Gallery
The aim of the choir Vox Humana and Gregoriana – and for that matter, Vox Angelica and Vox Celestis – is to set before the audiences the delights and quirks of the less well known byways of the evolution of Church Music. Almost from the very beginnings of Plainchant to the innovative sequences, tropes and organum of the later first millennium, Vox Humana and Gregoriana likes to explore and reveal for the benefit and delectation of those new to the period. These, of course, were the foundation blocks of the, perhaps, more familiar music to follow during the medieval and Renaissance periods and beyond. The choir often indulges itself in the rarer pieces of Renaissance music usually avoiding that which can be hackneyed and over-exposed. As to the ‘beyond’, Vox Humana and Gregoriana – and the smaller groups – sing much by the choirs’ director; they also have more than a nodding acquaintance with the a cappella motets of Hilding Rosenberg (1892-1985)!
Members derive much satisfaction, pleasure and enjoyment from their rehearsal work and performances.
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Click HereThe formal beginnings of Gregoriana in 1975
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Click HereTo the more relaxed performance style of the forerunner of Vox Humana
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Click HereVox Humana &Gregoriana merged in 1995. Throughout the life of the choirs, relaxation and good society have always been important.
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Click HereHere the choir watch the rather eerie sunset at Boxgrove Priory during the interval.
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Click HereThe choir poses before a recital at the Wickham Festival.
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Click HereThe larger choir – Vox Humana and Gregoriana – has spawned two smaller groups – Vox Angelica and Vox Celestis. Here Vox Celestis is shown with the Duchess of Norfolk after a charity recital in Arundel Castle.
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Click HereWhen Robert Hardy related the history of Beaulieu Abbey to a large audience, Vox Angelica illustrated his words with a range of music from the date of the foundation of the Abbey to its dissolution.
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Click HereHere we see Robert Hardy in the character of Tom the Shepherd, the narrator in Julien Chilcott-Monk’s reworking of The Play of Herod.
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Click HereThe ‘colour-coded’ choir is shown in Romsey Abbey on the Home Page in Julien Chilcott-Monk’s reworking of The Play of Herod. Here we see ‘Angels’ prior to a performance at the Oxford Oratory.
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Click HereThe ‘Courtiers’ before the performance at the Oxford Oratory.
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Click HereThe ‘Shepherds’ or ‘Rustics’ before the performance at the Oxford Oratory.
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Click HereIn September 2013, Vox Angelica gave a lunchtime recital at Christchurch Priory.
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Click HereAt Christchurch Cathedral, Oxford, Vox Humana and Gregoriana performed the musical director’s The Dream of Gerontius with Robert Hardy as Gerontius and Neil Nisbet as the Angel.
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Click HerePrior to the Oxford Oratory performance there was opportunity for some lighthearted banter during rehearsal.
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Click HereElizabeth Barlow takes a bow alongside Robert Hardy in Vox Angelica’s performance of music by St Hildegard of Bingen, and the musical director.