Memorable music from a master gone too soon

Jóhann Jóhannsson's 'Drone Mass'

'While the score for the vocal parts is clearly defined Johannsson would often leave instrumental parts slightly open, especially when working with musicians like ACME, to whom he felt close.

Hillier and Theatre of Voices thrive in this playful experimentation. Johannsson died in Berlin on February 9 2018, aged 48, following what the coroner described an an accidental cocaine overdose. Tragically, young and with so much still to offer. Drone Mass is a beguiling moving and personal dream like tribute from some of those who knew him best in music.'

The Morning Star, 15.03.2022

Theatre of Voices, directed by Paul Hillier, embraced its weighty intention.

Theatre of Voices, directed by Paul Hillier, embraced its weighty intention. The sounds were exquisite but the work stopped short of intimating the magnitude of two billion years. Try Harrison Birtwistle’s Deep Time (2016), complex and melancholy, for contrast. Theatre of Voices also performed David Lang’s 2008 Pulitzer-award winning The Little Match Girl Passion. The work that best showed the group’s talent was Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen’s beguiling Song (2010), based on the lute song Flow, My Tears (1596) by John Dowland, which emerges whole from a soundworld of chokes and sobs.

The Guardian, 19.02.2022

It was simple but never simplistic, and performed with consummate artistry.

Over the music’s 20-minute span, the four singers sang the names of rocks of different ages, beginning with the youngest, a stripling of only 250 million years, uttered at a piercing altitude by soprano Else Torp. She and the other singers traced a complex, spiralling descent down to the depths, against the backdrop of a simpler descent in organ and percussion, to mirror the increase of the rocks’ age to the two billion year-old Vishnu schist. It was simple but never simplistic, and performed with consummate artistry.

Financial Times, 19.02.2022

Strange, spellbinding virtuosity from Theatre of Voices

'Saturday night’s concert from the Theatre of Voices, a Danish vocal quartet led by English baritone Paul Hillier, made full use of all those attributes. It was part of the year-long Voices Unwrapped series at Kings Place in London, which offers a bird’s-eye view of the extraordinary range of the world’s vocal music. The Theatre of Voices inhabits a small, little-known corner of this vast world that used to go by the name of “extended vocal techniques”, and the music has a special power to stimulate the imagination. It’s hard not to picture a scene when you hear a singer’s voice transform from pure note to watery sound.

So, this group has an apt name, and it performs with spell-binding virtuosity. In Song by the Danish composer Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, I had to marvel at the way the vocalists soared and swooped and then hit a complex chord out of the blue with complete accuracy. It seemed as miraculous as a homing pigeon’s arrival...'

The Telegraph, 13.02.2022

Paul Hillier and his Theatre of Voices give the Elbphilharmonie a great moment of choral singing

Paul Hillier had devised a truly unique evening programme for the Elbphilharmonie debut of the Theatre of Voices. He confronted liturgical chants from the 13th to the 15th century directly with choral works of the 20^th and 21^st century, and exposed the strange novelty and intriguing audacity of epochs that separated many centuries. [...]Hillier's angelic vocalists unexpectedly turned the hall into a cathedral. [...]The final hit of the exciting evening was provided by the American Michael Gordon, co-founder of the New York composer group "Bang on a can", with his first commissioned work "A Western. […] Well done!

Lutz Lesle, Die Welt Hamburg, 15.01.2019

Kaija Saariaho: "Only the Sound Remains" at Teatro Real Madrid

Saariaho lets the four marvelous voices hiss, vocalize, mutter, whisper, emit precise metric sounds of evasive pitch and, of course, sing. [...] The contribution of Theatre of Voices and Meta4 Quartet, is transcendental and any praises fall short in accounting for the degree of sensitivity, technical perfection and affinity with the fleeting and reverberating sound world of Saariaho which they demonstrate each and everyone.
El Pais, Luis Gago, 24.10.2018

The fascinating vocal quartet Theatre of Voices complements what you see and hear on stage. An exquisite amplification of the sound achieves in the voices, together or alone, nuances that reach the soul.
Shangay, Cultura, 25.10.2018

...Pure intonation and infinite vocal flexibility...
Beckmesser.com, Arturo Reverter, 24.10.2018

Kaija Saariaho: "Only the Sound Remains" at Paris Opera

The superb vocal quartet Theatre of Voices brings together soprano Else Torp, alto Iris Oja, tenor Paul Bentley-Angell and bass-baritone Jakob Bloch. Together, under Ernest Martinez Izquierdo, they do more than accompany the two protagonists - the man, the priest, the specter, the angel – who lead the boats of the two works, they double them in instruments and voice.

webtheatre.fr 1/2018

Theatre of Voices embellishes this haunting composition with humanity, as much in its gestique as in its vocal engagement. It forms the cornerstone of this ode to echoes, relaying the pit and the stage with great strength, despite astonishingly evasive transitions.

opera-online.com 1/2018

Stockhausen's "Stimmung" in London

Theatre of Voices proved here that the potency of 1968, however distant or absent from personal memory, can still communicate, even intoxicate, five decades on.

bachtrack.com, Matthew Rye, 10.02.2018

CD: In dulci jubilo

As classy as Christmas albums come delivered with razor-sharp clarity.

