Hilliard Ensemble

The Hilliard Ensemble is a British vocal ensemble. It was founded in 1974 and has been named after the English miniaturist Nicholas Hilliard.

The four singers have focused on music that was written before 1600; but they also sing pieces by modern composers such as Arvo Pärt, John Cage, Gavin Bryars, Giya Kancheli, and Heinz Holliger Rupert Gottfried Frieberger.

Published in 1994, the Hilliard Ensemble with great commercial success the recorded together with Jan Garbarek album Officium Garbarek on the "fifth voice" saxophone improvisations played on medieval and early modern motets. Also, as part of a concert tour of this project was presented to the public. The project was continued in 1999 with the comprehensive two CD album Mnemosyne and 2010 with the album Officium Novum.

2013 gave the ensemble announced that it will dissolve the end of 2014.

Members

Currently, there is a quartet of David James ( countertenor ), Rogers Covey - Crump (tenor ), Steven Harrold ( tenor) and Gordon Jones ( baritone).

The longtime tenor John Potter (since 1984 a member of the group) was eliminated in 2001, in order to devote his teaching at the University of York can. The co-founder and baritone Paul Hillier retired in 1989. Other former members of the group are Leigh Nixon and Paul Elliott.