I stumbled upon this list by Gramophone the other day and was surprised by a couple of the groups on here. LOTS of great singing. Building this little column I learned a lot about these ensembles. Some very different approaches to choral sound and the choral experience. What do y’all think? – JFK

The Monteverdi Choir

“World-class instrumentalists and singers of many different nationalities come together to share in the distinctive vision of our Founder and Artistic Director, John Eliot Gardiner, in ground-breaking projects that span eight centuries of musical masterpieces. From the monumental to the intimate, from sacred music to opera, from early music to the 20th century, often in unexpected combinations, in each of our projects we strive for excellence. Possessed of an instantly recognisable core sound, the three ensembles are in constant renewal and evolution.” from https://monteverdi.co.uk/about-us

Polyphony

“Polyphony was formed by Stephen Layton in 1986 for a concert in King’s College Chapel, Cambridge. Since then the choir has performed and recorded regularly to great critical acclaim throughout the world. Recent reviews declare Polyphony ‘one of the best small choirs now before the public’ (Telegraph) and ‘possibly the best small professional chorus in the world.’” from http://stephenlayton.com/polyphony

Cardinall’s Musick

“Founded in 1989, The Cardinall’s Musick is a highly successful and innovative ensemble. Taking its name from the 16th-century cardinal, Thomas Wolsey, the group is known for its extensive study of English Renaissance music. Although primarily a vocal group, The Cardinall’s Musick also has its own period instrumental ensemble, and now embraces a wide range of styles and periods: from complete reconstructions of historical events (the Field of the Cloth of Gold) to world premieres of commissioned music from composers such as Michael Finnissy, Simon Whalley, Matthew Martin and Judith Weir.” from http://www.cardinallsmusick.com/about-us

The Sixteen

Images of audiences queuing to hear early Tudor polyphony or contemporary choral compositions belonged to the world of fantasy before The Sixteen and Harry Christophers brought them to life. The UK-based ensemble, hallmarked by its tonal richness, expressive intensity and compelling collective artistry, has introduced countless newcomers to works drawn from well over five centuries of sacred and secular repertoire. The Sixteen’s choir and period-instrument orchestra stand today among the world’s greatest ensembles, peerless interpreters of Renaissance, Baroque and modern choral music, acclaimed worldwide for performances delivered with precision, power and passion. The Sixteen arose from its Founder and Conductor Harry Christophers’ formative experience as cathedral chorister and choral scholar. His enterprise, launched in 1979, built on the best of the British choral tradition while setting new standards of virtuosity and musicianship. The Sixteen’s professional female and male voices create a distinctive sound of great warmth and clarity. Although refined over four decades, that sound has remained remarkably consistent, always responsive to the emotional content of words and music, ever alert to subtle nuances of colour and shading. from https://thesixteen.com/about-us/

Trinity College Choir

“Voted the fifth best choir in the world in Gramophone magazine’s ‘20 Greatest Choirs’, The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge comprises around thirty Choral Scholars and two Organ Scholars, all of whom are students at the University. The College’s choral tradition dates back to the all-male choir of the fourteenth century, when former Chapel Royal choristers studied in King’s Hall which later became part of Trinity College. Directors of Music have included Charles Villiers Stanford, Alan Gray, Raymond Leppard and Richard Marlow. Female voices were introduced in the 1980s by Richard Marlow, in a new departure for Cambridge choral music. Stephen Layton has been Director of Music since 2006.” From http://trinitycollegechoir.com/about/

Wells Cathedral Choir

“Today the choir consists of 18 boy choristers, 18 girl choristers and 12 Vicars Choral (the men of the choir). The boys and girls usually sing separately with the Vicars Choral but occasionally come together for larger events and tours. The choir is at the heart of the worshipping life of the Cathedral, and sings a wide repertoire of music ranging from the Renaissance period to the present day. It sings throughout the Cathedral’s new music wells festival, launched in June 2008. It has premiered works from some of today’s finest composers, including Judith Bingham, Geoffrey Burgon, Bob Chilcott, Jonathan Dove, Gabriel Jackson, John Joubert, Sir James MacMillan CBE, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies CH CBE (former Master of the Queen’s Music), Tarik O’Regan, John Rutter, Howard Skempton, and Sir John Tavener.” from https://www.wellscathedral.org.uk/worship-and-music/music/wells-cathedral-choir/

