The King’s Singers release premiere recording of Pachelbel Vespers in collaboration with period instrument ensemble Charivari Agréable

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Critically acclaimed vocal group The King’s Singers will release their latest album, Pachelbel Vespers, on Signum Classics on March 30, 2010, marking the world premiere recording of a collection of the German master’s choral works. This latest offering shows the internationally lauded ensemble returning to early music after a 2009 Grammy Award-winning album of contemporary works. Joining The King’s Singers are celebrated period instrument group Charivari Agréable under the direction of Kah-Ming Ng. The recording presents a window into the tumultuous musical environment of late seventeenth-century Germany, where Reformation-era expression and profane forms mingled with the established liturgy of the Catholic Church.

While most audiences will immediately recognize Pachelbel for his ubiquitous Canon, The King’s Singers are determined to introduce the German composer in a new light; as a masterful and expressive writer for the voice. Pachelbel’s settings of the Vespers texts incorporate theatrical elements of contemporaneous German and Italian secular works into the traditional rite, helping to usher in a new form and style of music to the church of the day. The manuscripts themselves passed through the hands of numerous collectors and archivists, traveling as far as the United States before finding a permanent home in the Tenbury collection of the Bodleian Library at Oxford University.

Hailed by Gramophone Magazine for “enchanting the ear from first to last note,” The King’s Singers have been one of the most sought-after vocal ensembles in the world for over four decades. Equally proficient in numerous genres, they are recognized throughout both the classical and popular music worlds for their exquisite artistry as well as their enchanting charisma. During the 2009/2010 season The King’s Singers will present more than 130 concerts across the USA, Europe, and Asia and will release a smooth-jazz-inspired collection entitled Swimming over London in June.

On top of an extensive touring schedule of sold-out concerts throughout the world, The King’s Singers are devoted to sharing their musicianship through workshops and master classes with choirs and vocal groups of all types. The ensemble’s arrangements have earned phenomenal sales and circulation through the US publisher Hal Leonard, and a host of both amateur and professional ensembles perform the work of The King’s Singers each season.

In addition to a discography of over 100 recordings, The King’s Singers have released numerous and award-winning performance and master class DVDs. The group has made frequent television appearances on PBS in the US, BBC in the UK, and throughout Europe and Asia on a variety of networks.

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