New VOCES8 EP release: ‘Devotion’

After Silence is the celebration of VOCES8‘s 15th anniversary. Successive online EPs released in four chapters – Remembrance, Devotion, Redemption and Elemental – will be followed by After Silence, a double album with a beautifully produced booklet, illustrated with contemporary artworks and illuminating notes that add an extra dimension to the exploration of the themes.

Devotion has a dual aspect: religious observance or divine worship, on the one hand; the fact of being deeply attached to a beloved object, on the other. These sacred and secular passions provide inspiration for the transcendent harmonies displayed in the selection of works that make up the second part of After Silence, reflecting on love, death and the life of the spirit.

RepertoireA Boy and a Girl  Eric Whitacre
The Three Kings  Jonathan Dove
Lully, Lulla, Lullay  Philip Stopford
Lagrime d’amante al sepolcro dell’amata  Claudio Monteverdi
Jesus bleibet meine Freude BWV 147  Johann Sebastian Bach

Pre-order or stream Devotion here!

Justin Doyle conducts Bach’s Johannes Passion with RIAS and Akamus

Justin has been leading the RIAS Kammerchor and regular collaborators The Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin (Akamus) in performances of J.S. Bach’s Johannes Passion BVW245. Alongside Werner Güra (Evangelist) and Dominik Köninger (Christus) are soloists Marie-Sophie Pollak (Soprano), Benno Schachtner (Countertenor), Raphael Höhn (Tenor) and Matthias Winckhler (Bass-Baritone).

The schedule takes them to three prestigious venues: the Teatro Grande Brescia, the Prinzregententheater München, and the Konzerthaus Berlin Großer Saal.

Watch a video interview with Justin about what the piece means to him here.
A live performance of the opening movement conducted by René Jacobs in 2015 is here, which prepared for a full recording, released in 2016 which is on Spotify here.

Following the Passion performances Justin directs the Choir on 28th March in the Basilica di San Vittore, Varese (Italy) in music by Victoria and Vivancos. More details from the RIAS Kammerchor website here.