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Biography
The Hilliard Ensemble is a United Kingdom|British male vocal quartet originally devoted to the performance of early music . Founded in 1974,Allmusic|class=artist|id=q29671|pure_url=yes Allmusic the group is named after the Elizabethan era|Elizabethan miniaturist painter Nicholas Hilliard .
Although most of its work focuses on music of the Medieval music|Medieval and Renaissance music|Renaissance periods, the Hilliard Ensemble also performs contemporary music, working frequently with the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt and including in its concerts works by John Cage , Gavin Bryars , Giya Kancheli , and Heinz Holliger .
History and performances
The group was originally founded by Paul Hillier , Paul Elliott, and David James (countertenor)|David James , although the membership was flexible until Hillier left in the late 1980s. Since 1990 the core members have been David James, Rogers Covey-Crump , John Potter (musician)|John Potter , and Gordon Jones, with one change: in 1998 John Potter was replaced by Steven Harrold.
The Hilliard Ensemble has recorded extensively for the ECM Records|ECM label. In 1994, when popular interest in Gregorian chant was at its height, the ensemble released the CD Officium (album)|Officium , an unprecedented collaboration with the Norway|Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek . The disc became one of ECM's biggest-selling releases of all time, reaching the pop charts in several European countries and receiving five gold disc s in sales. ''Officium's sequel, the 2-CD set Mnemosyne , followed in 1999. The third album, Officium Novum , was released in 2010. http://www.ecmrecords.com/Catalogue/New_Series/2100/2125.php Jan Garbarek / The Hilliard Ensemble / Officium NovumECM Records|ECM John Eyles: http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/dnzb Will please both jazz aficionados and followers of choral music BBC 28 September 2010
Their recordings have also been included in Craig M. Wright|Craig Wright 's Listening to Music textbook for music students and music appreciation .
In 2005 the ensemble took part in the Rheingau Musik Festival 's composer's portrait of Arvo Pärt , together with the Rostock Motet Choir . http://www.st-johannis-rostock.de/Kantorei/pages/motetten.html Rostocker Motettenchor de icon
In 2008, The Hilliard Ensemble premiered Heiner Goebbels ' avant-garde staged concert I went to the house but did not enter at the 2008 Edinburgh International Festival , repeated at the Berliner Festspiele. http://www.welt.de/welt_print/article2746916/Heiner-Goebbels-mit-dem-Hilliard-Ensemble.html Heiner Goebbels mit dem Hilliard Ensemble Die Welt 19 November 2008 de icon
In 2009 the ensemble premiered five new works: Guido Morini 's Una Iliade , Fabio Vacchi 's Memoria Italiana , Steffen Schleiermacher 's Die Beschwörung der Trunkenen Oase , Simon Bainbridge 's Tenebrae and WolfgangRihm 's Et Lux .
In September 2010, The Hilliard Ensemble joined the London Philharmonic Orchestra and London Philharmonic Choir|Choir for the world premiere of Matteo D'Amico 's Flight from Byzantium at the Royal Festival Hall , London. They also performed three pieces by Guillaume Dufay : Moribus et genere , Vergene bella and Lamentatio sanctae matris ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae . http://wmnr.com/concert/details.aspx? PId=5071563 London Philharmonic Orchestra / Jurowski / Haydn, D'Amico and Bartok wmnr.com
On 15 November 2010 the group appeared at Church of St. Paul the Apostle (New York City)|Church of St. Paul the Apostle in New York to perform Kjartan Sveinsson 's Cage a Swallow Can’t You but You Can’t Swallow a Cage .Steve Smith: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/arts/music/17white.html To Boldly Go Beyond the Limits of Sacred Music New York Times 16 November 2010
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.hilliardensemble.demon.co.uk/ The Hilliard Ensemble official website
http://trovar.com/ECM/ECM.php? artist=hilliard The Hilliard EnsembleECM Records|ECM
http://www.hazardchase.co.uk/artists/the_hilliard_ensemble The Hilliard Ensemble agent Hazard Chase Ltd
http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Hilliard-Ensemble.htm The Hilliard Ensemble bach-cantatas.com
http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/performers/hilliard.html The Hilliard Ensemble discography, medieval.org
Category:Instrumental early music groups Category:British choirs Category:ECM artists Category:Musical groups established in 1974
