Page 1 The Gesualdo Six Press Pack About The Gesualdo Six

The Gesualdo Six |
Owain Park Press Pack
About
The Gesualdo Six, directed by Owain Park, was formed in February 2014 as a six-voice ensemble
with the ambition to specialise in the performance of renaissance music. The group maintains a
busy concert schedule in and around Cambridge, and released a music video of Phillip Lawson’s
arrangement of Veni, Veni Emmanuel in December 2014.
Made up of some of the best former and current choral scholars from across the Cambridge
colleges, The Gesualdo Six consists of two countertenors, two tenors, a baritone and a bass.
Currently, the group has representatives from the world-famous choirs of Trinity, King’s and St
John’s Colleges, and meets regularly in Cambridge to rehearse, record and perform. Owain Park is
currently an organ scholar at Trinity College Cambridge and is also a prize-winning composer,
published by Novello (www.owainpark.co.uk).
All members of The Gesualdo Six are very experienced musicians with a long catalogue of
broadcasts, recordings and international tours with choirs and ensembles from across the United
Kingdom. We are keen to garner the support necessary to perform as The Gesualdo Six more
widely and regularly, especially to share our passion for music with as wide and varied an audience
as possible.
“
…what Owain Park and the singers have managed to achieve is an ensemble
with extraordinary potential, who stand head and shoulders above any other
vocal group in Cambridge, and who surely have a promising future ahead.
”
★★★★★ Varsity, 17/03/15
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The Gesualdo Six History and Influences
The Gesualdo Six debuted with a performance of Gesualdo’s Tenebrae Responsories for Maundy
Thursday in Trinity College Chapel, Cambridge on 5th March 2014. A commentary on the events in
the garden of Gethsemane from Matthew’s gospel, Gesualdo’s liturgical setting was composed for
performance as part of the evening service of Tenebrae and his writing is some of the most
experimental and ambitious of the renaissance period.
Carlo Gesualdo, one of the most colourful figures of the renaissance, was an Italian Prince and
Count of Conza. Best known for the murder of his wife and her lover when they were caught ‘in
flagrante delicto,’ he is perhaps not an obvious choice for the ensemble’s moniker. His nobility and
wealth, however, allowed him rare compositional independence, and as a result his music is unique.
Unshackled by the demands of religious institutions or wealthy sponsors, his writing was extremely
adventurous; so much so that he was long viewed as incompetent until composers in the late
nineteenth-century began to champion his work.
Gesualdo’s surviving music explores a huge range of human emotions; wrenching guilt and
devotional sorrow are regularly juxtaposed with his naturally playful ‘madrigalian’ style. This
playfulness, exploration and musical experimentation are at the heart of The Gesualdo Six. Our
mission is to share our love for the performance of renaissance music with a new audience across
the globe. We wish to apply ourselves to this through a combination of recordings and concerts,
alongside outreach events and workshops.
Concerts
The Gesualdo Six have to date performed nine concerts, with repertoire spanning the centuries –
from motets by Dunstable to Ligeti’s Nonsense Madrigals. The group is always excited by the
prospect of learning and performing new music, with future plans including works by John McCabe,
Joby Talbot and Owain Park. Recent concerts have taken place in chapels and concert halls, but
the group is also interested in performing in spaces that are not considered to be ‘traditional’
venues.
Specialist programmes include:
•
Gesualdo: Tenebrae Responsories for Maundy Thursday (Feria Quinta) !
•
Remembrance: Music from England and continental Europe including Tomkins When David Heard,
Guest For the Fallen and Schütz Selig sind die Toten
•
English: A journey from Dunstable to Byrd, including Sheppard Libera Nos I, II, Tallis Salvator Mundi
I/II and Byrd Ne irascaris!
•
Italian: Palestrina Missa Sine Nomine à 6 interspersed with anthems by Lotti, Anerio and Gabrieli!
•
Nachtmusik: A programme of relaxed sacred and secular music including Byrd’s Mass for Five
voices and Rheinberger’s Abendlied
•
Advent/Christmas: Byrd Vigilate, Taverner/Tallis Audivi Vocem, Canale Quem Vidistis, Trad. arr.
Lawson Veni, Veni Emmanuel, and Jingle Bells
•
Old and New: Madrigals by Monteverdi & Gesualdo juxtaposed with Ligeti’s Nonsense Madrigals !
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The Gesualdo Six Availability and Performances !
The Gesualdo Six welcomes proposals for concerts, outreach events and private bookings. Having
established a loyal following in Cambridge, the group is currently investigating the potential for more
performances across the United Kingdom, and opportunities to tour abroad. The video release of
Veni, Veni Emmanuel was shared by Eric Whitacre (over 188,800 likes on Facebook), and received
acclaim from across the world, with endorsements and support from Japan, Columbia, Europe and
the United States. The current view count stands at over 25,000.
Media Information and Contact Details
The Gesualdo Six’s website (www.thegesualdosix.co.uk) is the online home for information about
the group, including images and links to recordings and performances. Latest reviews are also
available on the website under ‘Concerts,’ and more material can be made available on request.
The group is very active on social media, with regularly updated Twitter, Facebook, and
SoundCloud accounts. In addition, we also have a mailing list through which our supporters can
remain up-to-date with the latest news and information about upcoming performances.
If you would like to join the mailing list, contact us about a performance opportunity, or support The
Gesualdo Six in another way, please send an email to [email protected] or approach us
after one of our concerts.
Members
Owain Park – Director
Guy James – Countertenor
Patrick Dunachie – Countertenor
Joseph Wicks – Tenor
Hiroshi Amako – Tenor
Michael Craddock – Baritone
Jonathan Pacey – Bass
The Gesualdo Six | Owain Park
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.thegesualdosix.co.uk