In Celebration of the Human Voice - The Essential Musical Instrument

Collegium Regale

Male Choral Chorus from Cambridge, UK, England.

Collegium Regale (Latin for 'King's College') is the close harmony group made up of the Choral Scholars of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. As Choral Scholars we sing the daily routine of chapel services throughout term as well as undertaking a busy concert and recording schedule in the vacations, often working with leading orchestras notably the Academy of Ancient Music. The Choir is of course most famous for the broadcasts of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on BBC TV and Radio each Christmas, which reach an estimated 120 million people worldwide.

Collegium Regale however functions as a separate entity from the main choir and is run entirely by the members of the group itself. It performs regularly around Britain, touring each Easter in two groups, North and South, and in the past has performed as far afield as Canada, the United States and Hong Kong.

Building on our experience from the main choir, the group has excelled in performance and recording of early renaissance polyphony. Having established a relationship with record label Signum Classics, the group has released a series of discs promoting little known and under-appreciated composers from the European Renaissance. The 2006 recording of music by Orlando Lassus in particular met with great critical acclaim, receiving five star reviews from The Times and The Telegraph, the latter newspaper also listing it in its top ten discs of the year. The 2008 recording of music by Giaches de Wert was similarly well received and is also notable for the fact that much of the music on it was transcribed for the first time by a member of the group making the performances of many of the pieces the first since the late 16th century.

Our traditional repertoire aside, however, Collegium Regale also exists to perform more contemporary material. From spiritual songs to Michael Jackson, these are almost always arranged within the group and give us a chance to sing outside of the 'classical music' box. Each summer the group performs this repertoire to around two thousand people on the banks of the Cam and it forms a mainstay of our performance material throughout the year. The group's recognition as non-classical singers is growing and recent engagements include singing as principal backing vocalists for the English rap artist Dizzee Rascal at the BBC Electric Proms in London, and following on from this for a live session on MTV.

After leaving Kings, many members of Collegium Regale seek to continue a career in music and the group boasts an impressive array of alumni. The baritone Gerald Finley and the tenor Andrew Kennedy are both former members, as is the conductor Sir Andrew Davis and the Director of English National Opera, Edward Gardner. Perhaps the most famous close harmony group in Britain, The King's Singers, was set up by an especially keen year of Choral Scholars in 1968 and former choral scholars grace the ranks of almost every professional choir in the UK today from The Monteverdi Choir, The Sixteen and Polyphony, itself set up in Kings in 1986, to the Swingle Singers.

Unlike these groups however Collegium Regale faces a constant challenge that its membership is in a perpetual state of flux. Indeed, as The Times once wrote of us 'the mystery is how the choir achieves its gorgeous blend with such transitory albeit overlapping personnel'. In some ways this can be a weakness for the group, but in other respects it is a tremendous strength for each year heralds a fresh set of voices and ideas about where the group should go; that it has flourished for so long is testament to its ability to change in new and interesting directions whilst retaining its high standards of musical integrity.

Discography

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Collegium Regale : Carry Me Home

Review: Carry me home is an assortment of folk songs arranged for male voices including "Londonderry Air" and "O Waly Waly". Collegium Regale, which is composed of the choral scholars from the King's College Choir, explores the traditional songs of Britain, America, France and Hungary. Many of these familiar tunes, such as "Molly Malone" and "Shenandoah" were arranged by Keith Roberts who serves as the group's artistic consultant. The spirituals arranged by Robert Rice stray from the traditional style. His versions lean toward the lighter sounds of doo-wop and barbershop, particularly in "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child." Though, all pieces and especially the solos are sung beautifully.

Songlist: Dashing Away With The Smoothing Iron, Brigg Fair, Botany Bay, Il est ne le divin enfant, Myfanwy, The turtle dove, Londonderry air, Sometimes I feel like a motherless child, Nobody knows the trouble I seen, De gospel train, My sweetheart's like Venus, Ca' the yowes, Molly Malone, O Waly Waly, Ye banks and braes, Song of the Volga Boatmen, Shenandoah, Joshua, Steal Away, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

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Collegium Regale : Christmas with

Review: The incomparable sound of the men of King's College is unleashed on everything from chant to Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer. Close harmonies, impeccable tuning, and perfect programming make this a "must-have" CD for connoisseurs of the very best in choral singing. 22 songs: Handl's "Ante luciferum gentus," Byrd's "O magnum mysterium," "Puer natus est," "Ecce advenit," "The Coventry Carol," "Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen," "There is no rose of such virtue," "Beata es, Virgo Maria," "Quem vidistis, pastores?," "Hodie Christus natus est"... the Scholars make each song a lovely gem.

Songlist: Ante lucifeum genitus, O Magnum Mysterium, Puer natus est, Ecce advenit, Coventry Carol, Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, There is no rose of such virtue, Beata es, Virgo Maria, Quem vidistis pastores, Hodie Christus natus est, Once In Royal David's Coty, Deck The Hall, Silent Night, Ding Dong Merrily On High, Hark! the hearld angel sing, O Come All Ye Faithful, Rudelph the red-nosed reindeer, White Christmas, Wonderful Christmastide, The Christmas Song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, We Wish You A Merry Christmas

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Collegium Regale : Lassus

Review: During the last thirty years of his life, Orlande De Lassus was the most celebrated composer in Europe. From the time that he took up the duties of maestro di cappella in the court of the Dukes of Bavaria at Munich, he began to be called 'prince of musicians' and 'the divine Orlande'. The pieces selected for this recording represent Lassus's treatment of them of death during the mature period. The first group considers the death of Christ; the second, the death of a Christian. Stephen Cleobury is associated with two of the most famous choirs; as Director of Music at King's College, Cambridge and Chief Conductor of the BBC Singers.

Songlist: Lamentatio Prima, Lamentatio Secunda, Lamtatio Tertia, Motet: In Monte Oliveti, Tract: Absolve, Domine, Introitus: Requiem Aeternam, Kyrie Eleison, Gradule: Si Ambulem, Offertoriu: Domine Jesu Christe, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, Communio: Lux Aeterna, Motet: Vide Homo

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Collegium Regale : Vox in Rama - Giaches de Wert

Review: The Flemish-born Giaches de Wert was one of many foreigners to dominate the Italian music scene in the mid to late sixteenth century, therefore to this day his music is largely unknown to many. It is the second of three books of Motets which appears on this disc, written when his skill as a madrigalist had reached its height. As part of the Kings College Choir, the choral scholars of Collegium Regale perform independently of the choir, singing a repertoire that encompasses 15th Century sacred music, jazz, folksongs and pop. Directed by Kings College's and the BBC Singerâs renowned director Stephen Cleobury.

Songlist: O Crux Ave Spes Unica, Providebam Dominum, Hoc Es Praeceptum Meum, Benedicta Sit Sancta Trinitas, Hora Est Iam Nos, Hoc Enim Sentite In Vobis, Gaudete In Domino, Obsecro Vos Fratres, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Angelicus Domini Astitit, Amen, Amen Dico Vobis, Domine, Tu Es Qui Fecisti, Vox In Rama

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A Cappella Arrangements for Male Voices