VOICES of  LONDON

Press Reviews

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Note: The following reviews were written about The Scholars of London.

Voices of London was formed from The Scholars of London in November 2004.

Three out of four singers are unchanged, so they are equally applicable to the new group.

• "The most elegant small chorus now going . . . A precise, sweet-toned, intimate performance that left you feeling you had been let in on a secret . . . The Scholars of London are superlative . . ." – Boston Globe
  

• "A rare concert . . . utterly exquisite performances . . . This quartet could not imaginably be more finely matched in timbre, musicianship and intelligence. No matter how intricate the counterpoint became, it never dissolved simply into a texture . . . The four voices easily projected all this music throughout the vast reaches of the cathedral with utter lucidity. They must return . . ." – San Francisco Chronicle
  

• "They reigned supreme . . . with remarkable speed and clarity, the singers imitated birds, told naughty stories and sighed of love . . . despite the cold, the audience was sufficiently enchanted to cheer the singers and win an encore: the English folksong Scarborough Fair." – Cleveland Plain Dealer
  

• "The Scholars of London made their L.A. début with a wondrously sung account of a strong program . . . light, flexible sound, utterly transparent textures and completely integrated finesse." – Los Angeles Times
  

• "The Scholars remain a musical treasure for their unusual repertoire and the seamless perfection and sheer technical finesse with which they sing it . . . There was a large and appreciative audience – which there always should be when this fine ensemble comes to town." – Cleveland Plain Dealer
  

• "The Scholars sang with fine blend, spit-polish accuracy and a compelling sense of personality . . . they adapted graciously to the changing times and musical styles." – Houston Chronicle
  

• "A celebration of that oldest and greatest of musical instruments, the human voice . . . marvelous intonation, ensemble and sonic blend  . . . Palestrina's Super Flumina Babylonis, announced as one of the composer's greatest hits, was noble and spiritual. . . Viadana's Exsultate Justi was truly joyful . . . Jannequin's Le Chant des Oyseaux was a tour de force of vocal trilling and trickery . . . Tenor Robin Doveton's arrangements of Welsh, Scottish and English folksongs were a joy to hear." – News-Journal (Daytona Beach)
  

• "The British vocal quartet engaged and entertained its sizeable audience from first note to last in a program that spanned the centuries and the emotions . . . verve and energy, awesomely unified attacks and the ability to make any kind of text come alive." – San Antonio Express
  

• "Felicities abounded, too many to enumerate . . . but soprano Kym Amps' distinctly British ability to float a pure, vibrato-free tone must be recognized, so ethereal was the effect, and so representative of the Scholars' impressive, uniform musicanship." – New Orleans Times Picayune

• The Scholars llena de perfección el santuario de la Bien Aparecida
  En el santuario de la Bien Aparecida -un paisaje grandioso para una Virgen diminuta- actuaron The Scholars, cuarteto de madrigalistas ingleses de una perfección absoluta y un completo dominio de las lenguas y los estilos. Logran así que una música reservada no hace mucho tiempo a minorías, fueran las de las sociedades filarmónicas o las de la Residencia de Estudiantes, se convierta en mensaje abierto a todos. Al fin y al cabo, mucho de este repertorio madrigalesco, religioso o profano, formó parte de la vida cotidiana. Como se trata de un género de extensión universal, el cuarteto británico aborda con toda coherencia y naturalidad el mensaje de cinco siglos de 'canciones de amor, de danzas, de alabanzas y de la naturaleza'. 
  Del italiano Viadana y el flamenco Lassus al inglés Wellkes o el español Juan de la Encina, todos ellos del siglo XVI, pero también pentagramas del siglo XX, como los de Vaughan Williams, el vasco Jesús Eguiguren (Durango, 1945) o las transcripciones del tenor Robin Doveton. La palabra poética y los pentagramas se dan la mano muy estrechamente en todas las variantes madrigalescas. 
  The Scholars -Kym Amps, soprano; Angus Davidson, contratenor; Robin Doveton, tenor, y David van Asch, bajo- se desenvuelven cual el más bello órgano hasta hacer demostración práctica la antigua idea de que 'la música empieza donde termina la palabra'. Quizá la prolonga en la intimidad de cuantos la escuchan si nos llega en versiones tan portentosas como las de ahora. Enrique Franco - El Pais, 29.8.01

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