The King's Singers Return to Baylor University Nov. 6

by Richard Veit

The King's Singers-renowned worldwide for their vocal precision, eclectic repertoire, and entertaining stage presence-will open this year's Distinguished Artist Series at Baylor University with a concert at 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, in Jones Concert Hall.
Soon to celebrate their 30th anniversary, The King's Singers were formed in 1968 at King's College in Cambridge, England. They are equally at home singing Renaissance madrigals, transcriptions of orchestral classics, folk music in various languages, and popular songs. Also committed to presenting contemporary music, they have commissioned more than 200 new works from a host of prominent 20th-century composers.
The sextet's wide-ranging repertoire is reflected in the ensemble's more than 60 recordings. Their latest release, Nightsong, is a collection of German Romantic music by Brahms, Schubert and Schumann.
In their Baylor concert, The King's Singers will present a selection of five folksongs from North America, including "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair" and the Shaker tune "The Gift to Be Simple." They also will sing four German songs of the Romantic period, as well as a group of madrigals by the great 16th-century Netherlands composer, Orlando di Lasso.
Following intermission, they will turn their attention to music of the British Isles, with early 20th-century partsongs by Gerard Finzi, Ralph Vaughan Williams and others. The King's Singers will close the program with selections by some of the finest arrangers with whom they have worked during the past three decades.
General admission tickets for this concert are priced at $10, but students, Baylor faculty and staff, and senior citizens will be admitted for $6. A sellout is anticipated for this concert, but any remaining tickets will be sold at the door. For more information, call the Baylor University School of Music at 710-3991.