Supersize symphony: Warwick welcomes immersive choral experience with local talent

By James Smith 21st Jan 2025

Armonico Consort's Supersize Polyphony 2 features local choirs in Warwick on January 25 (image by Peter Marsh Ashmore Visuals)
Armonico Consort's Supersize Polyphony 2 features local choirs in Warwick on January 25 (image by Peter Marsh Ashmore Visuals)

Local singers from churches, cathedrals, community choirs and schools, are to join leading UK choir and instrumental ensemble Armonico Consort in its latest ambitious concert project, Supersize Polyphony 2, which tours to the Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick on 25 January.

Armonico Consort is synonymous with choral music on a colossal scale and Supersize Polyphony 2 brings a brand new programme of outsize works from across the centuries in 20-40, and even 60, separate parts.

The group's unique surround-sound approach positions singers around the space, enveloping the audience in awe-inspiring music from Renaissance masters like Byrd, and Tallis's Spem in Alium, to a brand new work by Hollywood composer David Buckley, all linked by ethereal plainsong chant.

Christopher Monks, artistic director of Armonico Consort said: "In our original Supersize Polyphony project (2018), I wanted to perform monster-scale works by Tallis and Striggio in the way they were originally intended – sung completely surrounding the listener – even though it's terrifying for the singers (and conductor!) to perform.

"It was a spectacular success.

"This time around, I wanted to find further works in which we could incorporate local, community and children's choirs and give them their own role, exactly as originally intended, adding a further dimension to the super-duper scaling of this concert."

In Warwick, Armonico's professional singers and period instrumentalists will be joined by AC Academy Warwick, boy and girl choristers from St Mary's Warwick, the Collegium Community Choir and 100 incredible singers from Warwickshire schools.

Armonico Consort performs Supersize Polyphony in Malvern (24 Jan), Warwick (25 Jan), Poole (30 Jan) and Wells (7 Feb).

For more information, click here.

     

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