Gothic Voices
Gothic Voices is a United Kingdom based vocal ensemble specialising in repertoire from the 11th to the 15th century. The group was formed in 1981 by scholar and musician Christopher Page.
Gothic Voices has recorded twenty-five CDs for Hyperion Records featuring composers such as Guillaume de Machaut, Guillaume Dufay, John Dunstaple and Leonel Power, of which three have won the prestigious Gramophone Award given by The Gramophone magazine. The group's first disc: "A Feather on the Breath of God – Hymns and Sequences by Abbess Hildegard of Bingen" remains one of the best-selling recordings of pre-classical music ever made. Recently Gothic Voices has recorded a disc of the complete works of the relatively obscure 14th-century composer Solage on the Avie label. Their most recent recording is "A Laurel for Landini - 14th Century Italy’s Greatest Composer", with music by Francesco Landini.
As well as performing medieval repertoire, Gothic Voices also commission contemporary works for its unusual vocal forces, with recent performances of works by Bayan Northcott, John Tavener and Andrew Keeling.
The current line up of singers in Gothic Voices is Catherine King (mezzo-soprano), Steven Harrold (tenor), Julian Podger (tenor), Leigh Nixon (tenor) and Stephen Charlesworth (baritone), a line-up which has been consistent since 1995. Other notable singers who have performed and recorded with Gothic Voices include Emma Kirkby, Emily van Evera, Margaret Philpot, Charles Daniels, Rogers Covey-Crump, James Gilchrist, Paul Agnew, John Mark Ainsley and Peter Harvey (bass).
Select Recordings
- 1983 - The Mirror of Narcissus - Songs by Guillaume de Machaut
- 1985 - The Garden of Zephirus
- 1986 - A Feather on the Breath of God - Songs by Saint Hildegard of Bingen
- 1986 - The Castle of Fair Welcome - Courtly songs of the later fifteenth century
- 1987 - The Service of Venus and Mars - Music for the Knights of the Garter, 1340-1440
- 1988 - A Song for Francesca - Music in Italy, 1330-1430
- 1990 - The Marriage of Heaven and Hell - Motets and songs from thirteenth-century France
- 1991 - The Medieval Romantics: French Songs and Motets, 1340-1440
- 1992 - Lancaster and Valois: French and English Music, 1350-1420
- 1992 - The Study of Love: French Songs and Motets for the 14th Century
- 1993 - Music for the Lion Hearted King
- 1994 - The Spirits of England & France, Vol. 1 - Music of the later Middle Ages for Court and Church
- 1995 - The Spirits of England & France, Vol. 2 - Songs of the Trouvères
- 1995 - The Spirits of England & France, Vol. 3 - Binchois & His Contemporaries
- 1996 - The Spirits of England & France, Vol. 4 - Missa Caput and the story of the Salve Regina
- 1997 - The Spirits of England & France, Vol. 5 - Missa Veterem hominem and other fifteenth-century English music
- 1998 - Pierre de la Rue: Missa de Feria; Missa Sancta Dei genitrix
- 1998 - Jerusalem, Vision of Peace
- 1999 - Masters of the Rolls
- 2000 - The Earliest Songbook in England
- 2006 - A Laurel for Landini
- 2006 - The Unknown Lover: Songs by Solage and Machaut