The Sixteen choir to perform at Yale as part of their U.S. tour

The Yale Institute of Sacred Music and the Yale Glee Club will co-host guest artists, The Sixteen, as they present The Deer’s Cry as part of their U.S. tour. The concert on Sunday, October 27 will be a powerful exploration of the music of two masters of sacred music, Arvo Pärt and William Byrd. Conducted by Harry Christophers, the concert is free and open to the public and will take place in Woolsey Hall at 4 p.m.

Whilst coming from very different eras, William Byrd and Arvo Pärt are both considered masters of sacred music despite having faced considerable persecution for their work. This program presents six of William Byrd’s works from the Cantiones Sacrae including the monumental Tribue, Domine, and the mighty eight-voice motet Ad Dominum cum tribularer. The three works by Arvo Pärt speak in his unmistakable voice, with its unique blend of ancient and modern, and include his mesmerising Nunc dimittis which is crafted in his bell-like ‘tinitinnabuli’ style. View concert details. 

Watch a short video about The Deer’s Cry

About the Artists

Harry Christophers stands among today’s great champions of choral music. In partnership with The Sixteen, he has set benchmark standards for the performance of everything from late medieval polyphony to important new works by contemporary composers. 

Under his leadership The Sixteen has established its hugely successful annual Choral Pilgrimage, created the Sacred Music series for BBC television, and developed an acclaimed period-instrument orchestra. Highlights of their recent work include an Artist Residency at Wigmore Hall, a large-scale tour of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610, the world premiere of James MacMillan’s Fifth Symphony at the 2019 Edinburgh International Festival and a live-streamed performance of MacMillan’s Stabat mater from the Sistine Chapel. Learn more about The Sixteen.