Wishful Singing and the VOCES8 Scholars Ensemble will perform an exclusive concert at Trinity College Chapel, Cambridge, on Sunday April 27 2025 at 7.00 pm.
Gregorian chant
The program is a journey through the rich history of Gregorian chant, featuring both well-known classics and forgotten masterpieces, performed according to original medieval manuscripts. In addition, Wishful Singing and the VOCES8 Scholars Ensemble will perform contemporary compositions inspired by the Gregorian heritage, including works such as Ubi Caritas by Maurice Duruflé and Ave Generosa by Ola Gjeilo. Highlights of the program include Viderunt omnes by the 12th-century composer Perotinus and Dum transisset Sabbatum by John Taverner, where polyphonic singing and Gregorian psalmody come together.
The unique interplay between the clear voices of Wishful Singing and the deep tones of the VOCES8 Scholars Ensemble promises a mystical experience for music enthusiasts.
The VOCES8 Scholars Ensemble is a vocal group made up of young professional singers who have previously been part of the annual VOCES8 Scholars programme. Their work in 2025 includes concerts across the UK including the Solent Festival; SongWave Festival, Newhaven; and ‘Fruit of Silence’ with McNicol Ballet Collective at the Royal Academy of Music, London. They will also give concerts in France, Belgium, Spain and Portugal. For VOCES8 Records they will record an album of music of Mårten Jansson with the Stockholm Saxophone Quartet, conducted by Ragnar Bohlin for release in 2026.
Wishful Singing is a leading all-female vocal ensemble from the Netherlands, with a strong reputation for performing a broad repertoire ranging from early music, folk, close harmony, and contemporary music. The ensemble regularly performs at Dutch concert halls like the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, but they’ve also performed in Japan, the United States and many European countries. The group, consisting of five female vocalists, has generated a new buzz around Gregorian chant in the Netherlands. Since 2016, Wishful Singing’s performances of Gregorian repertoire have attracted over 15,000 attendees, while their online courses engaged more than 6,500 participants.
“The five singers of Wishful Singing sing so beautifully that heaven and earth seem to exchange places” – Stijn Fens, Trouw
