Icosa sing Henry Purcell's Hear My Prayer. Recorded live at their concert on Friday 27th March 2015.

Hear My Prayer - Purcell

Another live recording from our last concert. This was inspired by MegaBit's 'Choral Looping', the concept of taking a recording of a choral piece and looping it over itself to create huge washes of sound. Icosa decided to take choral looping into the real world by singing Bruckner's Christus Factus Est against itself on a two beat delay and just letting it roll. Bruckner is probably turning in his grave. Let us know what you think!
https://www.facebook.com/icosa21

Christus Factus Est - Bruckner (For Delayed Double Choir)

The First of Parry's Songs of Farewell. Recorded live from our concert on 17/10/15.
Want to hear us in person? Our next concert is on 4th January 2016 at St Mary-at-Hill Church in London. Music for Christmas and Epiphany. Click here for more info! https://www.facebook.com/events/1533611630290347/

My Soul, There is a Country

Recorded Live on 08/10/16, St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate. Listen with headphones.
Tallis' If Ye Love Me - one of the most recognisable pieces of choral ever written. Due to familiarity the intricate details of this work can often pass us by. Icosa split into two choirs, one sings half the speed of the other. It creates a whirl of beautiful harmony and a few jarring moments of false relation.
It is slightly off the wall, but I believe it can give us a better understanding of Tallis' use of harmony and polyphony.

Luke Mather - Director of Icosa

If Ye Love Me (Half Time Canon) - Thomas Tallis

A premiere recorded live at St. Botolph-without-Bishopsgate. 08/10/16.

Written in 16 parts, this piece of huge proportions sets Girolamo Savonarola's latin meditation on Psalm 51, the famous Miserere Mei. Savonarola lived in 15th Century Florence and was tortured executed for heresy. He wrote Infelix Ego in his cell during his last days. In this setting, you hear the  questioning swirls of voices of doubt within his mind, suddenly finding some short-lived peace at the mid point. Then separate choirs sing the same music material in different keys. The music ends by resting on a chord that suggests that there is still underlying doubt - Savonarola will still be executed in the morning. Translation is below.

 It is a very special moment for Icosa as it is the first piece to be written specifically for us. Thanks need to go the 21 singers who performed this challenging work. Thanks also need to be given to Steven for sculpting this wonderful piece. 

Luke Mather - Director of Icosa

Translation:
Unlucky me! Bereft of all aid, who against heaven and earth have offended. 
Where shall I go? Where shall I turn? To whom shall I flee? Who will have pity on me? 
I do not dare to lift up mine eyes to the heavens, because I have gravely sinned against them. 
I find no refuge on earth, because I have been a disgrace to it. 
What, therefore, am I to do? Shall I despair? 
Let it be far off: God is merciful; my Saviour is kind.
Therefore, to thee, most loving God, do I come, sad and grieving: 
for thou alone art my hope, thou alone my refuge. 
But what am I to say to thee, since I dare not lift up mine eyes? 
I shall pour out words of sorrow, implore thy mercy and say: 
have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy great mercy.

Infelix Ego - Steven Calver

Recorded live on 3rd January 2017 in West Byfleet.

Sheena Phillips' Evening Prayer is a wonderful restful piece that we premiered. The sound of distant bells is created by the choir and these bells get ever closer, resulting in a final outburst of joyous praise.
For more of Sheena's brilliant music, visit her website: http://www.sheenaphillips.com/

Evening Prayer - Sheena Phillips

Performed live by the higher voices of Icosa in our concert on 8th October 2016.

The beautiful plainsong melody of this uplifting hymn to Wisdom itself is sung by the Sopranos. The Altos accompany them with three drone notes to represent the omnipresence of Wisdom's three wings - above, below and all around. Follow the words with the music and you will hear the careful detail in every note Hildegard Von Bingen writes to represent the many aspects of Wisdom.

Luke Mather - Director of Icosa

O virtus Sapientie,
que circuiens circuisti,
comprehendendo omnia
in una via que habet vitam,
tres alas habens,
quarum una in altum volat
et altera de terra sudat
et tercia undique volat.
Laus tibi sit, sicut te decet, O Sapientia.

O Wisdom’s energy!
Whirling, you encircle
and everything embrace
in the single way of life.
Three wings you have:
one soars above into the heights,
one from the earth exudes,
and all about now flies the third.
Praise be to you, as is your due, O Wisdom.

O Virtus Sapientia - Hildegard Von Bingen

Since September 2017, Icosa has been committed to gender equality of composers in our concerts. This playlist brings together some cracking pieces from 5 of the many top-notch female composers we have worked with since then. We hope you enjoy listening to them as much as we enjoyed performing them.

We May Well See - Joanna Ward

Songs Of Sorrow - Sheena Phillips

Salve Regina - Lilly Vadaneaux

O Ignee Spiritus - Carlotta Ferrari

Sol Invictus - Kala Pierson

Icosa is a new and exciting chamber choir founded by Luke Mather that brings together young talented singers from all across England.
https://twitter.com/IcosaChoir

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