Profiles

“The impressive Choir of the 21st Century” (Gramophone magazine) is an innovative chamber choir, formed by conductor Howard Williams at the beginning of the new millennium to create performances with a 21st century perspective.

The choir’s repertoire is deliberately broad, secular and sacred, and many concerts feature new music. The 2009-2011 seasons see the results of a major commission from composer Edward Cowie, whose Four Seasons for a cappella choir will be launched by CC21 with the World Premieres of the first two motets of the set – Summer & Spring. This major project, supported by the PRS Foundation for New Music, the RVW Trust and CC21 Benefactors, will result in the entire work, Four Seasons, coming to fruition in 2011. This new set of motets represents a very important addition to the a cappella choral repertoire.

The choir’s recordings on the SOMM label include both the Elgar & Kodály versions of The Music Makers (with the Oxford Orchestra da Camera) and Philip Glass’s Another Look at Harmony – Part IV with organist Christopher Bowers-Broadbent, both critically-acclaimed. The Glass CD was recommended by Gramophone magazine and described by the All Music Guide as “wonderfully engaging”.