Nearly 180 years after its first publication, the BBC Singers retell the evocative and festive classic in the UK premiere of this engaging musical dramatisation by GRAMMY®-nominated composer Benedict Sheehan.

BBC Singers Principal Guest Conductor Bob Chilcott joins the group for a concert of traditional Christmas carols for all the family including The Truth from Above, God rest you, merry gentlemen, The Sussex Carol and It Came Upon the Midnight Clear.

[South Canaan, PA] - The Saint Tikhon Choir is pleased to announce the world premiere concert series of Benedict Sheehan’s modern masterwork Vespers, which will culminate at 4:00pm on November 13, 2022, at the First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem. Two-time GRAMMY®-nominated conductor and composer Benedict Sheehan will lead the choir in this unique and powerful musical exploration that has been called, “luminous and uplifting” (Choir & Organ) and a work of “unique musical genius” (Fanfare Magazine).

Inspired by Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil, Sheehan’s unique musical and linguistic expression expands the genre. He adorns full-length Psalms and hymns with a deep understanding of beauty, faith, and humanity. 

The professional choristers of the Saint Tikhon Choir will be joined for this performance by specially selected students from the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, along with their director David Macbeth, who is also organist and music director at First Presbyterian in Bethlehem.

The performance will feature solos by some of the country’s leading vocal artists, including celebrated American basso profundo Glenn Miller, who will perform “The Song of Simeon”, composed by Sheehan especially for him. The movement boasts some of the lowest notes ever written for a soloist.

[South Canaan, PA] - The Saint Tikhon Choir is pleased to announce the world premiere concert series of Benedict Sheehan’s modern masterwork Vespers at 7:30pm on November 12, 2022, at St. Stephen’s Pro-Cathedral in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Two-time GRAMMY®-nominated conductor and composer Benedict Sheehan will lead the professional choristers of Saint Tikhon’s in this unique and powerful musical exploration that has been called “luminous and uplifting” (Choir & Organ) and a work of “unique musical genius” (Fanfare Magazine).

This special world premiere concert event is being held in honor of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, who this year celebrates his 10th anniversary as Metropolitan. To mark this historic occasion, Sheehan has composed a piece in honor of His Beatitude, and the work will be unveiled only at this special performance.

The concert will also feature solos by some of the country’s leading vocal artists, including celebrated American basso profundo Glenn Miller, who will perform “The Song of Simeon”, composed by Sheehan especially for him. The movement boasts some of the lowest notes ever written for a soloist.

Recorded at St. Stephen’s during the summer of 2021, Benedict Sheehan’s Vespers returns to the place where this “tapestry of sound that is nothing short of transcendent” (ConcertoNet) first found realization. Inspired by Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil, Sheehan’s unique musical and linguistic expression expands the genre. He adorns full-length Psalms and hymns with a deep understanding of beauty, faith, and humanity.

For tickets and information, visit https://vespersdebut.bpt.me/

[South Canaan, PA] - The Saint Tikhon Choir is pleased to announce the world premiere performance of Benedict Sheehan’s modern masterwork Vespers at 7:30pm on November 11, 2022, at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York. Two-time GRAMMY®-nominated conductor and composer Benedict Sheehan will lead the professional choristers of Saint Tikhon’s in this unique and powerful musical exploration that has been called “luminous and uplifting” (Choir & Organ) and a work of “unique musical genius” (Fanfare Magazine).

Inspired by Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil, Sheehan’s unique musical and linguistic expression expands the genre. He adorns full-length Psalms and hymns with a deep understanding of beauty, faith, and humanity. This concert is a production of Great Music Under a Byzantine Dome, in association with the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and the Orthodox Church in America.

The performance will feature solos by some of the country’s leading vocal artists, including celebrated American basso profundo Glenn Miller, who will perform “The Song of Simeon”, composed by Sheehan especially for him. The movement boasts some of the lowest notes ever written for a soloist.

For tickets and information, visit https://vespers.brownpapertickets.com/

In 2021, TENET began a new program to help artists and build community! We launched Talks with TENET, a free mentorship program in which artists forge connections with members of TENET’s accomplished roster as they develop careers as performers in early music and chamber ensemble singing.

Talks with TENET aims to help artists:

• Expand awareness of early music

• Inspire careers focused on solo and chamber singing

• Become leaders through the creation of dream projects

• Develop and expand professional networks

• Gather practical resources for building a career

TENET’s musicians have regularly supported colleges, universities, and conservatories through teaching, offering masterclasses, and engaging with students. These interactions have led to an understanding of some common obstacles along the pathway to early music and chamber singing, which these aims seek to address.

It can be difficult to know how to get started, and accessing leaders in the field can be challenging. Early music can feel inaccessible and specialized. There is also a distinct lack of diversity within the field that does not reflect the broader community in which we live. Talks with TENET strives to be welcoming, holistic, and accessible for these singers in particular.