Thursday 30 December
Crypt Music Kings
1/1 11.30am-noon
In the early days of their existence, the King's Singers had an agent
who struggled to make any real sense of the serious side of their repertoire.
In a memorable moment he referred to the works of Byrd, Tallis, Palestrina
et al as "that sort of Crypt Music you do."
The King's Singers soon became one of the UK's most successful singing
groups with a range that made them the perfect TV show guests.
But with their success came a gradual fall-off in their popularity in
Britain. Despite this they remained hugely popular in Europe, and particularly
in Germany where their ability to sing difficult contemporary pieces,
Beatles arrangements and of course 'Crypt Music' has kept them in the
musical spotlight.
Ashutosh Khandekhar, the editor of Opera Now, recalls his own first experience
of the King's Singers, and with an increasing programme of British performances
booked for next year, ponders the reasons for their relative exile.
The programme includes exclusive material of the group in the recording
studio and gives a vivid impression of the rigour of their work and the
discipline that has kept them at the top of their game.
Presenter/Ashutosh Khandekhar, Producer/Tom Alban
BBC Radio 4 Publicity
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