The Grammy Award-winning all-male a cappella sextet The King’s Singers return to the National Cathedral this December for the final stop on their 2018 North American Christmas tour. The concert is Saturday, December 22 at 7:30pm. The program, GOLD Christmas, celebrates The King’s Singers 50thbirthday, with music that has defined the group’s first half century as well as new commissions from their three-disc anniversary album, GOLD. Of course, popular Christmas carols have a prominent place on the program, sung with The King’s Singers’ trademark purity of tone, blend, and British wit. In addition to being the final concert of The King’s Singers’ 50thanniversary season, this will also be the last concert for second countertenor Timothy Wayne-Wright and second baritone Christopher Gabbitas, both departing after many seasons with the group.
Tickets to The King’s Singers GOLD Christmas at Washington National Cathedral (3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington DC 20016) are $25-$95, with $15 tickets available for students, and can be purchased at cathedral.org or by calling 202-537-6200.
Full program information:
The King’s Singers GOLD Christmas
| WHAT CHEER | John David arr. Peter Knight (adapted Philip Lawson | Born on a new day |
| ANCIENT ORIGINS | Trad. arr. Philip Lawson Trad. arr. Brian Kay |
Veni, veni Emmanuel Gaudete |
| A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE | Adrian Willaert | Ave virgo sposa Dei – Inviolata est |
| CAROLS FROM KING’S | Bob Chilcott Mykola Leontovych arr. Keith Roberts |
The Shepherd’s Carol Carol of the bells |
| A STAR IS BORN | Toby Hession | Master of Music* |
| CHRISTMAS FOR A CENTURY | Arvo Pärt Peter Warlock John Rutter |
Bogoróditse Djévo Bethlehem Down There is a flower |
| JOY TO THE WHOLE WORLD | Bob Chilcott | We are* |
| Intermission | ||
| THE CHRISTMAS STOCKING | A celebration of ancient and modern Christmas music from across The King’s Singers repertoire | |
* = New anniversary commission
About The King’s Singers
Patrick Dunachie Countertenor
Timothy Wayne-Wright Countertenor
Julian Gregory Tenor
Christopher Bruerton Baritone
Christopher Gabbitas Baritone
Jonathan Howard Bass
The King’s Singers were established in May 1968, formed by six recently-graduated choral scholars from King’s College, Cambridge. Their vocal line-up was (by chance) two countertenors, a tenor, two baritones and a bass, and the group has never wavered from this formation since.
What really distinguished the group in its early years was its musical diversity. The King’s Singers were a weekly fixture on prime-time television, celebrating popular music never usually touched by choral ensembles, and their unique British charm, combined with their musical craft, captured audiences’ hearts the world over. The group has consistently been welcomed on the world’s great stages throughout its history – from London’s Royal Albert Hall to the Opera House in Sydney or New York’s Carnegie Hall – as well as being ambassadors for musical excellence across the globe. Two Grammy® Awards, an Emmy® Award, and a place in Gramophone magazine’s inaugural Hall of Fame sit among the numerous accolades bestowed upon the group.
This love of diversity has always fuelled The King’s Singers’ commitment to creating new music. A panoply of commissioned works by many of the greatest composers of our times – including Luciano Berio, György Ligeti, Nico Muhly, John Rutter, Toru Takemitsu, Sir John Tavener and Eric Whitacre – sits alongside countless bespoke arrangements in the group’s extensive repertoire.
The world may have changed a lot in the fifty years since the original King’s Singers came together, but today’s group is still charged by the same lifeblood – one that wants to radiate the joy singing brings every day, and that wants to give life to audiences with their virtuosity and vision for an exciting musical future.
The National Symphony Orchestra continues its Star Wars series this season with Return of the Jedi, in three performances on Tuesday, January 22, 2019 at 7 p.m. and Wednesday and Thursday, January 23 and 24, 2019 at 8 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. NSO Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke leads the Orchestra in John Williams’s memorable score to accompany the film as it’s shown on the big screen above the Orchestra.
Acclaimed Broadway actress and Grammy Award®–winning singer Brandy joins the NSO for her first ever collaboration with an orchestra. Brandy and the NSO, led by Steven Reineke, will explore the unlikely connections between R&B and symphony as she revisits personal favorites from across her own career and from artists and works that have inspired her. Two performances take place: Friday and Saturday, January 25 and 26, 2019 at 8 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
The NSO concludes its Star Wars live score series with The Force Awakens(February 21–23, 2019). Other 2018–2019 NSO Pops performances include An Evening with Leslie Odom, Jr. (May 1–3, 2019) and 50 Years Over the Rainbow: A Judy Garland Celebration (June 28–29, 2019).
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets (Star Wars: $34–$149; Brandy: $39–$139) are available at the Kennedy Center Box Office, online at kennedy-center.org, and via phone through Instant Charge, (202) 467-4700; toll-free at (800) 444-1324. For all other ticket-related customer service inquires, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.
The National Symphony Orchestra continues its Star Wars series this season with Return of the Jedi, in three performances on Tuesday, January 22, 2019 at 7 p.m. and Wednesday and Thursday, January 23 and 24, 2019 at 8 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. NSO Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke leads the Orchestra in John Williams’s memorable score to accompany the film as it’s shown on the big screen above the Orchestra.
