Mozart: Ave verum corpus, K618

Some of the most celebrated recordings from Harry Christophers and his award-winning ensemble. Equally appealing to fans of The Sixteen and those who are new to the group, this disc provides a definitive collection of familiar classics and lesser-known treasures.

Music from three different eras of King's College: under David Willcocks (1970-77), Philip Ledger (1975-82) and Stephen Cleobury (1984-2002).

Sir Colin Davis' recordings of Mozart have stood the test of time and his readings of the composer's choral music are imposing, ennobling edifices of interpretation. The soloists in the Great Mass blend marvellously and the Ave Verum Corpus is given a reading of quiet intensity.

The music selected by Tina Chen and Hannibal for this recital is the soundtrack for a day dream, or the twilight accompaniment for a romantic dinner. The emphasis is on Melody – beautiful, finely arched musical lines that reach beyond the pressures of everyday life and transport you, to a quiet realm of song, warmly and realistically recorded in SACD, Super Audio Sound!

This recording also marks the CD debut of the charismatic, young concert violinist , Chen Yi, was the Gold Medal winner at the China International Violin competition (2008). As part of the Mendelssohn Bicentennial Celebrations, Ms. Chen was invited to perform the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in Beijing’s new National Center for the Performing Arts. In 2010 she will perform the Nielsen Violin Concerto as part of the Danish Gala Concert in EXPO in Shanghai. This major event marks artistic dialogue between Denmark and China.

The Coronation Mass is, along with the Requiem, Mozart’s most often played sacred work. Its nickname, which was not given by Mozart, had its roots in the coronation of Emperor Leopold II in Frankfurt in 1790, and was provided by none other than Salieri! This work attains the loftiest perfection in the smallest possible space, combining simple expression with a complex modulatory technique. The purity of the work is comparable to certain parts of the Requiem.

Recorded in the Corpus Christi chapel, this fine choral work is based around two dedications to the college – Music for Corpus Christi and Music for the Blessed Virgin Mary. The feast of Corpus Christi has been celebrated in many ways by the College in its 657 year history, not least by an actual feast. The choir itself consists of 24 post/undergraduates from the University, with a core of College-based Choral scholars and is directed by two organ scholars, Leo Tomita and Thomas Chatterton.