The King's Singers

The British sextet The King's Singers is one of the world's most famous vocal ensembles. It has performed together without interruption since 1968, when six newly graduated singers from King's College, Cambridge decided to form a small a cappella group: two countertenors, one tenor, two baritones, and a bass. Their choice of repertoire was unusually broad, from Mediaeval ballads to pop songs. With their captivating stage presence and memorable vocal arrangements, the group quickly became a sensation.

This long-awaited performance, featuring the unique ensemble in concert alongside the Iceland Symphony, was proposed before the pandemic and now finally becomes a reality. The concert programme is full of irresistible Christmas songs of various origins: time-honoured hymns and carols like O Come, O Come Immanuel and Silent Night, as well as playful holiday tunes, indispensable during the festive season, including Little Drummer Boy, Jingle Bells, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, and It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. All these familiar melodies are rendered in superb vocal arrangements, showcasing the group's remarkable skill. In addition, the ISO will be performing spellbinding gems of the Baroque era by Johann Sebastian Bach and Georg Friedrich Händel – including movements from the Händel's Water Music.

The King's Singers have recorded over 100 albums, many of which have been best sellers, and perform around 150 concerts a year. They have appeared on stage in the most notable concert halls of the world, including Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. The group has won two Grammy Awards and was selected for the Gramophone Hall of Fame. The King's Singers have also commissioned new works from a host of composers, such as György Ligeti, Sir John Tavener, Sally Beamish, and Eric Whitacre.

The ensemble has twice before graced the stages of Iceland, first in Reykjavík 1989, and then in 2015 when it performed in Harpa and at Skálholt. This is the group's first performance with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.