News archive 2002

King's choir tours USA

04 Sep 2002, PR 37/02

Top British choir performs in New York

One of England’s top university choirs will perform in concert in New York on Tuesday 17 and Thursday 19 September. The King’s College London Choir will sing at St Bartholomew’s Church, Park Avenue and 51st Street, NY and again at the Church of the Epiphany, 1393 York Avenue (at East 74th Street). Both concerts will begin at 7.30 pm.

Both concerts are open to all, but alumni of the College are particularly welcome and are also invited to join the College’s Chairman of Council, the Baroness Rawlings of Burnham Westgate, and Principal of King’s College London, Professor Arthur Lucas, at a reception at 6.00 pm at Café St Bart’s (Park Avenue and 51st Street) on Tuesday 17 September. Highlights from the Program include music by J S Bach, William Harris and 16th century Spanish masters.

The Choir, comprising 25 undergraduate men and women studying a range of subjects, has an impressive reputation. It gives regular concerts both in the UK and abroad, including most recently Caen and Paris, France and Fano, Italy. The Choir often appears on the BBC and has made several recordings including Taverner’s Missa Corona Spinea and a CD of music by the 16th century Spanish composer Alonso Lobo, to be released by ASV in January 2003.

The Choir is directed by David Trendell who is also Head of the Music Department at King’s, one of the best music departments for teaching and research in the UK.

He commented, “This is our first tour of the USA and we are all very excited about performing in New York. The Choir will sing a varied and ambitious programme and we are greatly looking forward to performing in these wonderful venues.”

Principal Professor Lucas, said, “We at King’s are justifiably proud of our Choir and the tour is a wonderful opportunity for former students, staff and friends of King’s to reacquaint themselves with the College and with each other. I hope very much to have the pleasure of meeting many of them.”

Tickets are available from St Bartholomew’s either in advance or on the evening of the concert, and donations are welcome at the Church of the Epiphany, also on the evening.

The Choir will also perform at 7.00 pm in Boston on 16 September at the Church of the Advent, Brimmer St, Boston MA, and on Sunday 22 September will take part in the 11.00 am service at Christchurch, Christiana Hundred, Greenville, Delaware.

Notes to editors

King’s College London Choir
Together with singing the full range of music in the Anglican tradition, the Choir has gained a reputation for its performances of 16th century polyphony, reflecting the research interests of its Director. In particular, it has performed a substantial amount of Spanish renaissance music in editions prepared by David Trendell, and has recorded a CD of music by Alonso Lobo. Next year it will record a CD of canticles by Charles Wood.

During term, the Choir sings Evensong each week and at the College Eucharist in the College’s magnificent, recently restored Chapel, built in 1864 under the direction of architect George Gilbert Scott, who was also responsible for the Albert Memorial in Kensington, London.

Photos of the Choir
Photos of the Choir are available, please contact Melanie Gardner.

David Trendell
David Trendell began his musical career as a chorister, and later an alto choral scholar at Norwich Cathedral before becoming Organ Scholar of Exeter College and subsequently Assistant Organist at Winchester College. In 1989 he was appointed Organist of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford and College Tutor at St Hugh’s, St Hilda’s and, later, Oriel Colleges. He moved to London in 1992 to become College Organist and Lecturer in Music at King’s College London. Here he has trained the Chapel Choir which has made recordings, including recently a CD of Taverner’s Missa Corona Spinea, has broadcast regularly for the BBC and given many concerts both in the UK and abroad.

David Trendell is also Director of Music at the Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great in the City of London and was a Director of the Edington Festival, a festival of music within the liturgy. His research interests are based in the 16th century and include the recusant music of William Byrd; compositional techniques of the post-Josquin generation and their influence on English music; Spanish polyphony, especially the music of Alsonso Lobo, and interpretation of The Song of Songs in motets of the period. He has lectured as far afield as Beirut and Jerusalem and has produced a number of recordings for The Clerkes’ Group, the Oxford Camerata, Schola Cantorum of Oxford, New College, Oxford and the Matrise de Caen.

King’s College London
King’s College London is one of the oldest and largest colleges of the University of London with some 12,400 undergraduate students and over 4,700 postgraduates in ten schools of study. The College had 24 of its subject-areas awarded the highest rating of 5* and 5 for research quality, demonstrating excellence at an international level. It is in the top group of five universities for research earnings and has an annual turnover of over £300 million and research income from grants and contracts in excess of £87 million (2000-2001).

Venues
St Bartholomew’s Church: www.stbarts.org
Church of the Epiphany: www.epiphanynyc.org

Further information
Public Relations Tel: 020 7848 3202 email: pr@kcl.ac.uk


Next:
World first: unique method of treating children born with heart defects - results announced
Letter to all staff from the Principal
King's Military Archives honours Professor Sir Michael Howard
C18th volumes presented to King's
BMJ article

Previous:
Ahoy there! War Studies Professor sets sail on Endeavour in BBC TV' s The Ship
King's academics call for improved information on exam results
Manna: truth and legend
Music professor elected Fellow of the British Academy
Human gene defence against HIV discovered


This information is provided by the Public Relations Department
Tel: 020-7848 3202  Fax: 020-7848 3739  Email: pr@kcl.ac.uk