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Music in Durham

Renaissance: Lamenta

The rich spread of sixteenth century choral music in miniature, in a short concert given by five singers from Renaissance: Camilla Harris, Jessica Gillingwater, Hugo Hymas, David Le Prevost and Ben Rowarth.

Renaissance: Media Vita

Ben Rowarth and Renaissance

The young vocal ensemble Renaissance, directed by Ben Rowarth, captivated the audience in St Cuthbert’s chapel at Ushaw College with a programme built around John Sheppard’s stunning motet “Media Vita”.

Renaissance Remembrance

Ben Rowarth and Renaissance

Ben Rowarth and Renaissance returned to Durham last night with an emotionally intense reflection on war and grief that set Alsonso Lobo’s glorious Lamentations against harrowing British and French music.

The Bishop’s Consort: Acis and Galatea

A delightful performance of Handel’s “Acis and Galatea”, performed by the Bishop’s Consort with Hugo Hymas and Charlotte La Thrope in the title roles.

DUCS: Rowarth and Mozart

Ben Rowarth’s “Christus: A Passiontide Sequence” is a powerful and provocative new approach to the story of Christ’s Passion, combining imaginative writing with a firm grounding in musical history. This startling new work was combined with an energetic performance of Mozart’s Requiem, sung by the Durham University Choral Society and Chamber Choir, conducted by Mike Summers.

Ben Rowarth’s Christus

Durham University Choral Society will give the first performance of “Christus: A Passiontide sequence”, a major new work written for them by Ben Rowarth, at a concert in Durham Cathedral on 15 March. I spoke to Ben, and to Mike Summers, Musical Director of DUCS, to find out more about it.

DUCS to perform new Ben Rowarth work

An exciting bit of news landed in my in-box on Friday evening: the next Durham University Choral Society concert will include the first performance of a new commissioned work by recent Durham graduate Ben Rowarth. It’s called “Christus: A Passion Sequence” and is for chorus and soloists, accompanied by strings and harp.  It sounds as […]

Renaissance – Christus Natus Est

Ben Rowarth and his choir, Renaissance, jumped ahead of the Christmas starting gun, sneaking their “Christus Natus Est” concert in just a few days before Advent Sunday. And what a lovely way to start the hectic Christmas season, with calm, cool singing and an imaginative programme.

Renaissance in Hexham

Ben Rowarth and Renaissance

Hexham’s annual Festival of Music and Arts ended in style last night, with a candlelit concert in the Abbey, with music by Britten, Purcell and others, performed by a very fine group of young singers, accompanied on baroque instruments, and conducted by Martin Neary. This is one of those reviews where I have to add […]