Set sail this Christmas with Apollo5 as they serenade you with their new festive single, The Lighthouse Keeper. In a brand new arrangement by Paul Smith of Sam Smith’s soothing seasonal song, Apollo5 tenor Oli Martin-Smith beckons the listener home with a light melody, open arms and Christmas cheer, cushioned by mellow, warm harmonies. The Lighthouse Keeper captures the magic of Christmas, its capacity to bring loved ones together and the radiance of expectation, comfort and hope.
…conjures up the wonder of Winter’s changing landscape through the very best contemporary choral writing for the festive season. As an owl sees through the night, Apollo5’s one to a part “exceptionally beautiful singing” (Classic FM) illuminates the magical quality of dark winter nights whilst lending crystalline clarity to the rarely heard consort performances of each piece.
The chosen music speaks of a time of rejoicing and celebrating with the sharing of gifts, as brought by the visitors from Sheba. The miracle of birth, central to the Christmas story, is hailed with wonder and elation. The music evokes the magical quality of dark winter nights and suggests that through them we can see God more clearly.
With this broad-ranging collection of music Apollo5 invites you to ‘coorie doon’ with them and enjoy music of comfort and joy.
*‘coorie doon’ Scots to ‘nestle’ or ‘snuggle’
This album marks the tenth Anniversary of Apollo5. Most of the repertoire was recorded during the long, quiet months of 2020, the recording process giving the singers a wonderfully creative focus in the midst of such uncertainty. Its cover artwork and title refer to that most potent symbol of love and its transience: the rose.
The album unites a diverse collection of choral music spanning 500 years, from some of the earliest known polyphonic writing through to new compositions, in an energetic exploration of the joy and despair of human love. Love has many different manifestations. It is a rich tapestry intricately woven with conflicting strands: life and loss; beauty and mortality; brave romance and fragility in rejection; the steadfast devotion of a mother’s love (heightened by the awareness of inevitable separation); and in the Christian narrative the Virgin Mary and the eventual ultimate sacrifice. The repertoire chosen for the album reflects the different strands of this tapestry...
From sacred music to pastoral, folk and spiritual repertoire, the group explores the human journey through birth, love, struggle, the end of life and reflection.
Includes works by composers such as Byrd, Pérotin, Monteverdi, MacMillan, Schumann and Finzi. The programme also features arrangements written especially for Apollo5 and new commissions from contemporary composers such as Alexander Levine and Fraser Wilson.
With A Song In My Heart
Apollo5 brings to life this mixed programme of sacred choral music, spirituals, traditional melodies, jazz standards and pop songs with versatility and charm. The five charismatic singers take you on a musical journey exploring music from the British Isles and beyond.
Includes music by Monteverdi, Purcell, Schumann, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Edward Grieg, Alexander Levine, Steven Sondheim, Bob Dylan, Édith Piaf’s “La Vie en Rose”, George Gershwin’s “Summertine”, and many more...
Let It Snow!
Join Apollo5 for a Christmas concert of traditional carols and festive hits.
Includes “Ding Dong Merrily on High”, “Gabriel’s Message”, “The Truth From Above”, “The Christmas Song”, “The Wexford Carol”, “Noël Nouvelet”, and “Jingle Bells”, “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas”, “Deck The Hall”, “The Christmas Song”, “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer”, “Santa Baby”.
Five-in-a-bar
A programme of up-tempo swing and classic, soulful melodies by Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Bobby McFerrin, Ben. E. King and Marvin Gaye.
Includes “Java Jive” by Ben Oakland, “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” by George Gershwin, “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers, “Walking on Sunshine” by Kimberley Rew, “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin, “Let it Be” by Lennon & McCartney, “Come Sunday” by Duke Ellington and many more...