The King's Consort
The King's Consort is a British period music orchestra founded in 1980 by the English conductor and harpsichordist Robert King (b. 1960, Wombourne).[1] The ensemble has an associated choral group, Choir of The King's Consort. Together, they have made over 100 recordings, from 1987 to 2007 releasing 90 albums on the Hyperion label, and subsequently a further 13 recordings for their own Vivat label, selling over 1,500,000 discs.[2] The orchestra performs concert seasons in the UK and tours internationally.
Their repertoire is primarily from the baroque and early classical periods but has also included late 19th century repertoire as well as contemporary commissions by Michael Finnissy and, more recently, Michael Berkeley and includes recordings and live performances of opera and instrumental music. The ensemble's main performing base has been in London's Wigmore Hall from 1987, and the larger Cadogan Hall for performances that required both the orchestra and the choir. The King's Consort have performed seven times at the BBC Proms including their début in 1991 with Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks, Handel’s Deborah in 1993, a programme celebrating the 300th anniversary of the death of Purcell (1995), the Venetian spectacular Lo Sposalizio (1998), The Coronation of King George II, a special programme to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II (2002), Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 (2004), and Michael Haydn's Requiem Mass and Mozart's Coronation Mass (2006).
The King's Consort Choir appears on the sound tracks of several films, including The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Kingdom of Heaven, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and The Da Vinci Code.[3]
Amongst their awards was the 2006 BBC Music Magazine Choral Award for their recording of Michael Haydn's Requiem Mass.[4] On their Vivat label, their debut recording, I Was Glad, reached number 1 in the UK Specialist Classical Albums Chart[5] and was a finalist in the 2013 Gramophone Awards.[6] A series of recordings of the music of Purcell were finalists in the Gramophone awards in 2020, 2021 and 2022.[7][8][9]
Discography
[edit]| Label | Catalogue No | Title | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meridian | CDE84126 | Handel: Eternal Source of Light | 1986 |
| Meridian | CDE84129 | Vivaldi: Laudate Pueri | 1987 |
| Meridian | CDE84138 | Vivaldi: Salve Regina | 1987 |
| Hyperion | CDA66253 | Blow/Purcell: Countertenor duets | 1987 |
| Hyperion | CDA66267 | Bach/Telemann: Oboe Concertos | 1988 |
| Hyperion | CDA66294 | Pergolesi: Stabat Mater | 1988 |
| Hyperion | CDA66314 | Purcell: Complete Odes, Vol. 1 - Royal & Ceremonial Odes | 1988 |
| Hyperion | CDA66278 | Telemann: Musique de Table | 1989 |
| Hyperion | CDA66288 | Purcell: Mr Henry Purcell's Most Admirable Composures | 1989 |
| IMP | PCD894 | Great Baroque Arias | 1989 |
| Hyperion | CDA66315 | Handel: Music for Royal Occasions | 1989 |
| Hyperion | CDA66326 | Bach: Cantatas 54, 169 & 170 | 1989 |
| Hyperion | CDA66339 | Vivaldi: The Four Seasons | 1989 |
| Hyperion | CDA66349 | Purcell: Complete Odes, Vol. 2 - Hail, bright Cecilia! | 1989 |
| Hyperion | CDA66350 | Handel: Fireworks Music & Coronation Anthems | 1989 |
| Hyperion | CDA66380 | Bach: Violin Concertos | 1989 |
| Hyperion | CDA66361/2 | Handel: Acis & Galatea | 1990 |
| Hyperion | CDA66377 | Mozart: Epistle Sonatas | 1990 |
| Erato | 245 014-2 | De Lalande: Sacred Music | 1990 |
| Hyperion | CDA66398 | Schütz: The Christmas Story | 1990 |
| Hyperion | CDA66412 | Purcell: Complete Odes, Vol. 3 - Fly, bold rebellion | 1990 |
| Hyperion | CDA66440 | Handel: Italian Duets | 1990 |