The Guardian, Kate Molleson, 09.11.2017

CD Green Ground: Music by Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen

Like nature, the music on the CD "Green Ground" sometimes shows a rough side. But the blossoming of beauty is always only a few bars away. Just this contrast makes the new CD of the Kronos Quartet together with the vocal ensemble Theatre of Voices under Paul Hillier so exciting: the tipping back and forth from the dull into the glimmering and back again. (…) Varied yet still as if from a single cast - a journey through the music of Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, which is worthwhile and which will do justice to the oblique humor for which the composer was known. Playfully and musically through and through superbly presented.

BR Klassik, Kristin Amme, 07.12.2016

CD Green Ground: Music by Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen

The Kronos Quartet and the vocal quartet Theatre of Voices were among Gudmundsen-Holmgreen’s favorite ensembles, and their new joint CD ranks among the best recordings of his music. Kronos’s playing is both clear and insistent, but not forced, and the singers are extremely precise and crystal clear, even as they, simultaneously, have to play various clattering percussion.

Politiken, Henrik Friis, 04.07.2016

CD: Buxtehude and his Circle

Buxtehude's own chorale-based trio setting of Jesu, meine Freude is sung and played beautifully. [..] and Hillier's lovely performance is on a par with the very finest that the Buxtehude discography has to offer.

Gramophone, David Vickers, 01.07.2016

There are few artists as well equipped to perform this repertoire than Paul Hillier and his Theatre of Voices ensemble, here consisting of seven vocalists and eight instrumentalists. [..] The singing and playing are superb in every way: technically secure and polished, bold, confident, colorful and expressive.

Fanfare, James A. Altena, 29.07.2016

CD: Buxtehude & his circle

The protestant church music of the 17^th century became a very special mixture of strength, phantasy, expression and inwardness in the Northern Germany. Paul Hillier and his Theatre of Voices make this clear in a thoughtfully designed program, which connects the predecessors of Buxtehude, like Tunder, and his younger contemporaries as Geist and Bruhns. The phonetical homogeneity and fullness of vocal and instrumental ensembles is technically impressive. Interpreted, not only the severity of the tone is touching, but also and especially the meditation into the spirit of this era. (for the jury: Matthias Hengelbrock)

„List of the Best“, Deutsche Schallplattenkritik 3/2016

Emotionality: Theatre of Voices combines old and new

For Theatre of Voices works of John Dowland, Arvo Pärt and Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreeen are no real contrast as present and past brighten each other. It is the great merit of the ensemble that the tricky passage between Renaissance music and contemporary got indeed audible. Full tender and intimately the high voices start the Russian psalm No. 133 by Arvo Pärt with a floating and weightless melody (...).  Paul Hillier amended Dowland's instrumental music by texts, which add another dimension: the songs get even more emotional power .

Nürnberger Nachrichten, Sigrun Arenz, 21.03.2016

Arvo Pärt - A Retrospective at Festival Europäische Kirchenmusik Schwäbisch Gmünd

Paul Hillier is an acknowledged expert of Arvo Pärt on the podium. (…) Arvo Pärt’s sound creations are spiritually motivated, the texts which he creates are deeply religious. The prayer “Salve nos” raises from gentle pleading to urgent calls  - with choral sounds beautifully unfold. (…) The eight singers, vocally well equipped, articulate consistently comprehensible, whether they sing Spanish, English, Latin, German or Church Slavic. Their interpretations of music sound clear and pure – dissolving in pleasing harmonies from striking dissonances.

Gmünder Tagespost, Beate Krannich, 03.08.2015

The ensemble interpreted all works in an outstanding form of A cappella singing. (...) They performed the interesting composition “Solfeggio” with a striking free use of true harmonic, picturesque syllables of solmisation (do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do). The choir thereby proved its ability to form vivid sound tapes with herewith created sonic micro-intervals (…).In the polyphonic “Seven Magnificat Antiphons" the singers were always in balance and displayed clear distinctive voices and an intense charisma of sound.

