© Eduardus Lee
© Eduardus Lee
(Event 11: Sat 11 Oct 2025 8.00pm Little Missenden Church)
Helen Ashby, Kate Ashby, Rachel Ambrose-Evans soprano Emma Ashby, Amy Blythe, Rosie Parker alto Oscar Golden-Lee, Andrew Griffiths, Benedict Hymas tenor James Arthur, Nathan Harrison, Gareth Thomas bass
William Byrd Exsurge Domine; Retire my Soul
Thomas Tallis In manus tuas
Thomas Tomkins O Praise the Lord
Orlando Gibbons Hosanna to the Son of David; O clap your hands
John Sheppard I give you a new commandment
Tomás Luis de Victoria Recessit pastor noster
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina Peccantem me quotidie; Surge propera amica mea; Cantantibus organis
Cheryl Frances-Hoad A Gift of Heaven
Cristóbal de Morales Jubilate Deo
Giaches de Wert Gaudete in Domino
Clemens non Papa Ego flos campi
Josquin des Prez Salve Regina à 5
Huw Watkins The Phoenix and the Turtle
Programme Notes will be available here and free at concert
“Stile Antico sings this complex yet elegantly polished music with the group’s usual combination of lushness and focus, stillness and energy, bringing expression and nuance to what can sometimes slip into coolly uniform gorgeousness.” New York Times
This concert distils the astonishingly rich legacy of 16th- and 17th-century polyphonic composition. We’ll hear not only the music of Palestrina (in his 500th-birthday year) and his Italian, Flemish and Spanish contemporaries, but also the fascinating and diverse English school. Exuberant works by Byrd, Gibbons and Tomkins rub shoulders with tranquil motets by Sheppard and Tallis and the alluring sounds of Huw Watkins’ virtuosic The Phoenix and the Turtle, written especially for the group. Their performance really takes fire here!
Stile Antico is firmly established as one of the world’s most accomplished and innovative vocal ensembles. Working without a conductor, its 12 members have thrilled audiences on four continents with their fresh, vibrant and moving performances of Renaissance polyphony. Just as no single voice predominates in the polyphonic style, the ensemble’s collaborative working method allows all its members to contribute artistically in crafting its performances.
This year the group celebrates 20 years as a professional ensemble with gala performances at Wigmore Hall, the Boston Early Music Festival, for AMUZ Antwerpen – and at Little Missenden!
Their 20th anniversary concert at Wigmore Hall can be found for a limited time here, and their moving encore with previous alumni joining them for The Silver Swan by Orlando Gibbons here.
Online booking is managed by TicketSource. This event may be booked from the Tickets link on this page but, when booking for multiple events, it may be more convenient to use our Little Missenden Festival page on TicketSource.
Sat 11 Oct 2025 8.00pm
Little Missenden Church
£30, £22, £12
Online booking is managed by TicketSource. This event may be booked from the Tickets link on this page but, when booking for multiple events, it may be more convenient to use our Little Missenden Festival page on TicketSource.