“O Radiant Dawn” – new album release from Apollo5

O Radiant Dawn, the new album from Apollo5, is released on the VCM Records label on May 31st.

From sacred music to pastoral, folk and spiritual repertoire the group explores the human journey through birth, love, struggle, the end of life and reflection. The album’s repertoire stretches from Perotin to MacMillan; the programme features arrangements written especially for Apollo5 and new commissions from composers Alexander Levine and Fraser Wilson.

• O Radiant Dawn – James MacMillan
• Beata Viscera I – Pérotin
• Beata Viscera – William Byrd
• Ne Irascaris Domine – William Byrd
• Wishes – Fraser Wilson
• Beata Viscera II – Pérotin arr. Apollo5
• Scarborough Fair – trad. English arr. Fraser Wilson
• The Skye Boat Song – trad. Scottish arr. Fraser Wilson
• The Dark Island – Iain MacLachlan arr. Paul Smith for Apollo5
• I Love, Alas, I Love Thee – Thomas Morley
• The Silver Swan – Orlando Gibbons
• Sfogava Con Le Stelle – Claudio Monteverdi
• Der König In Thule – Robert Schumann
• The Call – Vaughan Williams arr. Harry D. Bennett
• My Spirit Sang All Day – Gerald Finzi
• Beata Viscera III – Pérotin arr. Apollo5
• Oh, You Wide Steppe – trad. Russian arr. Alexander Levine

Clare Stewart of Apollo5 spoke to Robert Hugill about the album – read it all here.

To celebrate the release the group visited the Radio 3 In Tune studio and performed a couple of tracks live. Listen again to the programme here.

Buy the album on Amazon here.

Singing live at BBC Radio 3’s “In Tune” studio

Apollo5 March 2019 Concert Roundup

The Apollo5 concert diary this month has seen them perform in the Middle East and UK, with further concerts in Europe and the UK to come.

ChoirFest Middle East  saw members of Apollo5 work in tandem with the VCM Foundation to sing and give workshops in Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Back in the UK they performed in Kington Church to conclude a project with Hereford Cathedral School, which involved a prior visit to work with the school’s Colla Voce choir.

The next 2 festival concerts are in Europe, firstly at the Heidelberger Frühling festival where the group gives it’s own recital and takes part in a joint concert with the French Baroque Ensemble Masques and the Cairo Jazz Station.

On March 22nd the group will be in Spain at the Portico da Paradiso Festival in Ourense, before giving a recital Lyddington, UK, on 30 March.

The repertoire for these concerts is drawn from the group’s classical and lighter folk and jazz repertoire, much of it recently recorded for release on the VCM label in May on their new album entitled “O Radiant Dawn”.

Interwoven in this concert schedule is the group’s education work with schools and choirs as part of the VCM Foundation.

Apollo5 in Grenoble

Auditorium du Musée performance

Vocal ensemble Apollo5 gives another performance in France on November 8th, at the Auditorium du Musée de Grenoble, singing a programme of British music stretching from William Byrd to James MacMillan and Elton John.

The group is based at the Gresham Centre in the City of London and one of two vocal ensembles of the VCM Foundation along with VOCES8. The Foundation’s aim is to inspire people through music with an innovative education outreach programme alongside a busy schedule of concert performances around the world.

Tickets are available through the promoter website here.

See a video of Apollo5 performing live at the Festival La Clé des Portes, France, here.

Keep up with the group’s activities via Facebook. Their recordings are available on Spotify here.

Apollo5 winners at The Music Teacher awards 2018

Best Classical Music Education Initiative at the Music Teacher awards 2018

In partnership with United Learning and long term friend and collaborator Alexander L’Estrange, Apollo5has been awarded Best Classical Music Education Initiative 2018 at the UK Music Teacher Awards. ‘Wassail’, a new work commissioned by United Learning was performed in London’s Southwark Cathedral and at the RNCM in Manchester in November 2017.

The VCM Foundation team delivered the majority of the workshops in United Learning Schools, and formed the professional choir for the two concerts, which included nearly 1,000 children from schools all across the UK.

The team members who were involved in making this project a success were Clare Stewart (Apollo5), Greg Link (Apollo5), Oliver Martin-Smith (Apollo5), Penny Appleyard (Apollo5), Lizzie Humphries (VOCES8 Scholar), Katie Jeffries-Harris (VOCES8 Scholar), Rebekah Jones (VCM Foundation), Laurel Neighbour (VOCES8 Scholar), Charlotte Brosnan (Apollo5 alumna) Charles MacDougall (VOCES8 alumnus), Harry Bennett (Apollo5 alumnus) Ann Wright (VCM Foundation), Paul Smith (VOCES8 alumnus).

‘Supporting schools with learning and performing “Wassail” took our team to rural Lancashire, Salford, Northamptonshire, South London and West Sussex to name just a few of the places. In many cases the schools had never worked with professional singers before. In some, “Wassail” was the catalyst to starting a school choir. It was such a pleasure to support so many teachers and pupils.’ (Ann Wright, VCM Education Manager)

Apollo5 at the Durham Vocal Festival 2018

 

Apollo5 are in the beautiful city of Durham as part of the Durham Vocal Festival.

They give a Big Sing Workshop as well as a concert in Durham Cathedral with community choirs from across the north-east.

See more about the group, including news about their upcoming trip to the USA, at www.apollo5.co.uk

The inaugural Gresham Centre Festival

“Sing to the City”

The Gresham Centre is home to the VCM Foundation who have launched the inaugural festival this week. The events feature the Foundation’s two performing ensembles – Apollo5 and VOCES8 – but there are opportunities to hear the VOCES8 Scholars and to work with the Foundation’s Artistic Director, Barnaby Smith, on a conducting workshop.

See more about the Festival here.

To buy tickets for the closing concert on November 14th, click here.

Paul Smith the 21st Century Musician

21CMposium talk online

During the 21CMposium at DePauw University last year Paul gave a demonstration of the VOCES8 Method, leading the audience in a series of impromptu performances. Through rhythmic exercises, improvisations and an interactive rendition of Fleet Foxes White Winter Hymnal, he revealed how the Method can make music education more inclusive and encouraging of personal creativity. Watch it here.

21CM.org is an online, professional resource created expressly to help serious musicians thrive, not just survive, in today’s modern musical landscape. The site combines a magazine focused on people, organizations, projects and innovations with live events and educational tools.

Paul’s website is at www.psv8.co.uk