Biographies and Pictures
Return to Homepage
Booking/Agents
Repertoire/Programmes The
Press/La
Prensa/Kritiker
Group Biography (for concert programmes)
Voices of London made their professional debut in 1970 under the name of The Scholars, and have given more than 2,500 concerts in more than 50 countries - a record rivalled by very few ensembles in the field of chamber music. They have performed in many of the world's most recognised concert halls, from New York's Lincoln Center, London's Royal Festival Hall and the Sydney Opera House to smaller, more intimate venues such as the Wigmore Hall in London, and the Brahmssaal in Vienna. Their sparkling performances, often enlivened by humorous commentary, are acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. The original members all won scholarships to sing in the famous choir of King's College Chapel, in the University of Cambridge. Thus the group began as an all-male ensemble, but as early as 1972 changed to include a female voice, adding a new dimension to both sound and repertoire. Robin Doveton is a founding member and Kym Amps, Angus Davidson and Simon Grant (an ex-chorister of King's) joined in 1983, 1986 and 2004 respectively.
Photo
Gallery
Click on a picture to view it in large size
(dimensions in the range 2600 x 1400 pixels: aprox. 200 - 400kb)
Individual Biographies (for concert programmes, if space allows)
|
Kym Amps (soprano) joined The Scholars in 1984. in addition to eighty plus concerts a year with the ensemble, she also has a flourishing career as a concert and recital artist. She has performed in many prestigious concert halls in Europe, including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Gewandhaus in Leipzig and the Purcell Room in London. Amps won the prestigious Maggie Teyte Award and was runner-up in the first Elly Ameling Competition. As well as giving recitals of German Lieder, French Melodie and contemporary music, she is a specialist in music by female composers which she researches and performs for radio and television. Fluent in both French and Spanish, she gives master classes and courses on Baroque, classical and contemporary chamber music in England and Spain. Kym lives in Madrid, where she enjoys researching Spanish Baroque Music and becoming involved in contemporary Spanish music. Her Discography includes Mozart Lieder, Rossini's Petite Messe Solenelle and the Couperin's Trois Lecons de Tenebre. Amps has also recorded Bach's St John Passion, Handel's Dixit Dominus, Regina Caeli and Messiah, Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, Fairy Queen and Indian Queen and Rutter's Magnificat. |
|
|
|
Angus Davidson (countertenor) began his musical studies at the age of eight, first on the violin and in his local church choir, and later on the piano and oboe. In 1987 he won a choral scholarship to study music at Magdalen College, Oxford and it was there, with the encouragement of organist John Harper, that he realised his remarkable musicianship and distinctive countertenor voice showed great promise for a solo singing career. After graduating from Oxford, Davidson went on to the Royal College of Music in London for more intensive vocal training and received his ARCM Diploma in 1986. Almost immediately he joined The Scholars and has enjoyed travelling and working with the ensemble ever since. Angus lives in London and, when not on tour with The Scholars, is a permanent professional member of the renowned choir at Westminster (Roman Catholic) Cathedral. Additionally, he has a busy career as a soloist and as a consort singer with other renowned ensembles. His services are regularly called upon by the Taverner Consort, the English Concert, the Gabrieli Consort and, most recently, as soloist in Bach's Mass in B minor with Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir.
Photo: Gerald Plaice |
|
Robin Doveton (tenor) began his musical education when he was thirteen, learning piano and violin and singing in several choirs. In 1964 he won a Choral Scholarship to sing in the Chapel choir of King's College, Cambridge under David Willcocks and took a degree in Music, specializing in Composition under Alan Ridout. Upon leaving University in 1968 he sang in several professional vocal ensembles and became a founder member of The Scholars. Robin's folksong arrangements are an indispensable part of The Scholars' concert and recorded repertoire, and his compositions are sung by them and by English Cathedral choirs. He has helped build up The Scholars' broad and stimulating repertoire, setting standard works in the context of lesser-known works and genres (e.g. English Classical Glees). He established Doveton Music in 1998 to publish his folksong and carol arrangements and editions of other pieces which have stimulated his enthusiasm. He can be heard as tenor soloist on The Scholars Baroque Ensemble's NAXOS recordings in Arias by Monteverdi, Purcell and Handel, and as Evangelist in Bach's St John Passion. Robin lives in Frankfurt, Germany. In 1993 he founded the chamber choir Vocalis, Frankfurt, which has been described by the press as a "Paragon of the highest Choral Art". |
|
|
|
Simon Grant (bass) was a boy chorister in the famous choir of King's College, Cambridge under Sir David Willcocks and later studied singing at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He began his varied career as a member of the BBC Singers and then sang with the Swingle Singers for several years. Simon's mastery of extended vocal techniques has led to appearances with contemporary music groups such as Electric Phoenix and Ensemble Moderne (he can whistle and sing at the same time and can be heard whistling on the soundtracks of the films Shrek and Shiner!). More recently, his rich bass-baritone voice has been much in demand in the fields of Mediaeval, Renaissance and Baroque music. He has a busy concert schedule worldwide and his many solo recordings include works by Monteverdi, J.S.Bach, Charpentier and Monteverdi. He appeared in Monteverdi's Orfeo at the Drottningholms Slottsteater in Stockholm, Blow's Venus and Adonis at the Globe Theatre in London and Purcell's Dido and Aeneas to celebrate 50 years of Londons Royal Festival Hall). He has appeared in Kurt Weills Seven Deadly Sins several times, (with Ute Lemper and Maria Ewingan) as well as Bernstein's On the Town (with Michael Tilson Thomas) and Candide for BBC Radio 3. |