The Scholars (Vocal Group)
Encyclopedia
The Scholars is the name of an English a cappella
group of 4-5 solo singers active 1968-2010, mainly in the field of classical music
. In the USA they were also known as The Scholars of London and The Voices of London.
in the Choir of King's College, Cambridge
under David Willcocks between 1964 and 1968, and David Van Asch, the founder, organiser and bass of the group, had also been a boy chorister there under Boris Ord
. After beginning as a male voice quintet (AATBarB), they had a middle phase (1972–82) as a mixed voice quintet (SATBarB) and latterly worked as an SATB
quartet. Membership of The Scholars was nevertheless remarkably stable over its 40 year existence. The original members (1968) were Nigel Perrin (countertenor I), Timothy Brown (countertenor II), Robin Doveton (tenor), Stephen Varcoe
(baritone) and David Van Asch (bass). After approximately three years Perrin, Brown and Varcoe left and were replaced, respectively, by Shelagh Molyneux (soprano), Nigel Dixon and Michael Leighton Jones. The latter was replaced in 1980 by Philip O'Reilly, and when he left in 1982 the group continued as an SATB quartet. In 1982 Paula Bott became The Scholars' soprano, followed by Kym Amps in 1988. In 1987 Angus Davidson replaced Dixon as countertenor and in 2004 Simon Grant took over from Van Asch as bass.
Although The Scholars no longer performs as a group on a regular basis, individual members remain active in other related fields of music such as solo and ensemble singing, conducting, teaching and composing.
who obtained numerous concerts for them all around the United Kingdom. A promotional European tour in 1972 sparked three decades of concert tours in over fifty countries. The Scholars sang in many of the world's premier concert venues: The Queen Elizabeth Hall
, Purcell Room
and St John's, Smith Square, London; The Opera Houses of Sydney and Buenos Aires; Alice Tully Hall
, New York; Symphony Hall, Osaka; Auditorio Nacional, Madrid; Brahmsaal, Musikverein, Vienna to name but a few. On a number of occasions the British Council
selected The Scholars to represent British musical culture, promoting tours in Iran, Kenya, Ghana, Cameroon, Malysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
towards just intonation
. The Scholars possessed an outgoing stage presence and their spoken introductions, as well as being informative, were often of a humorous nature.
and Close harmony
arrangements - initially continued to echo student days. Sets of 5-voice folksong arrangements were made for The Scholars by David Willcocks (Five Folksongs), Gordon Langford
(5 Sea Shanties) and John Rutter
(5 Traditional Songs) which soon superseded the close harmony arrangements. From 1982, when The Scholars reduced to SATB, their place was in turn taken by Robin Doveton's 4-voice folksong arrangements, although songs by The Beatles
were still sung as encores. During the 1980s Italian, French, German and Spanish music of the Renaissance became standard repertoire and English Glees of the late 18th and early 19th C. were revived, including works by Arnold, Webbe and Callcott.
Contemporary music often formed part of The Scholars' programmes and included specially composed works by Philip Radcliffe (Cor Cordium), Malcolm Williamson
(Death of Cuchulan), William Wordsworth
(Adonais), John Rutter
(It was a Lover and his Lass), John Joubert
(Five Carols), William Mathias
(Ceremony After A Fire Raid), Robert Walker (The Sun on the Celandines), Christopher Brown (Herrick
Songs, From the Doorways of the Dawn) and Howard Blake
(The New National Songbook and 'Lullaby - A Christmas Narrative' which includes the original version of Walking in the Air
). The group forged strong connections with Spain and often sung works composed for them by Angel Barja of León.
Non-specialist programmes were generally structured to include six groups of songs (three in each half of the concert), each themed by musical genre or subject matter, aiming for contrast of pace, humour/seriousness and key. Specialist programmes also became more and more in demand for Early Music festivals, and complete Mass settings by Josquin
and Byrd
often formed the basis of these.
(Messiah, Acis and Galatea, Dixit Dominus), Bach
(Johannes Passion, Motets), Purcell
(The Fairy Queen, The Indian Queen) and Monteverdi
(Vespers).
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group of 4-5 solo singers active 1968-2010, mainly in the field of classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
. In the USA they were also known as The Scholars of London and The Voices of London.