| Hyperion | CDA66383 | Albinoni/Vivaldi: Oboe Concertos | 1991 |
| Hyperion | CDA66447 | Awake Sweet Love | 1991 |
| Hyperion | CDA66456 | Purcell: Complete Odes, Vol. 4 - Ye tuneful Muses | 1991 |
| Hyperion | CDA66461/2 | Handel: Joshua | 1991 |
| Hyperion | CDA66474 | Couperin: Leçons de Ténèbres | 1991 |
| Hyperion | CDA66476 | Purcell: Complete Odes, Vol. 5 - Welcome glorious morn | 1991 |
| Hyperion | CDA66483 | Handel: James Bowman sings Heroic Arias | 1991 |
| Hyperion | CDA66494 | Purcell: Complete Odes, Vol. 6 - Love's goddess sure | 1992 |
| Hyperion | CDA66585 | Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 1 | 1992 |
| Hyperion | CDA66587 | Purcell: Complete Odes, Vol. 7 - Yorkshire Feast Song | 1992 |
| Hyperion | CDA66598 | Purcell: Complete Odes, Vol. 8 - Come ye sons of Art | 1992 |
| Hyperion | CDA66609 | Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 2 | 1992 |
| Hyperion | CDA66623 | Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 3 | 1993 |
| Hyperion | CDA66641/2 | Handel: Judas Maccabaeus | 1993 |
| Hyperion | CDA66644 | Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 4 | 1993 |
| Hyperion | CDA66656 | Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 5 | 1993 |
| Hyperion | CDA66663 | Purcell: Complete Services & Anthems, Vol. 6 | 1993 |
| Hyperion | CDA66841/2 | Handel: Deborah | 1993 |
| United | 88002 | Music from the Courts of Europe: London | 1993 |
| Hyperion | CDA66751/3 | Handel: Ottone | 1993 |
| Hyperion | CDA66677 | Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 7 | 1994 |
| Hyperion | CDA66686 | Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 8 | 1994 |
| Hyperion | CDA66693 | Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 9 | 1994 |
| Hyperion | CDA66707 | Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 10 | 1994 |
| Hyperion | CDA66710 | Purcell: Complete Secular solo songs, Vol. 1 | 1994 |
| Hyperion | CDA66716 | Purcell: Complete Anthems & Services, Vol. 11 | 1994 |
| Hyperion | CDA66720 | Purcell: Complete Secular solo songs, Vol. 2 | 1994 |
| Hyperion | CDA66730 | Purcell: Complete Secular solo songs, Vol. 3 | 1994 |
| Hyperion | CDA66769 | Vivaldi: Sacred Music Vol. 1 | 1995 |
| Hyperion | CDA66797 | Handel: James Bowman sings English Arias | 1995 |
| Hyperion | CDA66881/2 | Vivaldi: Complete Cello Sonatas | 1995 |
| Hyperion | CDA66961/2 | Handel: The Occasional Oratorio | 1995 |
| Hyperion | CDA66779 | Vivaldi: Sacred Music Vol. 2 | 1996 |
| Hyperion | CDA66843 | Bach: Six Trio Sonatas | 1996 |
| Hyperion | CDA66875 | Scarlatti/Hasse: Salve Regina | 1996 |
| Hyperion | CDA67171/3 | Handel: Joseph & his Brethren | 1996 |
| Hyperion | CDA66789 | Vivaldi: Sacred Music Vol. 3 | 1997 |
| Hyperion | CDA66967 | Handel/Telemann: Water Music | 1997 |
| Hyperion | CDA67201/2 | Bach: Mass in B minor | 1997 |
| Hyperion | CDA67241/2 | Handel: Alexander Balus | 1997 |
| Hyperion | CDA67281/2 | Vivaldi: Sacred Music, Vol. 4 - Juditha Triumphans | 1998 |
| Hyperion | CDA67048 | Lo Sposalizio | 1998 |
| Hyperion | CDA67059 | Kuhnau: Sacred Music | 1998 |
| Hyperion | CDA67073 | Vivaldi: Concerti con molti istromenti | 1998 |
| Accenture | CONS1001 | The Bright Seraphim | 1998 |
| Hyperion | CDA66799 | Vivaldi: Sacred Music Vol. 5 | 1999 |
| Hyperion | CDA67108 | Boccherini, Astorga: Stabat Mater | 1999 |
| Hyperion | CDA67283/4 | Handel: L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato | 1999 |
| Accenture | CONS1002 | The Grand Tour | 1999 |
| Hyperion | CDA67160 | Knüpfer: Sacred Music | 2000 |
| Hyperion | CDA66809 | Vivaldi: Sacred Music, Vol. 6 | 2000 |
| Hyperion | CDA66819 | Vivaldi: Sacred Music, Vol. 7 | 2001 |
| Hyperion | CDA67260 | Schelle: Sacred Music | 2001 |
