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Groundbreaking compositions pay tribute to Renaissance master
Clifton Cathedral will soon take flight on the wings of a magical choral experience.
Vibrant vocal ensemble Corvus Consort are joining forces with Music on the Edge to bring ‘a timeless blend of soundworlds spanning centuries.’
Voice and instrumentation will intertwine in ‘Byrd Takes Flight’, a suite of four newly-commissioned works to commemorate 400 years since the death of William Byrd. The Renaissance composer was mentored by musical master Thomas Tallis and both teacher and pupil’s influence endure to this day.
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The choir has been described as “one of the most innovative and adventurous vocal ensembles presently performing.” Director Freddie Crowley explained what sets them apart.
“When I founded Corvus Consort just a few years ago, I wanted to create innovative and accessible ways of presenting beautiful choral music,” he said.
“Now we’re proud to bring our refreshing combination of musical excellence, passionate performance and unstuffy presentation to audiences up and down the country, hoping to offer a really exciting route into vocal music for people of any musical background.
“We love performing Renaissance choral music, a period which produced some of the greatest repertoire for voices, but we think it’s important to present this music through a contemporary lens.
“We also love to commission and perform brand new music, and it’s often in the combination of old and new where real magic can be made. That’s what ‘Byrd Takes Flight’ is all about.”
Corvus are taking their new show on tour, taking in Cornwall, Oxford, Worcester, Bristol and London
The evening will present music by young composers Shruthi Rajasekar, Derri Joseph Lewis, Harry Baker and Anna Semple, each in direct response to one of Byrd’s works.
Instrumentation comes from Dartmoor-based Music on the Edge, a duo creating landscape and nature-inspired music that crosses musical and geographical boundaries.
Corvus Consort are looking forward to returning to Bristol, following their performance for Lent in 2022.
“The gorgeous acoustic and stunning aesthetics of Clifton Cathedral provide the perfect setting for this programme, which brings one of the greatest musical voices of the English Renaissance into direct dialogue with some of the brightest young composers of today,” said Crowley.
“This will be a deeply immersive musical experience, blending centuries-old soundworlds with contemporary music and improvisation, all celebrating the beauty of vocal music and the threads that tie it all together across the centuries.”
The concert takes place on July 29. Find more information and book tickets at https://buytickets.at/corvus/1202237
All photos: Corvus Consort
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