Membership
Each of the five original members of The Scholars had been a Choral scholarChoral scholar
A choral scholar is a student either at a university or private school who receives a scholarship in exchange for singing in the school or university's choir...
in the Choir of King's College, Cambridge
Choir of King's College, Cambridge
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge is one of today's most accomplished and renowned representatives of the great British choral tradition. It was created by King Henry VI, who founded King's College, Cambridge in 1441, to provide daily singing in his Chapel, which remains the main task of the...
under David Willcocks between 1964 and 1968, and David Van Asch, the founder, organiser and bass of the group, had also been a boy chorister there under Boris Ord
Boris Ord
Boris Ord , born Bernhard Ord, was an English organist, composer and musical director best known as the choir master of King's College, Cambridge....
. After beginning as a male voice quintet (AATBarB), they had a middle phase (1972–82) as a mixed voice quintet (SATBarB) and latterly worked as an SATB
SATB
In music, SATB is an initialism for soprano, alto, tenor, bass, defining the voices required by a chorus or choir to perform a particular musical work...
quartet. Membership of The Scholars was nevertheless remarkably stable over its 40 year existence. The original members (1968) were Nigel Perrin (countertenor I), Timothy Brown (countertenor II), Robin Doveton (tenor), Stephen Varcoe
Stephen Varcoe
Stephen Varcoe is an English classical bass-baritone singer, appearing internationally in opera and concert, known for Baroque and contemporary music and a notable singer of Lieder.- Professional career :...
(baritone) and David Van Asch (bass). After approximately three years Perrin, Brown and Varcoe left and were replaced, respectively, by Shelagh Molyneux (soprano), Nigel Dixon and Michael Leighton Jones. The latter was replaced in 1980 by Philip O'Reilly, and when he left in 1982 the group continued as an SATB quartet. In 1982 Paula Bott became The Scholars' soprano, followed by Kym Amps in 1988. In 1987 Angus Davidson replaced Dixon as countertenor and in 2004 Simon Grant took over from Van Asch as bass.
Although The Scholars no longer performs as a group on a regular basis, individual members remain active in other related fields of music such as solo and ensemble singing, conducting, teaching and composing.
Concerts
The Scholars' first public concert took place in Chelsea Town Hall in 1969 and they were subsequently signed by London agent Ibbs and TillettIbbs and Tillett
Ibbs and Tillett, “one of the legendary names in classical music artist management,” was a London-based classical music artist and concert management agency which flourished from 1906 through 1990 in the United Kingdom....
who obtained numerous concerts for them all around the United Kingdom. A promotional European tour in 1972 sparked three decades of concert tours in over fifty countries. The Scholars sang in many of the world's premier concert venues: The Queen Elizabeth Hall
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival...
, Purcell Room
Purcell Room
The Purcell Room is a concert and performance venue which forms part of the Southbank Centre, one of central London's leading cultural complexes. It is named after the 17th century English composer Henry Purcell and has 370 seats....
and St John's, Smith Square, London; The Opera Houses of Sydney and Buenos Aires; Alice Tully Hall
Alice Tully Hall
Alice Tully Hall is a concert hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. It is named for Alice Tully, a New York performer and philanthropist whose donations assisted in the construction of the hall...
, New York; Symphony Hall, Osaka; Auditorio Nacional, Madrid; Brahmsaal, Musikverein, Vienna to name but a few. On a number of occasions the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
selected The Scholars to represent British musical culture, promoting tours in Iran, Kenya, Ghana, Cameroon, Malysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
Performance Style
At the outset, being a male voice ensemble, The Scholars' ideals remained close to those cultivated by David Willcocks at King's College, Cambridge: accurate tuning, rhythmic precision, clarity of diction and neat coordination of consonants. With the addition of a soprano voice came the opportunity for a warmer, more soloistic style of singing. In the 1990s the requirements of Early Music prompted an adjustment of tuning ideals away from equal temperamentEqual temperament
An equal temperament is a musical temperament, or a system of tuning, in which every pair of adjacent notes has an identical frequency ratio. As pitch is perceived roughly as the logarithm of frequency, this means that the perceived "distance" from every note to its nearest neighbor is the same for...
towards just intonation
Just intonation
In music, just intonation is any musical tuning in which the frequencies of notes are related by ratios of small whole numbers. Any interval tuned in this way is called a just interval. The two notes in any just interval are members of the same harmonic series...
. The Scholars possessed an outgoing stage presence and their spoken introductions, as well as being informative, were often of a humorous nature.
