ORA Singers with special guest reader (classical)

The festival continues its annual sequence of concerts with leading British choral groups. Directed by Suzy Digby, ORA Singers is an award-winning 18-voice ensemble and world-leading commissioner of choral music. In its first six years the group has released 10 albums to critical acclaim, performed in the UK, the USA and Europe, had its music and music videos broadcast across the globe (and in every continent including Antarctica) and commissioned over 70 new choral works. 

They present a programme exploring the Spirit of Shakespeare: his characters, the spirit of the time and the playwright himself. Featuring both renaissance and contemporary music inspired by the Bard, this performance also features the world premiere of a commission by Rory Wainwright Johnston – who has set Miranda’s final words from The Tempest. There will be a series of readings interspersed throughout the programme read by a special guest.

“ORA Singers – the most mellifluous vocal group this side of Heaven” The Times

Dove – Ariel: No 1: Come Unto These Yellow Sands 
Chilcott – The Isle is full of noises
Allain – If Music Be The Food of Love 
Cavendish – Come, gentle swains 
Morley arr. Grainger – O mistress mine 
Dove – Ariel: No 2: I Boarded the King’s Ship 
Wainwright Johnson Commission (premiere)
Gibbons – What is our Life 
Dove – Ariel: No 3: O O O 
Chilcott – Even Such Is Time 

INTERVAL

Swingle – It was a lover and his lass 
Dove – Ariel: No.4 All Hail Great Master 
Tavener – Song for Athene 
Larsen – Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day 
Dove – Sweet are the uses of adversity 
Bennet – All creatures now are merry minded
Dove -Ariel: No. 5 Is there more toil 
Mantyjarvi – Four Shakespeare Songs