Acclaimed Broadway actress and Grammy Award®–winning singer Brandy joins the NSO for her first ever collaboration with an orchestra. Brandy and the NSO, led by Steven Reineke, will explore the unlikely connections between R&B and symphony as she revisits personal favorites from across her own career and from artists and works that have inspired her. Two performances take place: Friday and Saturday, January 25 and 26, 2019 at 8 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
The NSO concludes its Star Wars live score series with The Force Awakens(February 21–23, 2019). Other 2018–2019 NSO Pops performances include An Evening with Leslie Odom, Jr. (May 1–3, 2019) and 50 Years Over the Rainbow: A Judy Garland Celebration (June 28–29, 2019).
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets (Star Wars: $34–$149; Brandy: $39–$139) are available at the Kennedy Center Box Office, online at kennedy-center.org, and via phone through Instant Charge, (202) 467-4700; toll-free at (800) 444-1324. For all other ticket-related customer service inquires, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.
Experience the soulful sounds of yesteryear as LADIES IN THE DAY light up District Wharf this holiday season with a mix of classy, sassy renditions of jazz and blues classics in a special evening that celebrates the legacy and soul of trailblazing black songstresses Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, and others, plus a few surprises, on December 27, 2018 at 8:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) at UNION STAGE, located at 740 Water St SW.
Tickets are $35 through via Ticketfly. This is a seated show on a first-come, first-served basis; full dinner and drink menu available.
Featuring four dynamic voices and a live band, LADIES IN THE DAY will take you back to the biggest hits by the Queens of Jazz and Soul in this timeless show. Known for their incredible vocals, the group captures the magic of the golden age of music and the spirit of the singers who originally recorded each song.
Get into the groove as these divas in their own right celebrate some of the female artists whose work has left an indelible and profound impact on our musical culture. Join in for the LADIES IN THE DAY show at UNION STAGE for a festive experience where the music flows and the songs that made history come alive!
The National Symphony Orchestra continues its Star Wars series this season with Return of the Jedi, in three performances on Tuesday, January 22, 2019 at 7 p.m. and Wednesday and Thursday, January 23 and 24, 2019 at 8 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. NSO Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke leads the Orchestra in John Williams’s memorable score to accompany the film as it’s shown on the big screen above the Orchestra.
Acclaimed Broadway actress and Grammy Award®–winning singer Brandy joins the NSO for her first ever collaboration with an orchestra. Brandy and the NSO, led by Steven Reineke, will explore the unlikely connections between R&B and symphony as she revisits personal favorites from across her own career and from artists and works that have inspired her. Two performances take place: Friday and Saturday, January 25 and 26, 2019 at 8 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
The NSO concludes its Star Wars live score series with The Force Awakens(February 21–23, 2019). Other 2018–2019 NSO Pops performances include An Evening with Leslie Odom, Jr. (May 1–3, 2019) and 50 Years Over the Rainbow: A Judy Garland Celebration (June 28–29, 2019).
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets (Star Wars: $34–$149; Brandy: $39–$139) are available at the Kennedy Center Box Office, online at kennedy-center.org, and via phone through Instant Charge, (202) 467-4700; toll-free at (800) 444-1324. For all other ticket-related customer service inquires, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.
Renée Fleming VOICES: Nellie McKay
The always-unpredictable singer-songwriter Nellie McKay is impossible to categorize, from doing Brecht on Broadway to tributes to the likes of Doris Day and Joan Rivers. Part cabaret, part sparkly pop, her music is as tuneful and clever as the best of the Great American Songbook.
Tickets: $25–35
Washington Performing Arts presents Leon Fleisher & Friends: A 90th Birthday Celebration
Join us as we fête pianist and pedagogue Leon Fleisher on the occasion of his 90th birthday, where he will perform solo and duo works, featuring pianists Katherine Jacobson and Fleisher’s protégé, Jonathan Biss. The evening includes surprise guests who will share their birthday greetings with the master, and a Q&A with Washington Post chief classical music critic Anne Midgette. The program features selections by Bach, Kirchner, Schubert, Ravel, and Dvořák.
Tickets: $65
NEA Jazz Master Archie Shepp’s All-Star Tribute to John Coltrane featuring Jason Moran
In this momentous concert, Shepp celebrates the boundless impact and talent of his friend and mentor. He’s joined by pianist and Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz Jason Moran and other contemporary greats, including Amir ElSaffar, Darryl Hall, and Nasheet Waits
Tickets: $20–59
PJ Morton
Grammy Award®–winning singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist PJ Morton brings his brand of love and soul to the Kennedy Center for one night only. Known for his work with Maroon 5 and as music director for Solange’s A Seat at the Table, Morton and his band perform hits from his critically acclaimed album Gumbo and his soul-stirring discography.
Tickets: $49–69
Washington Bach Consort will continue to offer their original Downtown Cantata Series at the Church of the Epiphany on the first Tuesday of each month during their season.
Vergnügte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust, BWV 170
