Noël Armonico Consort & Christopher Monks

• Toby Young (b. 1990): O Adonai:
• 1 Young: O Adonai 02:20
• Traditional: On Christmas Night (Arr. for Choir by Philip Ledger):
• 2 Traditional: On Christmas Night (Arr. for Choir by Philip Ledger) 01:47
• Bob Chilcott (b. 1955): The Shepherd's Carol:
• 3 Chilcott: The Shepherd's Carol 03:05
• Toby Young: The Astronomer's Carol:
• 4 Young: The Astronomer's Carol 03:22
• Jonathan Dove (b. 1959): The Star-Song:
• 5 Dove: The Star-Song 03:25
• Traditional: Away in a Manger:
• 6 Traditional: Away in a Manger 02:41
• Harold Darke (1888 - 1976): In the Bleak Midwinter:
• 7 Darke: In the Bleak Midwinter 04:32
• Elizabeth Poston (1905 - 1987): Jesus Christ the Apple Tree:
• 8 Poston: Jesus Christ the Apple Tree 03:24
• Traditional: O Little Town of Bethlehem (Arr. for Choir by Richard Marlow):
• 9 Traditional: O Little Town of Bethlehem (Arr. for Choir by Richard Marlow) 03:34
• Jean Mouton (1459 - 1522): Nesciens Mater:
• 10 Mouton: Nesciens Mater 05:36
• John Rutter (b. 1945): Angel's Carol:
• 11 Rutter: Angel's Carol 03:28
• What Sweeter Music:
• 12 Rutter: What Sweeter Music 04:29
• TomásLuisde Victoria (1548 - 1611): O Magnum Mysterium:
• 13 Victoria: O Magnum Mysterium 03:57
• Jonathan Roberts (b. 1983): Hope Finds a Way:
• 14 Roberts: Hope Finds a Way 04:01
• Franz Xaver Gruber (1787 - 1863): Silent Night (Arr. for Choir by Jonathan Rathbone):
• 15 Gruber: Silent Night (Arr. for Choir by Jonathan Rathbone) 04:06
• Total Runtime 53:47

Info for Noël

Featuring a collection of carols both old and new, Armonico creates the perfect soundtrack for those who love an atmosphere at Christmas. Featuring world premiere recordings by Composer Toby Young and the first ever recording of ‘Star Song’ by Jonathan Dove on a Christmas album, there are also exquisitely sublime versions from ‘Silent Night’ to ‘Away in a Manger’.

“It is ten years since our last carols recording, andwe have collected some incredible works we have been so keen to record, including severalcommissioned from our composer in residence.Christmas somehow manages to inspirecomposers to write the most imaginative, both interms of creativity and melodiousness, and Toby isan expert at making Christmas music sound just aswe want it to be!” (Christopher Monks)

Edward Picton-Turberville, organ
Armonico Consort
Christopher Monks, conductor

Armonico Consort
is a critically acclaimed choir, instrumental ensemble and music charity. It is renowned for inspiring audiences through passionate performances, providing imaginative singing opportunities for young people and helping people living with dementia through the power of music. Armonico Consort began life in 2001, set up by Christopher Monks and a group of university colleagues with a shared passion for music from the Renaissance to Baroque, coupled with the imagination to find new and unusual ways to present concerts. Audiences seemed to love their engaging and innovative approach, and most concerts in the first years sold out. “That gave us the confidence, energy and self-belief to do more; to take more risks with our programming and keep on experimenting” says Christopher. The ideas kept flowing, as did the titles (many of them created down the pub…) including the concert programmes Naked Byrd, Supersize Polyphony, Too Hot to Handel, Monteverdi’s Flying Circus and Baroque around the Block. Although their horizons have broadened to encompass contemporary repertoire and new commissions, Armonico’s signature concerts continue to feature choral masterpieces, rarely heard gems and new musical discoveries from the Renaissance and Baroque, performed in imaginative ways by some of the world’s finest singers and period instrument players. “I’m particularly proud of Supersize Polyphony where we perform 40 and 60-part works by Tallis and Striggio in the round, surrounding the audience, interpolated by the timeless chants of Hildegard of Bingen,” Christopher continues. It was this particular programme which earned the group their first 5 star reviews, from The Times and BBC Music Magazine, and there were plenty more to follow. Most recently Armonico Consort has become the world’s leading authority on the choral works of Francesco Scarlatti – a forgotten member of the famous dynasty. Their recording of his Dixit Dominus and Messe a 16 has been named “Spectacular - the classical music find of the century” by Le figaro, Paris, and the first modern performance of his only surviving oratorio Daniele described as “an exemplary resuscitation” by The Times. Armonico’s education programme – AC Academy – was fundamental from the outset and now encompasses after-school choirs and an in-school Choir Creation programme which has established almost 300 choirs and trained teachers as choir leaders, reaching over 250,000 young people. The programme offers high quality performance opportunities in venues across the country, including the Royal Albert Hall where Armonico’s biggest project to date, It Takes a City for 2000 voices and orchestra, was premiered in 2022.

