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Troubled Times Music and Espionage in Renaissance England
Various composers

The Queen's Six

Troubled Times Music and Espionage in Renaissance England

Price: € 19.95
Format: CD
Label: Signum Classics
UPC: 0635212097823
Catnr: SIGCD 978
Release date: 22 May 2026
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1 CD
€ 19.95
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Label
Signum Classics
UPC
0635212097823
Catalogue number
SIGCD 978
Release date
22 May 2026
Album
Artist(s)
Composer(s)
EN

About the album

Troubled Times: Music and Espionage in Renaissance England explores sacred music written amid the religious and political instability of 16th-century England. Performed by The Queen’s Six with The Rose Consort of Viols, the programme examines how composers navigated shifting allegiances, censorship, exile, and suspicion, from the Henrician Reformation to the Elizabethan settlement. Works by Byrd, Taverner, Morley, Philips, Ferrabosco, and others reflect strategies of adaptation, concealment, and survival, whether through recusancy, foreign travel, or service at court. Placing music within its historical context, the recording highlights the complex relationship between faith, power, and artistic expression during a period of sustained upheaval.

Artist(s)

The Queen's Six

Alto: Elisabeth Paul, Tom Lilburn Tenor: Nicholas Madden, Dominic Bland Baritone: Andrew Thompson Bass/Musical Director: Simon Whiteley Based at Windsor Castle, members of The Queen's Six make up part of the Lay Clerks of St George's Chapel, whose homes lie within the Castle walls. This rare privilege demands the highest musical standards, as they sing regularly for the Royal family at both private and state occasions. In 2018, this included singing for the wedding of Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle, now The Duke and Duchess of Sussex; in 2021, three members of the group sang at the funeral of HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh; and in 2022, members of the group sang at the Committal part of the official funeral services for Queen Elizabeth...
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Alto: Elisabeth Paul, Tom Lilburn

Tenor: Nicholas Madden, Dominic Bland

Baritone: Andrew Thompson

Bass/Musical Director: Simon Whiteley

Based at Windsor Castle, members of The Queen's Six make up part of the Lay Clerks of St George's Chapel, whose homes lie within the Castle walls. This rare privilege demands the highest musical standards, as they sing regularly for the Royal family at both private and state occasions. In 2018, this included singing for the wedding of Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle, now The Duke and Duchess of Sussex; in 2021, three members of the group sang at the funeral of HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh; and in 2022, members of the group sang at the Committal part of the official funeral services for Queen Elizabeth II. Most significantly however, it is the familiarity of living and singing together in Chapel every day that lends this group its distinctive closeness and blend, as well as an irresistible informality and charm.

Individually, members of The Queen’s Six have appeared in many of the most prestigious vocal ensembles on the circuit, including The Tallis Scholars, Tenebrae and The Sixteen. Their repertoire extends far beyond the reach of the choir stalls: from austere early chant, florid Renaissance polyphony, lewd madrigals and haunting folk songs to upbeat jazz and pop arrangements.

Since 2019, the group has recorded on the Signum Classics label, releasing albums of British folk songs, Hispanic Renaissance music, and arrangements of the songs of Tom Lehrer. In 2022, they released a recording of pop love songs, their first professional pop album.

Recent and upcoming tours include the group’s first trips to Bulgaria, Norway and Denmark, and return trips to the Baltic States, Germany and the USA. In February 2023 the group made its debut at New York City’s Town Hall. They also appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and CBS Sunday Morning, as well as articles about the group featuring in People magazine.


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The Queen's Six