The Cardinall's Musick: 25th Anniversary Concert, Wigmore Hall

Wigmore Hall presents a concert to celebrate 25 years of The Cardinall's Musick on 26 July

Over the past 25 years, The Cardinall’s Musick have carved out a place for themselves as one of Britain’s most accomplished vocal ensembles. Unlike the Hilliard Ensemble, for instance, who have branched out into contemporary choral works, their recordings have been devoted almost exclusively to the music of the 16th century. And no harm in that: their pitch-perfect interpretations of Byrd and Palestrina are among the finest you’re likely to hear, combining academic rigour with tremendous sensitivity.

Their anniversary concert at the Wigmore Hall, on July 26, will be a veritable feast of Renaissance polyphony. The English greats – Byrd, Tallis and Gibbons – are all represented, along with composers from the continent, such as Allegri, Praetorius and the rarely-performed Guerrero. There’ll also be a couple of modern works, including a mysterious “new commission”, which will receive its world premiere on the night. 

The Wigmore Hall, as we’ve said before, is the perfect place to hear this kind of music, its intimate acoustic giving clarity to each vocal line, though never at the expense of the overall harmonic effect. With such wonderful works on offer here, and in the hands of such skilled performers, we urge this concert upon you.