherlands, Spain and the UK (including the Wigmore Hall ). Works to be performed will include Couperin
François Couperin
François Couperin was a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was known as Couperin le Grand to distinguish him from other members of the musically talented Couperin family.-Life:Couperin was born in Paris...
's Leçons de Ténèbres
Leçons de ténèbres (Couperin)
The Leçons de ténèbres pour le mercredi saint are a series of three vocal pieces composed by François Couperin for the liturgies of Holy Week, 1714, at the Abbaye royale de Longchamp...
, Handel's Ottone, Messiah and Dixit Dominus, Michael Berkeley's Touch Light, Vivaldi's Gloria and Bach's Lutheran Masses. Soloists will include Carolyn Sampson, Mhairi Lawson, Claire Debono, Tuva Semmingsen, Lorna Anderson, Hilary Summers, Iestyn Davies, Robin Blaze, James Gilchrist, Charles Daniels, Andrew Foster-Williams and David Wilson-Johnson.
Selected Recordings
- Rossini: Petite Messe SolennellePetite Messe SolennelleGioachino Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle was written in 1863, "the last", the composer called it, "of my péchés de vieillesse" .....
(Carolyn Sampson, Hilary Summers, Andrew Tortise, Andrew Foster-Williams, The King's Consort, Choir of The King's Consort, conductor Robert King) Hyperion CDA67570 - Mozart: Exsultate, jubilateExsultate, jubilateExsultate, jubilate K. 165, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was written in 1773.This religious solo motet was composed at the time Mozart was visiting Milan....
! (Carolyn Sampson, The King's Consort, conductor Robert King) Hyperion CDA67560 - HandelHANDELHANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
: The Choice of HerculesThe Choice of Hercules (Handel)The Choice of Hercules is an oratorio in one act by George Frideric Handel. Handel produced the score between 28 June and 5 July 1750. The first performance was given on 1 March 1751 at the Covent Garden Theatre, London...
(Susan GrittonSusan GrittonSusan Gritton is an English soprano.Susan Gritton was educated at the University of Oxford and the University of London, where she studied Botany....
, Robin BlazeRobin Blaze- Childhood and education :The son of a professional golfer Peter, Robin Blaze grew up in Shadwell, near Leeds and was educated at Leeds Grammar School, Uppingham School, and Magdalen College, Oxford....
, Alice CooteAlice CooteAlice Coote is a British lyric mezzo-soprano.The daughter of the painter Mark Coote, she was educated at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London , the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and the National Opera Studio...
, Charles DanielsCharles Daniels (tenor)Charles Daniels is an English tenor, particularly noted for his performances of baroque music. He is a frequent soloist with The King's Consort, and has made over 25 recordings with the ensemble on the Hyperion label.-Biography:...
, The King's Consort, conductor Robert King) Hyperion 67298 - PurcellHenry PurcellHenry Purcell – 21 November 1695), was an English organist and Baroque composer of secular and sacred music. Although Purcell incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements into his compositions, his legacy was a uniquely English form of Baroque music...
: The Complete Odes and Welcome Songs Volumes 1-8 (Mark Kennedy, Eamonn O'Dwyer, James Goodman, Susan Gritton, James Bowman, Nigel Short, Rogers Covey-Crump, Charles Daniels, Michael George, Choir of New College Oxford, The King's Consort, conductor Robert King) Hyperion 44031/8 - Vivaldi: The Complete Sacred Music (Lynton Atkinson, Susan Gritton, Catherine Denley, Lisa Milne, David Wilson-Johnson, Deborah YorkDeborah YorkDeborah York is a British classical soprano in concert and opera, living in Berlin.- Biography :Deborah York studied voice at the University of Manchester, graduating with a First Class Honours Degree, and in London with Laura Sarti and Janice Chapman.She has appeared regularly at the Bayerische...
, James Bowman, Catrin Wyn-Davies, Charles Daniels, Neal Davies, Ann MurrayAnn MurrayAnn Murray DBE is an Irish mezzo-soprano. She was born on 27 August 1949, in Dublin. She studied with Frederic Cox at the Royal Manchester College of Music and made her stage debut as Alcestis in Christoph Willibald Gluck's Alceste in 1974...
, et al., The King's Consort, conductor Robert King) Hyperion 44171 - Monteverdi: Sacred Music Volumes 1-4 (Rogers Covey-Crump, Charles Daniels, Peter Harvey, Rebecca Outram, Carolyn Sampson, James GilchristJames Gilchrist (tenor)James Gilchrist is a British tenor specialising in recital and oratoria singing. He began his working life as a doctor, turning to a full-time music career in 1996...
, et al., The King's Consort, conductor Robert King) Hyperion 67428, 67438, 67487, 67519 - BachBạchBạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
: Mass in B Minor (Matthias Ritter, Manuel Mrasek, Matthias Schloderer, Maximilian Fraas, Anthony Rolfe JohnsonAnthony Rolfe JohnsonAnthony Rolfe Johnson, CBE was an English operatic tenor.-Life and career:Born in Tackley in Oxfordshire, Rolfe Johnson studied with Ellis Keeler and Vera Rosza at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He first appeared in opera in the chorus and in small roles at the Glyndebourne Festival...
, Michael George, Tölz Boys Choir, The King's Consort, conductor Robert King) Hyperion 22051 - Handel: Parnasso in festa (Diana Moore, Carolyn Sampson, Lucy Crowe, Rebecca Outram, Ruth Clegg, Peter Harvey, The King's Consort, Choir of The King's Consort, conductor Matthew Halls) Hyperion CDA67701/2
- Handel: Acis and Galatea (Claron McFadden, John Mark Ainsley, Rogers Covey-Crump, Michael George, The King's Consort, choir of the King's Consort, conductor Robert King) Hyperion CDA66361/2
External links
- Official web site of The King's Consort
- Audio Interview with Robert King on BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
, August 8, 2002 (accessed 3 October 2007) - Discography on Hyperion Records (accessed 3 October 2007)
- Robert King website