Rems Zeitung, Christine Lackner, 04.08.2015

Theatre of Voices stupefies with Stockhausen's „Stimmung“

One of the most innovative vocal ensembles of the 21st century defining a new standard of vocal mastery, Theatre of Voices effectively executed the eclectic omnium-gatherum of extended techniques demanded by Stockhausen.

bachtrack, Jacob Slattery, 24.02.2015

It’s performance was confident and luminous, controlled yet free, both playful and solemn.

The New York Times, Zachary Woolfe, 22.02.2015

Vocals between heaven and earth

Highlight of the concert was Pärt's Stabat Mater. From the beginning to the end there was only floating, a deeply focussed and condensed contemplation of pure pleasant sound.

Rhein-Zeitung, Liselotte Sauer-Kaulbach, 30.07.2014

One could admire the adoration of Virgin Mary "Most Holy Mother of God", the prayer for peace "Da Pacem" and the twenty-minutes piece Stabat Mater by Arvo Pärt. Theatre of Voices attested the chants with flawless intonation merging strikingly intenseness, deepness and ascetisism.

Sächsische Zeitung, Karsten Blüthgen, 21.07.2014

Buxtehude and his Circle - Musikfestspiele Potsdam

With tonal variety, flexibility and energetic power Theatre of Voices made Buxtehude's music gleaming lucentlyand brightly.

Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten, Babette Kaiserkern, 24.06.2013

Buxtehude and his Circle - Musikfestspiele Potsdam

Theatre of Voices' cast is outstanding, above all the two gentlemen. The most touching parts were the rather simple choral parts, for instance Buxtehude's Danish compositions.

rbb Kulturradio, Clemens Goldberg,  22.06.2013

Impressively packaged disc on Arvo Pärt

Seven works by Arvo Pärt are included on this impressively packaged disc featuring the Theatre of Voices, Ars Nova Copenhagen and the NYDD Quartet, directed by Paul Hillier. Both vocal and instrumental forces are brought together in the bone-chilling, claustrophobic »Ein Wallfahrtslied« and the more expansive Stabat Mater, which rounds off the recording. Pärt's setting of Robert Burns »My heart's in the highlands« is something of a understated highlight, with Else Torp's motionless lines wonderfully complemented and supported by Christopher Bowers-Broadbent on organ.

Gramophone, 05/2012  (CD Pärt Creator Spiritus)

An intimate collection of vocal and instrumental chamber pieces

Choral master Paul Hillier knows the music of Arvo Pärt as well as anyone, having been for the composer's early ECM recordings, written one of the few books on him and, lately, led a series of excellent Pärt surveys for Harmonia Mundi. Here, Hillier offers an intimate collection of vocal and instrumental chamber pieces that range across the Estonian's career, anchored by the Stabat Mater of 1985 – a contemporary classic that stands with the greatest works devoted to the "grieving mother", from Josquin to Poulenc, beautifully sung and recorded.

LISTEN, 05/2012 (CD Pärt Creator Spiritus)

Speechless with admiration

This recording leaves the listener speechless with admiration. Hillier achieves great work with his two ensembles Theatre of Voices and Ars Nova Copenhagen: This music sounds so transparent in its polyphony, in its intonation so immediate and in its often little deviations so delicate. Hillier conveys a suggestive way of letting music sound simple and natural. His choir's voices hold a core that even in a most gentle way does never sound smugly at all. In the end the music fades like sounds of a bell. This recording offers new and familiar facets as well as festive and devout elements. An a-capella choir seldom appears with such a successful combination of dedication and tonal beauty, of meditative power and unintrusive inner refulgence.

wdr3.de, TonArt, 12/2011 (CD The Christmas Story)

Glorious Singing

Paul Hillier's selection is described as a chamber music collection, featuring several instrumental works alongside chamber scale as choral works. The artists' glorious singing will elicit shivers of delight. Of the string quartet works, Solfeggio, a recent transcription of a 1963 choral work, fascinates as as example of Pärt's earlier style. Light relief of sorts is provided by soprano Else Torp's gorgeous delivery of a Robbie Burns poem. As an introduction to Pärt's world, this could be hardly be bettered.

The Arts Desk, 05/2012 (CD Pärt Creator Spiritus)

Skillful soloist ensemble

Paul Hillier fills his ensemble Theatre of Voices with not more than six vocalists and entrusts all vocal technically more precarious tasks rather to the ensemble than to the chamber choir Ars Nova Copenhagen. Especially the Italian dialogues are created with a reliable sense of style and taste and at the same time benefit from a differentiated articulation. The vocalist's tonal level is technically and stylistic unexceptionable. This is a very atmospheric Advent and Christmas disc, which presents a harmonically arranged chamber choir as well as a thereto contrastive and skillful soloist's ensemble.

www.klassik.com, 10/2011 (CD The Christmas Story)