Stargazing

Join the acclaimed vocal ensemble Siglo de Oro on their eagerly anticipated return to Derby as they join forces with the renowned Derby Cathedral Choir for an unforgettable evening of celestial music.Guiding stars, prayers offered heavenward, and lovers pouring their hearts out to the night sky. Signs in the Stars explores humanity's enduring fascination with the heavens through a luminous programme inspired by constellations, comets, planets and the mysteries of the cosmos.Spanning five centuries of music, this captivating concert brings together radiant Renaissance masterpieces and striking contemporary works from some of today's most celebrated composers. From the soaring beauty of James MacMillan's Ave Maria Stella to the shimmering soundworld of Jonathan Dove's Seek Him That Maketh the Seven Stars and Vast Ocean of Light, audiences will be transported on a musical journey through the stars.Performed by two of the country's finest choral ensembles, this promises to be an evening of breathtaking vocal artistry in the magnificent surroundings of Derby Cathedral.Music includes
Seek Him That Maketh the Seven Stars Jonathan Dove
Ave Maria Stella James MacMillan
Videntes Stellam Francis Poulenc
Vast Ocean of Light Jonathan Dove
The Heavens Are Telling Joseph Haydn...plus many more celestial treasures.Performers
Siglo de Oro
Derby Cathedral Choir
Edward Turner (Organ)
Alexander Binns & Patrick Allies (Conductors)Siglo de Oro is an adventurous vocal ensemble based in London. Led by its director, Patrick Allies, the group is known for its golden tone, fresh interpretations and innovative programming.In recent seasons, highlights have included a three-concert residency at Wigmore Hall, a collaboration with composer Caroline Shaw, concert tours of the United States and Canada, and appearances at festivals across the UK and in Sweden, Finland, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.The group has made six recordings for Delphian Records, winning accolades from BBC Music Magazine (Choral Recording of the Month), Fono Forum (Stern des Monats) and Music Web International (Recording of the Year).Siglo de Oro's repertoire stretches from the music of the Middle Ages to newly commissioned works. The group's projects have ranged from a research partnership exploring 12th-century French song to performances of works written especially for the ensemble by composers including Kerensa Briggs, Marisse Cato and Ben Rowarth.Derby Cathedral Choir is one of the most vibrant and ambitious cathedral choirs in the country, with a reputation for musical excellence that extends far beyond the city and county. The choir comprises around 40 boy and girl choristers and professional adult singers, and sings at least five choral services each week in Derby Cathedral. Alongside its liturgical ministry, the choir maintains a busy programme of concerts, tours, broadcasts and recordings.Recent years have seen the choir perform in Germany, Belgium, France and Italy; appear on BBC Radio Derby; and collaborate with leading artists and ensembles including The Sixteen, Gabrieli, John Rutter, Alexander L'Estrange and Sinfonia Viva. Major performances have included Handel's Messiah and Vivaldi's Gloria, while choristers have sung before members of the Royal Family and audiences across the UK and Europe.The choir's repertoire ranges from medieval plainchant to newly commissioned works, with choristers regularly performing over 150 different pieces each academic term. Former choristers have gone on to hold positions at Trinity College Cambridge, Leicester Cathedral, Sheffield Cathedral, Portsmouth Cathedral, Westminster School and the London Oratory, with many also securing prestigious choral and organ scholarships at Oxford, Cambridge, Royal Holloway and other leading universities.