My Love She Mourneth: From Despair To Joy

“My Love She Mourneth: From Despair To Joy”

with music by Byrd, Cornysh, Debussy, Poulenc and Stanford

A programme showcasing gems from the English Renaissance for men’s voices contrasted with 20^th and 21^st century works.  This includes compositions by four living composers and the premiere of a work written specially for the occasion.

The expansive and richly textured motets of William Byrd form the backbone of the programme which traces a typically Lenten theme: darkness to light, despair to joy. Works in English from the likes of Matthew Martin and Charles Villiers Stanford, alongside the impressionistic French composers Claude Debussy and Francis Poulenc, explore the wide-ranging ways of writing for this combination of voices, often considered solely an early music group.

Including local singer and musician Daniel Gethin, The Hexad Singers are formed from the choirs of St John’s College, Cambridge, New College, Oxford and Madgdalen College, Oxford.  These talented young male singers have developed an enthusiasm for ensemble singing that for many of them stemmed from their early years as choristers in churches and cathedrals around the country.

The individual members are much in demand with major professional groups, having performed with renowned choirs such as The Sixteen, Tenebrae, and Ex Cathedra, as well as vocal consorts such as The Gesualdo Six.