| Hyperion | CDA67266 | Haydn, Hummel, Hertel Trumpet Concertos | 2001 |
| Hyperion | CDA67286 | The Coronation of King George, 1727 | 2001 |
| Hyperion | CDA67298 | Handel: The Choice of Hercules | 2002 |
| Hyperion | CDA67361/2 | Vivaldi: La Senna Festeggiante | 2002 |
| Hyperion | CDA66829 | Vivaldi: Sacred Music, Vol. 8 | 2002 |
| Hyperion | CDA66839 | Vivaldi: Sacred Music, Vol. 9 | 2003 |
| Hyperion | CDA67350 | Zelenka: Sacred Music | 2003 |
| Hyperion | CDA67428 | Monteverdi: Sacred Music, Vol. 1 | 2003 |
| Hyperion | CDA67438 | Monteverdi: Sacred Music, Vol. 2 | 2004 |
| Hyperion | CDA67463 | Handel: Ode for St Cecilia's Day | 2004 |
| Hyperion | CDA67487 | Monteverdi: Sacred Music, Vol. 3 | 2004 |
| Hyperion | CDA66849 | Vivaldi: Sacred Music, Vol. 10 | 2004 |
| Hyperion | CDA67510 | Haydn, Michael: Requiem | 2005 |
| Hyperion | CDA 67519 | Monteverdi: Sacred Music, Vol. 4 | 2005 |
| Hyperion | CDA67553 | Vivaldi: Cello Concertos | 2006 |
| Hyperion | CDA67560 | Mozart: Exsultate jubilate | 2006 |
| Hyperion | CDA67531/2 | Monteverdi: Vespers, 1610 | 2006 |
| Hyperion | CDA67570 | Rossini: Petite Messe solennelle | 2006 |
| Hyperion | CDA67627 | Handel: German Arias | 2007 |
| Vivat | VIVAT 101 | I was glad: Sacred Music of Stanford & Parry | 2013 |
| Vivat | VIVAT 102 | Couperin: Trois Leçons de Ténèbres | 2013 |
| Vivat | VIVAT 104 | Monteverdi: Heaven and Earth | 2013 |
| Vivat | VIVAT 105 | Handel: Your tuneful voice | 2014 |
| Vivat | VIVAT 106 | Purcell: Ten Sonatas in Four Parts | 2014 |
| Vivat | VIVAT 110 | Purcell: Twelve Sonatas of Three Parts | 2015 |
| Vivat | VIVAT 111 | Handel-Mendelssohn: Israel in Ägypten | 2016 |
| Vivat | VIVAT 113 | A Voice from Heaven | 2017 |
| Vivat | VIVAT 117 | Abbandonata: Handel Italian cantatas | 2018 |
| Vivat | VIVAT 118 | Elegy: Purcell & Blow duets for countertenors | 2019 |
| Vivat | VIVAT 121 | Purcell: Royal Odes | 2020 |
| Vivat | VIVAT 122 | Purcell: Birthday Odes for Queen Mary | 2021 |
| Vivat | VIVAT 123 | Bach: Six Trio Sonatas | 2023 |
Collections
[edit]| Label | Catalogue No | Title | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyperion | KING1 | The Music of The King's Consort | 1991 |
| Hyperion | KING2 | Essential Purcell | 1994 |
| Hyperion | KING3 | The James Bowman Collection | 1996 |
| Hyperion | KING4 | The King's Consort Baroque Collection | 1997 |
| Hyperion | KING5 | Essential Bach | 1999 |
| Hyperion | KING6 | Essential Handel | 2005 |
| Hyperion | KING7 | The King's Consort Collection | 2005 |
References
[edit]Footnotes
- ^ The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music, Oxford University Press, 1996
- ^ Erica Jeal "King has left the building", The Guardian, 21 October 2005 (accessed 3 October 2007)
- ^ IMDb (accessed 3 October 2007)
- ^ BBC Music Magazine (accessed 3 October 2007)
- ^ "I was Glad – Sacred Music of Stanford and Parry". Theladyorganist.com. 24 January 2014.
- ^ "Gramophone - Gramophone Awards 2013 Shortlist". Reader.exacteditions.com.
- ^ "Gramophone magazine, September 2020".
- ^ "Gramophone Magazine, September 2021".
- ^ "Gramophone Magazine, September 2022".
Further references
- Michael Church, 'We've found some real rarities', The Independent, 24 February 2006
- Stephen Pettit, 'Intimate moments amid the Jubilee jollity', Evening Standard, 14 August 2002
- Neil Fisher, Review of Prom 33: The King's Consort[dead link], The Times, 9 August 2006 (accessed 3 October 2007)
External links
[edit]- Official website of The King's Consort (accessed 20 May 2025)
- Audio Interview with Robert King on BBC Radio 4, 8 August 2002 (accessed 3 October 2007)
- Discography on Hyperion Records (accessed 20 May 2025)
- Robert King website
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