Join Choir of the Earth and The Gesualdo Six for a very special collaboration as we learn and record Eric Whitacre’s atmospheric setting of W. B. Yeats’ The Stolen Child.
What we will learn
The Stolen Child brings together one of Yeats’ best-known poems with Eric Whitacre’s unmistakable choral writing.
The poem tells of a human child being tempted away by faeries to the mysterious world of “the waters and the wild”. Whitacre turns this into a musical dialogue between two groups: the main SATB choir represents the innocence of the human child, while a smaller group of voices represents the faeries calling the child away.
The piece was originally commissioned for the National Youth Choir of Great Britain and The King’s Singers, making it particularly well suited to our own collaboration with The Gesualdo Six.
Across the course we will explore Whitacre’s rich harmonies, long vocal lines and carefully balanced textures, as well as the storytelling at the heart of the piece. The result is music that can feel beautiful, magical and unsettling all at once.
Introducing The Gesualdo Six
© thegesualdosix.co.uk
We are delighted to be collaborating once again with world-renowned vocal ensemble The Gesualdo Six.
Following our work together on William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices and our exciting event in Lincoln in January 2027, The Gesualdo Six will provide specially recorded rehearsal tracks for The Stolen Child, giving Choir of the Earth singers the opportunity to learn alongside one of the UK’s leading vocal ensembles, and they will also sing the parts of the faerie chorus.
The structure of Whitacre’s piece makes this collaboration especially exciting, with the contrast between the larger choir and the smaller group of voices forming an essential part of the music itself.
About the composer
© ericwhitacre.com
Eric Whitacre (b. 1970) is an American composer and conductor whose choral music is performed by choirs around the world.
His music is particularly known for its rich harmonic language, close vocal writing and atmospheric use of sound, and works including Sleep, Lux Aurumque, Glow and Goodnight Moon have become firm favourites with singers and audiences alike.
Choir of the Earth has enjoyed singing Whitacre’s music before, most notably The Seal Lullaby. Our recording of the piece was awarded second place in the Britain’s Top Choirs competition in 2023, with hundreds of Choir of the Earth singers learning and recording their parts from home.
Whitacre’s 2010 album Light & Gold, which includes The Stolen Child, reached number one in the classical album charts in both the UK and US within a week of its release and later won the 2012 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance.
Our teaching and resources
The course will be directed by Choir of the Earth Musical Director Ben England, who teaches the music note by note and voice part by voice part through a programme of online rehearsals. Each week begins with a full choir rehearsal, followed by separate sessions focusing on individual voice parts. Rehearsals are usually around an hour long and, if you cannot attend live, every session is recorded, so you can catch up when it suits you best.
You will also have access to high-quality voice part louder rehearsal tracks recorded especially for Choir of the Earth by The Gesualdo Six. Separate tracks are provided for each voice part, with your part louder than the other voices so that you can hear it clearly while you learn. These are the same tracks used during our rehearsals, so as Ben teaches the music you can hear exactly what you need to replicate - not only the notes and rhythms, but also the phrasing, dynamics, pronunciation and other musical details that bring the piece to life.
You can attend as many rehearsals as you like, learn more than one voice part if you wish, and take the course at your own pace. There is no requirement to record: some singers simply enjoy the teaching, while others submit their voice from home to become part of our final performance.
The Stolen Child is under copyright, so a licensed score is required for this course at a small additional charge. We will provide full information on how to purchase your copy before the course begins.
Join us!
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Hear us in action
Here is Choir of the Earth singing more stunning Eric Whitacre pieces, plus some bonus performances from The Gesualdo Six. Will you be part of our next recording?