Repertoire & Programming
The promotion of English music and of the English singing tradition, were high on The Scholars' original priorities. Early programmes included English Madrigals and Sacred Music of the 16th and early 17th C. (Byrd, Tallis, Morley etc.). The lighter side of their repertoire with which they often concluded their concerts - SpiritualsSpiritual (music)
Spirituals are religious songs which were created by enslaved African people in America.-Terminology and origin:...
and Close harmony
Close harmony
Close harmony is an arrangement of the notes of chords within a narrow range. It is different from open harmony or voicing in that it uses each part on the closest harmonizing note , while the open voicing uses a broader pitch array expanding the harmonic range past the octave...
arrangements - initially continued to echo student days. Sets of 5-voice folksong arrangements were made for The Scholars by David Willcocks (Five Folksongs), Gordon Langford
Gordon Langford
Gordon Langford is an English composer, arranger and performer. Although well known in the brass band community as a composer and arranger, he is less well known as a composer of orchestral music, despite winning an Ivor Novello award for his March from the Colour Suite in 1971.Born in Edgware,...
(5 Sea Shanties) and John Rutter
John Rutter
John Milford Rutter CBE is a British composer, conductor, editor, arranger and record producer, mainly of choral music.-Biography:Born in London, Rutter was educated at Highgate School, where a fellow pupil was John Tavener. He read music at Clare College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the...
(5 Traditional Songs) which soon superseded the close harmony arrangements. From 1982, when The Scholars reduced to SATB, their place was in turn taken by Robin Doveton's 4-voice folksong arrangements, although songs by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
were still sung as encores. During the 1980s Italian, French, German and Spanish music of the Renaissance became standard repertoire and English Glees of the late 18th and early 19th C. were revived, including works by Arnold, Webbe and Callcott.
Contemporary music often formed part of The Scholars' programmes and included specially composed works by Philip Radcliffe (Cor Cordium), Malcolm Williamson
Malcolm Williamson
Malcolm Benjamin Graham Christopher Williamson AO , CBE was an Australian composer. He was the Master of the Queen's Music from 1975 until his death.-Biography:...
(Death of Cuchulan), William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth (composer)
William Brocklesby Wordsworth was an English composer.Wordsworth was born in London. He studied harmony and counterpoint under George Oldroyd from 1921 to 1931, continuing his study with Donald Francis Tovey at Edinburgh University from 1934 to 1936...
(Adonais), John Rutter
John Rutter
John Milford Rutter CBE is a British composer, conductor, editor, arranger and record producer, mainly of choral music.-Biography:Born in London, Rutter was educated at Highgate School, where a fellow pupil was John Tavener. He read music at Clare College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the...
(It was a Lover and his Lass), John Joubert
John Joubert (composer)
John Joubert is a British composer of South African descent, particularly of choral works. He has lived in Moseley, a suburb of Birmingham, England, for over 40 years. A music academic at the universities of Hull and Birmingham for 36 years, Joubert took early retirement in 1986 to concentrate on...
(Five Carols), William Mathias
William Mathias
William Mathias CBE was a Welsh composer.-Brief biography:Mathias was born in Whitland, Carmarthenshire. A child prodigy, he started playing the piano at the age of three and composing at the age of five. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music under Lennox Berkeley, where he was elected a fellow...
(Ceremony After A Fire Raid), Robert Walker (The Sun on the Celandines), Christopher Brown (Herrick
Robert Herrick (poet)
Robert Herrick was a 17th-century English poet.-Early life:Born in Cheapside, London, he was the seventh child and fourth son of Julia Stone and Nicholas Herrick, a prosperous goldsmith....
Songs, From the Doorways of the Dawn) and Howard Blake
Howard Blake
Howard Blake, OBE is an English composer , particularly noted for his film scores, although he is prolific in several fields of classical and light music...
(The New National Songbook and 'Lullaby - A Christmas Narrative' which includes the original version of Walking in the Air
Walking in the Air
"Walking in the Air" is a song written by Howard Blake for the 1982 animated film of Raymond Briggs' 1978 children's book The Snowman. In the film the song was performed by St Paul's Cathedral choirboy Peter Auty...
). The group forged strong connections with Spain and often sung works composed for them by Angel Barja of León.
Non-specialist programmes were generally structured to include six groups of songs (three in each half of the concert), each themed by musical genre or subject matter, aiming for contrast of pace, humour/seriousness and key. Specialist programmes also became more and more in demand for Early Music festivals, and complete Mass settings by Josquin
Josquin Des Prez
Josquin des Prez [Josquin Lebloitte dit Desprez] , often referred to simply as Josquin, was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance...
and Byrd
William Byrd
William Byrd was an English composer of the Renaissance. He wrote in many of the forms current in England at the time, including various types of sacred and secular polyphony, keyboard and consort music.-Provenance:Knowledge of Byrd's biography expanded in the late 20th century, thanks largely...
often formed the basis of these.
