09-Apr-08: Signum recording, O sacrum convivium, is reviewed by The Times and Gramophone Magazine

The Choir's recent CD release on the Signum label has received rave reviews in The Times (The Knowledge supplement - Saturday 22nd March 2008) and the May 2008 issue of Gramophone.

The Times gave the CD four stars (the Gabrieli Consort's latest disc only received three stars) and commented that "the mixed choir of Royal Holloway College makes a truly fabulous sound under the direction of Rupert Gough. The title track...is a serene vehicle for these beautifully pure voices". The review also described the choir's singing as "cooly contemporary...romantically heroic...and breathtakingly expressive". Read the full Times review here.

Gramophone provided a review of more substantial length, opening with the remark, "What more can one ask for?". Clearly, not a lot more, judging by the review. According to their reviewer the Choral Scholars are "careful and accurate...they blend perfectly, they shade sensitively, they appear to work with like mind towards an agreed ideal of choral sound". Read the full Gramophone review here.

An online review of the CD has the following remark, regarding Gabriel Jackson's "O sacrum convivium", the title track of the disc: "the choir performs this piece with passion and without flaw - it's the highlight of the disc".

Buy the CD now!

01-Mar-08: NEW NAXOS RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE!!

Copies of Carson Cooman: Sacred Choral Music are now available for purchase. Please see our Recordings page for more details.

02-Dec-07: NEW CD RECORDINGS NOW AVAILABLE!!

Copies of O sacrum convivium and Grands Jeux are now available for purchase. Please see our Recordings page for more details.

21-Nov-07: New Choir recording and Organ recording available soon

You will soon be able to pre-order your copy of two new CDs from the Choirs of Royal Holloway. The first is a disc, to be released publically on Signum records in April 2008, of music recorded by the Chapel Choir in April 2006 in Douai Abbey. We will have copies available for advanced sale from the end of the second week of December.

The other disc is the first full CD recording of the Chapel's fine 3-manual Harrison and Harrison organ, by the Director of Choral Music and College Organist, Rupert Gough. The repertoire is all French - demonstrating to the full the organ's suitability for this repertoire. A particular feature is the trumpet (en chamade); a picture of the trumpets on the organ case provides the cover art for the CD booklet. Please click here for more information.

21-Nov-07: ***Choir & Organ article***

Choir & Organ magazine (in their Nov/Dec 2007 edition) have written an article on Carson Cooman and the forthcoming release from the Choir of Royal Holloway on the Naxos label. Please click here to link to the Choir & Organ article (PDF document).

17-Nov-07: The Chapel Choir in Winchester Cathedral

On Saturday 17th November, the Chapel Choir of Royal Holloway, with the Sheldon Consort and Florilegium, performed Handel's Messiah in the sumptuous acoustic of Winchester Cathedral. This was the choir's first 'professional' Messiah, with more planned for the future. The Choir will perform Part I at the St. Cecilia Concert in the Windsor Building on Wednesday 21st November with the Royal Holloway Baroque Orchestra, and then will give a performance of the whole work in Exeter Cathedral on Tuesday 18th December. Please click here for more information about the Exeter concert. In addition, the Choir is currently planning to return to Belgium for four Christmas concerts in December 2008. The Choir would give two Messiah performances with a Flemish orchestra as part of this tour.