Collegium Vocale Gent

“In 2020 Collegium Vocale Gent celebrated its 50th anniversary, a golden jubelee! The ensemble was founded in 1970 on Philippe Herreweghe’s initiative by a group of friends studying at the University of Ghent,. They were one of the first ensembles to use new ideas about baroque performance practice in vocal music. Their authentic, text-oriented and rhetorical approach gave the ensemble the transparent sound with which it would acquire world fame and perform at the major concert venues and music festivals of Europe, the United States, Russia, South America, Japan, Hong Kong and Australia. Since 2017 the ensemble runs its own summer festival Collegium Vocale Crete Senesi in Tuscany, Italy.” From https://www.collegiumvocale.com/en/ensemble/

Choeur de Chambre Accentus

“The choir, founded by current conductor and artistic director Laurence Equilbey, is dedicated to the performance of the major a cappella works as well as to contemporary repertoire. Recently rated by Gramophone Magazine as one of the top ten choirs in the world, today accentus is an ensemble of 32 professional singers performing at the highest artistic level.” From http://www.accentus.fr/en/the-project/accentus1/biography/

RIAS Chamber Choir

Named one of the ten best choirs in the world, the Berlin RIAS Chamber Choir (RIAS Kammerchor) is generally acclaimed as a choir of top international reputation. It has been notable for virtuoso performances of difficult new works, and increasingly for its explorations of early music. It has appeared both a cappella and with Germany’s top orchestral ensembles and conductors. The Berlin RIAS Chamber Choir was formed in 1948 in a city still under divided military rule. The initials RIAS stand for Rundfunk in der Amerikanischen Sektor, or Radio in the American Sector. From the start, the choir played a key cultural role in the recovering city of Berlin; under conductors Herbert Froitzheim (1948-1954) and Günther Arndt, the group established comprehensive educational programs that included presentations in schools and academies for the training of young singers. From https://www.allmusic.com/artist/berlin-rias-chamber-choir-mn0001609981/biography

Swedish Radio Choir

“Three hundred years of Swedish a cappella tradition combined with a progressive and diverse repertoire, including collaborations with some of the world’s best conductors, have established the Swedish Radio Choir as one of the best ensembles of its kind. The 32 professional singers are as comfortable with brand new music by today’s most exciting composers as with beloved works from the rich, international choral repertoire. Through Swedish Radio P2 and Berwaldhallen Play, the choir reaches not only the concert audience but also listeners on the radio and the web.” From https://www.radiokoren.se/en/about-the-swedish-radio-choir/

The Dudedin Consort

“Dunedin Consort is one of the world’s leading Baroque ensembles, recognised for its vivid and insightful performances and recordings. Formed in 1995 and named after Din Eidyn, the ancient Celtic name for Edinburgh Castle, Dunedin Consort’s ambition is to allow listeners to hear early music afresh, and to couple an inquisitive approach to historical performance with a commitment to commissioning and performing new music. Under the direction of John Butt, the ensemble has earned two coveted Gramophone Awards – for the 2007 recording of Handel’s Messiah and the 2014 recording of Mozart’s Requiem – and a Grammy nomination.” From https://www.dunedin-consort.org.uk/about-us/

The Choir at Kings College, Cambridge

“King’s College Choir comprises 16 boy choristers, aged between nine and 13 years, and 14 male undergraduates, reading for degrees in a variety of subjects. There are also two organ scholars. Singing at daily Chapel services is the Choir’s primary duty, and has been since the foundation of King’s College in 1441, when King Henry VI envisaged that the Choir would provide music for the daily offices and celebrations of the Mass in his new Chapel. Daily services are not the Choir’s sole commitment today though: its worldwide fame and reputation, enhanced by its many recordings, has led to invitations to perform around the globe, and to an extensive international tour schedule.” From https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/choir/the-choir-today

The Tallis Scholars

“I got the polyphony bug when an undergraduate at Oxford in 1973. An ideal choral sound got fixed in my head at that time, and I’ve spent all the years since then trying to recapture it. Hence The Tallis Scholars. I haven’t done much else of creative importance – no novels or films – just a lot of concerts and recordings, and endless travelling.” – Peter Phillips https://www.thetallisscholars.co.uk/peter-phillips