The Scholars Baroque Ensemble
In 1992 Van Asch brought together, as artistic director, a small group of specialist baroque instrumentalists and extra singers to collaborate, without a conductor, with The Scholars in performances and recordings of major works by HandelGeorge Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
(Messiah, Acis and Galatea, Dixit Dominus), Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
(Johannes Passion, Motets), Purcell
Henry Purcell
Henry 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 Fairy Queen, The Indian Queen) and 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...
(Vespers).
Discography
| Company, Catalogue no. | Year/Format | Title | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unicorn UNS 254 | 1971/Vinyl | The Versatility of The Scholars I | English Renaissance music for AATBarB by Tallis (Lamentations), Byrd (motets) - Various (partsongs & madrigals). Engineer: Bob Auger |
| Unicorn RHS 318 | 1973/Vinyl | The Versatility of The Scholars II: Make we joy | Christmas music for SATBarB. Engineer: Bob Auger |
| Firecrest FEU 1002 | 1975/Vinyl. Reissued 1978 by Decca MOR-R-512 |
The Scholars sing the New National Songbook (reissue title: Sing a Song of Satire) |
Words and Music by Howard Blake (Piano) Cover picture: Hugh Casson Hugh Casson Sir Hugh Maxwell Casson, KCVO, RA, RDI, was a British architect, interior designer, artist, and influential writer and broadcaster on 20th century design. He is particularly noted for his role as director of architecture at the 1951 Festival of Britain on London's South Bank.Casson's family... |
| Pilgrim Praise 2 | 1975/Vinyl | Christ in Competition | Eira Heath with The Scholars and the William Davies Quintet. Music by Edward Hughes, words by Peter Westmore. |
| Prelude PRS 2501 | 1976/Vinyl | The Scholars Sing | Madrigals - Victorian - Folk - Contemporary (Robert Walker: The Sun on the Celandines) |
| Enigma Classics VAR 1017 | 1976/Vinyl. Reissued in the USA. | Elizabethan and Jacobean Madrigals (USA title: The Silver Swan) | Producer: John Boyden. |
| Arion AR 31939 | 1978/Vinyl | L'AGE D'OR DE LA MUSIQUE SACREE EN ANGLETERRE | Lambe (Magnificat), Cornysh (Ave Maria Mater Dei), Tallis (Salvator mundi hodie), Whyte (Lamentations) |
| Arion ARN 38411 | 1979?/Vinyl | Adriano Banchieri: Festino | |
| Accento ACR 101 | ?/Vinyl | The Chester Books of Madrigals | 16th and early 17th century madrigals and partsongs (for 3-5 vv) from England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Producer: Mark Sutton. |
| Accento ACR 102 | 1985/Vinyl | Hispanae Musica Vocibus Vol. I | Sacred Music for 4-6 voices by Melchor Robledo. Producer: Mark Sutton. |
| Accento ACR 103 | 1986/Vinyl | Hispanae Musica Vocibus Vol. II | Sacred and Secular Music for 4-6 voices by Pedro Ruimonte Pedro Ruimonte Pedro Ruimonte was a Spanish composer and musician who spent much of his career in the Low Countries.-Early years:... . Producer: Mark Sutton. |
| Classic CD-102 | 1988/CD | Angel Barja (composer) | Planctum Jeremiae, Madrigales y Romances, Poemas del Mar |
| Accento ACD 104 | 1989/CD | British Folksongs | SATB arrangements by Robin Doveton |
| Toshiba-EMI/Eastworld CC38-3076 | 1983/CD and Vinyl (recorded May 1981) | Greensleeves The Scholars/English Folk Songs | Arrangements for 5 voices (SATBarB) by Robin Doveton, John Rutter, Gordon Langford (Sea Shanties) et al. A landmark very early digitally recorded CD made before editing became practicable. Each song was recorded complete as a single take. |
| Toshiba-EMI/Eastworld CC33-3323 | 1984/CD and Vinyl (recorded in December 1983) | English & Italian Madrigals | SATB madrigals by Dowland, Morley, Farmer, Wilbye, Josquin, Arcadelt, Rore, De Wert, Marenzio et al. |
| Toshiba-EMI/Eastworld CC33-3466 | 1986/CD and Vinyl | Loch Lomond - The Scholars/English Folk Songs | SATB arrangements of English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish Folksongs by Robin Doveton |
| Toshiba-EMI/Eastworld CE20-5324/5 | 2 CD reissue of CC38-3076 and CC33-3466 | Home, Sweet Home | The Scholars: British Folk Songs |
| Accento ACD 105 | 1990/CD | English Ayres and Madrigals | Byrd, Morley, Dowland, Wilbye, Weelkes, Tomkins et al. |
