As the
Genesis Sixteen
scheme enters it's seventh year, under the outstanding guidance of
The Sixteen’s Harry Christophers
and
Eamonn Dougan, it continues to deliver fantastic opportunities to more aspiring young singers and conductors. It was the fifth
Genesis Sixteen 2015-2016
that provided the meeting place of
echo. In July 2016, our year in the scheme came to an end; and it was clear that we had established a very special bond as an ensemble, both musically and socially. While other commitments meant that unfortunately some of our group were not able to join us for the following year, the majority of us were determined to continue to perform together. And so
echo
was formed, a name grounded in part from our dedication to maintain and reiterate the calibre of music-making achieved during our year as Genesis Sixteen.
Our first two concerts officially as
echo: '
World's End' at Hanbury Hall in London and '
Innocence' at St. George's Church, Edgbaston, Birmingham, set the mould for our central focus as a group, a concert format we've named the
echo PRESENTS series. These concerts, of which we hope to present around three per year, use a particular theme to draw pieces together from wide ranging time periods as well as musical genres into coherent and programmatic concert narratives. This sprang from the creative vision of our
Artistic Director Sarah Latto, and has now developed into a concert structure that defines our intention and motivations as an ensemble. The next of these will be
echo PRESENTS: EXILE
on the 22nd and 23rd September 2017 (for more info and to buy tickets, please click
here).
July 2017 was a particularly exciting month for us. It began with an appearance at
The Sixteen's Sounds Sublime
festival on 8th July, alongside the
Genesis Sixteen 2016-17
and the London International Gospel Choir at St Clement Danes Church. The following week, we performed with the
London Philharmonic Orchestra and
Magnus Lindberg in an evening showcasing the works of four young composers at St John's, Smith Square. This concert, entitled
Debut Sounds: New Music, presented the new works interspersed with some choral works by Henry Purcell and newly appointed LPO Future Firsts composition mentor
James MacMillan. As an ensemble,
echo
have a particular attachment to James MacMillan’s music through his close relationship with
The Sixteen, as well as having performed at the
Cumnock Tryst
in September 2016, a classical music festival set up by the composer in his hometown in Ayrshire, Scotland.
Looking ahead to December and beyond, there is plenty in the pipeline that we can't wait to announce. To find out more, you'll just have to sign up to our Newsletter (at the bottom of the page) and keep your eye on our Twitter and Facebook pages!
We couldn’t have hoped for a better first year as a new ensemble. We were lucky enough to be brought together during our time as the
Genesis Sixteen 2015-16, thanks to the wonderful generosity of the
Genesis Foundation, which allowed us to take our first steps as
echo. With the standard of music-making that the scheme both attracts and nurtures being so high, there are countless success stories of the scheme's alumni. We hope to add to this musical legacy, and continue to develop as an ensemble for many more years to come.
Written by Sam Cobb
