Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, UK choir The Sixteen is internationally renowned for its peerless interpretation of Renaissance, Baroque and modern choral music. Founded by conductor Harry Christophers CBE, The Sixteen has won many awards including a Gramophone Award for Early Music and the Ensemble category at the prestigious 2018 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards, and recently performed at the request of the Pope in the Sistine Chapel.

The Sixteen. Photograph © Simon Jay Price

The Sixteen is currently in Australia to perform one of its most popular programs, An Immortal Legacy, which spans over 500 years of British choral music, from 16th century composers Tallis and Byrd to Britten, Tippett and James MacMillan. Harry Christophers spoke to Limelight about the choir and the concert.

 An Immortal Legacy spans music some 500 years of British choral music – what are some of the threads that run through the program?

The main thread is the effect that Tudor music had on the two great English composers from the 20thcentury, Benjamin Britten and Michael Tippett. Tippett adored the music of Thomas Tallis. With his legendary choir at Morley College in London he had a penchant for early music, particularly...