| Accento ACD 201 | 1991/CD Reissued in 2001 by Dorian as DOR-93227 |
G.F. Handel: Acis & Galatea | The Scholars Baroque Ensemble (live recording, Gijon 1991). The part of Damon adapted for countertenor by Andrew Lawrence-King Andrew Lawrence-King Andrew Lawrence-King is a harpist and early music specialist, and is currently the director of The Harp Consort... |
| NAXOS 8.8550667-668 | 1992/CD (2) | Handel: (The) Messiah | The Scholars Baroque Ensemble |
| NAXOS 8.8550660-1 | 1993/CD (recorded 1992) | Purcell: The Fairy Queen | The Scholars Baroque Ensemble |
| NAXOS Early Music 8.550880 | 1993/CD | French Chansons Chanson A chanson is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specialising in chansons is known as a "chanteur" or "chanteuse" ; a collection of chansons, especially from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, is also known as a chansonnier.-Chanson de geste:The... |
The Scholars of London (Josquin, Jannequin, Gombert, Arcadelt, Clemens, Lassus etc. for 4-5 vv) |
| NAXOS 8.550664-65 | 1994/CD (recorded April 1993) | J.S.Bach St John Passion (in German) | The Scholars Baroque Ensemble |
| Accento ACD 106 | 1993/CD | Breathe soft, ye winds | The Scholars: A collection of Classic Glees from Georgian England (Arnold Samuel Arnold (composer) Samuel Arnold was an English composer and organist.Arnold was born in London , and began writing music for the theatre in about 1764. A few years later he became director of music at the Marylebone Gardens, for which much of his popular music was written... , Cooke Benjamin Cooke Benjamin Cooke was an English composer, organist and teacher.Cooke was born in London and named after his father, a music publisher based in Covent Garden... , Webbe Samuel Webbe Samuel Webbe was an English composer.Born in Minorca in 1740, Webbe was brought up in London. His father died when he was still a baby and his mother returned to London where she raised Webbe in difficult circumstances. At the age of eleven he was apprenticed to a cabinet maker, and during the... , Stevens R. J. S. Stevens Richard John Samuel Stevens was an English composer and organist.-Biography:... , Callcott John Wall Callcott John Wall Callcott was an eminent English musical composer.Callcott was born in Kensington, London. He was a pupil of Haydn, and is celebrated mainly for his glee compositions and "catches". In the best known of his catches he ridiculed Sir John Hawkins' History of Music... etc. for 4-5 vv) |
| NAXOS Early Music 8.8550662-3 | 1995/CD (recorded September 1993) | Monteverdi: Vespers of the Blessed Virgin | The Scholars Baroque Ensemble |
| Toshiba-EMI/Eastworld TOCE-8880 | 1995/CD | World Famous Songs | The Scholars/Yukinobu Kuni (Piano). 21 Arrangements by Robin Doveton (4vv a cappella and accompanied) |
| Musica en la catedral de Pamplona 2 | 1996/CD | Musica en la catedral de Pamplona | The Scholars/Jeremy West/Terence Charlston/Capilla de Música de la Catedral de Pamplona |
| Accento ACD107 | 1996/CD | The Sound of The Scholars | Five Hundred Years of Song: Renaissance - Classical - Romantic - Folk |
| NAXOS 8.553108 | 1997/CD (recorded October 1994) | Purcell: Dido and Aeneas | The Scholars Baroque Ensemble |
| NAXOS 8.553188 | 1998/CD (recorded September 1993) | Handel: Acis and Galatea | The Scholars Baroque Ensemble |
| NAXOS 8.553752 | 1998/CD (recorded November 1995) | Purcell: The Indian Queen | The Scholars Baroque Ensemble |
| NAXOS 8.553823 | 1997/CD (recorded February 1996) | J.S. Bach Motets | The Scholars Baroque Ensemble |
| NAXOS 8.553208 | 1999/CD (recorded October 1994) | Handel: Dixit Dominus (also Salve Regina and Nisi Dominus) | The Scholars Baroque Ensemble |
| Accento ACD108 | 2001/CD | The Scholars of London: Five Hundred Years of Song | Songs of Praise - Singing and Dancing - The Animal Kingdom - The Seasons - The Power of Music - Songs of Love |
External links
- Doveton Music - source for Robin Doveton's folksong arrangements and musical editions, many of which were created for The Scholars
- http://www.naxos.com/person/Scholars_of_London/15256.htm
- http://www.naxos.com/person/Scholars_Baroque_Ensemble_34077/34077.htm
- http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Scholars-Baroque-Ensemble.htm