We love the heavenly choral music made by The Sixteen but have never watched them perform. We were excited when we spotted that, as part of their 2026 tour, they were coming to Blackburn Cathedral - only a 30 minute drive for us. It’s a lovely ‘boutique’ cathedral with excellent acoustics.
The 2026 tour is mainly about music from the Spanish Renaissance by composers Sebastián de Vivanco (1551-1632) and Cristóbal de Morales (1500-1553). The Sixteen’s a cappella singing is perfectly suited to this music, highlighting their very smooth and expressive style. We absolutely loved all of the motets by Vivanco and Morales.
The sixteenth century polyphony was complemented by two more modern pieces, both by living composers and one specifically commissioned for this year’s tour. I think they were intended to be a ‘sorbet’ between all the Renaissance music but, for me, they broke the spell: I was dreamily transported to sixteenth century Spain and then brought back to the modern day Blackburn with a jolt.
However, this was a most amazing concert in a lovely location. Having picked up a couple of CDs during the interval, we made our way home with nothing but Renaissance Spain in our heads.