The 24
- Director: William Brooks
- Assistant director: Graham Bier
- Rehearsals: Mondays 4-6pm, SJL Concert Hall; Thursdays 3:30–5pm, D-block Room 003
- Auditions for 2011-12: Wednesday and Friday, 12 and 14 October, 1–5pm, Room 120. Sign up in advance on the ensemble board in the SJL.
The 24 is a progressive vocal group consisting of two dozen mixed voices. The group specializes in new and unusual music, but its repertoire extends across all genres and periods.
In the past two seasons, The 24 has given five concerts at the University of York, with several world premieres, a concert devoted to the work of legendary Estonian composer Veljo Tormis, with the composer in attendance, and a concert celebrating the sixtieth year of York composer Roger Marsh. In addition, the group performed at King's College Chapel, Cambridge, at the Chinese consulate in Manchester, and at the Paxton Festival in Scotland. Members of The 24 toured Germany in collaboration with the German group Cantiamo in summer 2010; plans are underway for a similar trip in summer 2012, this time in cooperation with the ensemble EXtraCHORd.
In 2011-12, in addition to three York programmes, The 24 will be the resident musicians with Leeds experimental theatre group Slung Low, performing the music for five site-specific productions throughout Yorkshire. It will also collaborate with Serbian musicians in concerts in London and York and will give a series of outreach performances in Yorkshire venues, including an evensong service at York Minster.
In the spring of both 2010 and 2011, The 24 toured China under the direction of the eminent conductor Zhu Bu Xi, singing in all nearly twenty concerts in fifteen cities. In March and April 2012, The 24 returns to China for a third tour that will take them to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and other major venues.
The 24 have in repertoire short programmes (15-45 minutes) for performance at York alumni gatherings and other University-related functions.
Become a Friend of The 24! Help them go to China! For further information please contact William Brooks.
Visit The 24 website for detailed information about projects, concerts and recordings: www.the24.co.uk.
The 24 concerts at York
- 30 November 2011
- 1 February 2012