The Cathedral is playing host to The Gesualdo Six as part of their Christmas season tour, which will see them visit Stroud, Winchester, London, Norwich, Oxford and Cambridge. The music they sing during Christmas and the surrounding seasons is from their favourite repertoire. In these concerts, they weave a tapestry of well-known seasonal carols together with Renaissance gems and highlights from the 21st century, featuring music by Palestrina, Byrd, Vaughan Williams, Poulenc & Cheryl Frances-Hoad.
For more information see our Events Page or visit their website www.thegesualdosix.co.uk/concerts.
Performers
Guy James countertenor
Alasdair Austin countertenor
Joseph Wicks tenor
Josh Cooter tenor
Michael Craddock baritone
Owain Park director and bass
Biographies
“Ingeniously programmed and impeccably delivered, with that undefinable excitement that comes from a group of musicians working absolutely as one.” – Gramophone
The Gesualdo Six is an award-winning British vocal ensemble comprising some of the UK’s finest consort singers, directed by Owain Park. Praised for their imaginative programming and impeccable blend, the group formed in 2014 for a performance of Gesualdo’s Tenebrae Responsories in Cambridge and has gone on to perform at numerous major festivals around the world.
Notable highlights include a concert in the distinguished Deutschlandradio Debut Series, performances at renowned venues including Wigmore Hall (London), Miller Theatre (New York), the Sydney Opera House, and their debut at the BBC Proms in 2023. In 2024, The Gesualdo Six made their South American debut in Colombia, and will appear in Japan, China and Singapore for the first time. The ensemble have collaborated with Fretwork, the Brodsky Quartet, and Matilda Lloyd, and tour a work of concert-theatre titled Secret Byrd with Director, Bill Barclay.
The Gesualdo Six is committed to music education, regularly hosting workshops for young musicians and composers. The ensemble have curated two Composition Competitions, with the most recent edition drawing entries from over three hundred composers worldwide. The group recently commissioned new works from Shruthi Rajasekar and Joanna Marsh, alongside coronasolfège for 6 by Héloïse Werner.
The ensemble have harnessed the power of social media to make classical music accessible to millions worldwide, creating captivating videos from beautiful locations while on tour. The group released their debut recording English Motets on Hyperion Records in early 2018 to critical acclaim, followed by seven further albums (Christmas, Fading, Josquin’s Legacy, Gesualdo’s Tenebrae Responsories, Lux Aeterna, William Byrd’s Mass for five voices, Morning Star). Their latest album, Queen of Hearts was released at the end of June 2024.