“Many of these young people have been with the group since the age of 7 and are now singing as AC Academy Scholars alongside the professional singers. It is so rewarding to see how the opportunities we have created have changed them not just as musicians, but as humans, and this drives much of what we create,” Christopher says. The Choir Creation programme has recently expanded through partnerships with Westlands Entertainment Venue Yeovil, and overseas in Kenya, and with Foundaçion Azteca Mexico where the training of new choir leaders will help create the country’s first high level symphony orchestra and chorus. The mental and physical well-being benefits of singing are well established, and Armonico Consort witnessed this first hand through creating a workplace choir for its sponsors Phillips 66 in 2016. New research suggests Baroque music is extremely effective at unlocking memories for those affected by dementia and, with training from the Alzheimer’s Society, Armonico’s Communities programme now includes singing sessions in care homes and the first of what will soon be many community choirs, Warwick Memory Singers. Throughout 2024, Armonico tours the 'Forgotten Scarlatti' – Francesco Scarlatti’s choral masterpieces in brand new editions by Dr Geoffrey Webber – and presents a new semi-staged version of Purcell’s The Fairy Queen. The summer also sees the return of AC Academy Does the Royal Albert Hall, a biennial celebration of the Choir Creation programme involving thousands of children. It will include a bespoke musical work by children with special educational needs, feature guest dancers from BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, and what may well be the world’s largest ever performance of Orff’s Carmina Burana with 2500 singers.

Christopher Monks
The founder and Artistic Director of Armonico Consort and its ground-breaking education programme AC Academy, Christopher Monks has established himself as a versatile and prolific conductor and keyboard player. Specialising in the performance of music from the Baroque and late Renaissance, he is equally at home with modern choral repertoire and during his career has conducted at many of the greatest concert halls in the UK with many of his concerts and recordings, including Supersize Polyphony and Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas, earning five-star reviews in The Times, Independent, Guardian and BBC Music magazine.

Christopher performs regularly at major national festivals and has worked extensively abroad, including in Israel, Italy, Ireland and France. Alongside his work with Armonico Consort, he has conducted internationally renowned orchestras and ensembles such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia and European Union Chamber Orchestra.

A chorister at the age of eight, Christopher was introduced to the musical world of Byrd, Tallis, Bach, Monteverdi and Handel. After graduating from Cambridge University, where he was organ scholar at Gonville and Caius College, he became an organist under David Hill at Winchester Cathedral and it was through David’s inspiration, he developed an enthusiasm and talent for choral conducting.

A passionate advocate of reaching out to children of all backgrounds through the creation of youth choirs, Christopher developed AC Academy, a music education programme “which is unique in the UK, highly effective in its legacy and absolutely brilliant in quality. I never cease to feel proud of it.”

Christopher coaches and lectures on the MMus choral conducting course at Cambridge University and is a guest speaker on the Harvard Global Leadership Programme. He is also part of a programme to roll out the choir creation and leadership programmes in Kenya with institutions aiming to reinstate street children into mainstream education.

When not conducting, Christopher loves fine cooking. After a long day of music preparation, he often enjoys going for a cycle to process everything he has worked on.

“When I talk to other people about their jobs for which they struggle to get out of bed, and I have never felt like a have a job. I just wake up and do a hobby.”

Booklet for Noël