The vernal season is upon us! Spring brings new life and this year has brought The Gesualdo Six a new bass: Sam Mitchell, who we are very pleased to welcome to the team. We’re all looking forward immensely to working and performing with Sam, who’s first appearance will be (very appropriately!) Carlo Gesualdo’s exquisite Tenebrae Responsories for Maundy Thursday. The programme of The Gesualdo Six’s first concert just under two years ago in Trinity College, Cambridge, this work is still very much at the heart of our repertoire. It is always wonderful to be reacquainted with Gesualdo’s extraordinary setting of the events of Maundy Thursday, which we have happy memories of performing most recently in the world-famous Chapel of King’s College back in March.
‘..what Owain Park and the singers have managed to achieve is an ensemble with extraordinary potential … who surely have a promising future ahead.’
– Varsity, March 2015
In Gesualdo’s 450th anniversary year we are very proud to present the Tenebrae Responsories in the glorious setting of St. John’s Smith Square on the 4th of February at 1:05pm. This lunchtime recital is the opening concert of St. John’s Smith Square’s Young Artist Programme Concert Series for 2016, and the first of three such concerts given by The Gesualdo Six. Further information about this concert can be found by clicking here, while for box office and more information about the Young Artist Programme can be found on the St. John’s Smith Square website, here.
Themes of betrayal, sacrifice, despair and discipleship are woven throughout the Responsories, providing a reflective text as we near Lent, however despite these grave themes, Gesualdo’s writing is full of passion and colour. Presented with plainsong propers, the Tenebrae Responsories are also the major work on our debut record which we are currently in the midst of preparing! We look forward immensely to sharing this (and much, much more!) with you all over the course of the coming year.