The Choir of New College, Oxford

“The Choir of New College, Oxford is one of the most celebrated and acclaimed choral groups of the UK. When William of Wykeham founded his ‘New’ College in 1379, a choral foundation was at its heart, and daily chapel services have been a central part of college life ever since. The Choir comprises sixteen boy choristers and fourteen adult clerks; the latter a mixture of professional singers and undergraduate members of the College. The pattern set by New College Choir in the 1380s was later adopted by other foundations, and may be seen as the prototype for all choirs of its kind. The boy choristers benefit not only from the matchless education provided by daily contact with superb music, or the satisfaction of performing at a professional level, but also from generous bursaries at New College School.” From https://www.newcollegechoir.com/aboutus

Les Arts Florissants

“Founded in 1979 by William Christie, Les Arts Florissants is one of the best-known baroque-music ensembles in the world. Established in the name of creativity, pleasure and sharing, the Ensemble — which takes its name from a short opera by Marc-Antoine Charpentier — has played a pioneering role in the revival of a repertoire that had been largely forgotten and which is now enjoyed across the globe in all the most prestigious concert houses. This pioneering spirit has never died, and Les Arts Florissants’ two artistic directors, William Christie and Paul Agnew, continue the Ensemble’s tradition of research and innovation today.” From https://www.arts-florissants.org/main/en_GB/les-arts-florissants.html

The Choir of Westminster Abbey

“The Choir of Westminster Abbey is renowned worldwide as one of the finest choirs of its type. Comprising up to thirty boys (all of whom attend the Abbey’s unique Choir School) and twelve professional adult singers, known as Lay Vicars, its wide-ranging performing activities are rooted in centuries-old tradition and its repertoire ranges from plainsong and Tudor polyphony to twentieth-century masterpieces and new commissions.” From https://www.westminster-abbey.org/worship-music/music/the-abbey-choir-and-musicians/the-choir  

Balthasar-Neumann-Chor

“Founded by Thomas Hengelbrock in Freiburg in 1991, the Balthasar Neumann Choir is regarded as one of the world’s finest vocal ensembles. Its vibrant performances are invariably greeted with enthusiasm on the part of audiences and critics alike. The prestigious British Gramophone magazine voted the Balthasar Neumann Choir one of the “world’s best choirs”. Whether they are performing music from the seventeenth century or contemporary compositions, repertory works or rarities, Masses, operas, oratorios or pieces that cannot be tied down to a specific genre, these outstanding singers invariably demonstrate not only the highest musical standards but above all passion and a deep understanding of the music, performing not just as members of the chorus but also as soloists in their own right.” From https://www.balthasar-neumann.com/en/117614-2/

Stile Antico

“Stile Antico is firmly established as one of the world’s most accomplished and innovative vocal ensembles. Working without a conductor, its twelve members have thrilled audiences on four continents with their fresh, vibrant and moving performances of Renaissance polyphony. Its bestselling recordings have earned accolades including the Gramophone Award for Early Music, Diapason d’or de l’année, Edison Klassiek Award, and Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik. The group has received three Grammy® nominations, and performed live at the 60th Grammy® Awards at Madison Square Garden.” From https://www.stileantico.co.uk/about

The Arnold Schoenberg Choir

“Founded in 1972 by artistic director Erwin Ortner, the Arnold Schoenberg Chor is one of Austria’s most multifaceted and sought-after vocal ensembles. Since 2006 the choir is the opera chorus in residence of Theater an der Wien. Their repertoire spans from the Renaissance and Baroque to the present with a focus on contemporary music. The choir has a particular interest in a capella works; however, yet the great works for choir and orchestra are consistently represented on its concert programs.” From https://www.asc.at/?lang=en

I Fagiolini

“I Fagiolini is internationally renowned for its genuinely innovative productions: “The group are musical shapeshifters, following Hollingworth’s giddy, eclectic imagination wherever it leads” (The Spectator). Signature projects have included The Full Monteverdi by John La Bouchardière; Tallis in Wonderland, a new way of hearing polyphony with live and recorded voices; Simunye, the South African collaboration; How Like An Angel (HLAA), with Australian contemporary circus company C!RCA for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad and performed at the Perth International Arts Festival, New York and in cathedrals across Europe; and Betrayal: a polyphonic crime drama (with John La Bouchardière), an immersive theatre piece sung to the music of Gesualdo with dancers and singers set in ‘crime scenes’.” From https://www.ifagiolini.com/about.html