Monteverdi Vespers of 1610
Mark Simpson new commission: Exile (world premiere)
National Youth Choirs of Great Britain
Mark Dobell, Benjamin Hulett and Matthew Long tenor soloists
La Serenissima leader: Adrian Chandler
Ben Parry conductor
Majestic, intimate, powerful and tranquil, Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Virgine of 1610 is an unforgettable musical experience: a journey of contrasting and beautiful baroque soundscapes for both the audience and the performers to relish. To match the energy and skill it demands, 600 of the country's most talented young singers come together, marking the 30th anniversary of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain.
At 24, Mark Simpson is already an established figure in contemporary classical music and winner of BBC Young Composer of the year in 2006. His new work takes its source from the madrigal, a virtuosic vocal style which Monteverdi mastered early in his own composing career.
The National Youth Choirs of Great Britain are conducted by their new director, Ben Parry, and accompanied by acclaimed baroque specialists La Serenissima.
'and what a chorus… a very, very special choir' Daniel Barenboim, conducting the National Youth Choir of Great Britain in Beethoven's Symphony 9, BBC Proms, July 2012
Listen to excerpts from Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Virgine (please note that these excerpts are not sung by the performers listed above):
Deus in adiutorium: Listen here
Laudate pueri: Listen here