The Triumphs of Oriana

Our collaboration with Signum Records continues with this outstanding collection of madrigals from 23 composers including Thomas Morley, John Bennet, Michael Cavendish and Thomas Weelkes. Originally on limited release in 2002 for the current Queen's Golden Jubilee and a concert at the BBC Proms, this disc is now globally available.

A collection of 25 madrigals from 23 different composers — from the famous to the obscure — make up this Elizabethan curiosity, published in 1601 by Thomas Morley. A musical dedication to Queen Elizabeth I, The Triumphs of Oriana displays the talents of English songwriters, long overshadowed by the European counterparts, conjuring up an image of an idealized and mythical England of old.

"The King's Singers deliver these songs with insistent voices, the imitative pairs beautifully balanced across the stereo, the intonation faultless, and the diction unmistakable. The variety of tone that the sextet achieves is one of the inimitable traits. Other groups can only admire." — Rick Jones, The Times