The Morley Consort of Voices
The Morley Consort of Voices was named after Thomas Morley, who was born in Norwich in 1557 and served as Master of the Choristers at Norwich Cathedral before he moved to London, soon becoming a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal. Morley was one of the most prolific and versatile composers of his generation, exerting a powerful influence on his contemporaries and so shaping the course of English music during its golden age in the years around the turn of the 17th century. The Consort performed vocal ensemble music from the Renaissance to the present day, though the focus was on music from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The ensemble’s six original singers were all members of the University of East Anglia, as was their musical director Emeritus Professor Peter Aston, who was head of music at UEA from 1974 to 1998 and is acclaimed internationally as a composer and conductor. Sadly Peter passed away in in September 2013 after suffering with cancer. Andrew took over as Artistic Director in 2014 with some exciting performances at Hampton Court Palace, and also a performance of 'Dido & Aeneas' with Norwich Baroque. The group disbanded in 2016 with singers pursuing a range of careers from law, medicine and professional singing. |