The Sixteen tours throughout Europe, Japan, Australia and the Americas and has given regular performances at major concert halls and festivals worldwide, including the Barbican Centre, Sydney Opera House, and Vienna Musikverein; also the BBC Proms, and the festivals of Salzburg, Granada, Lucerne and Istanbul. The vigour and passion of its performance win new fans wherever it performs. At home in the UK, the group promotes A Choral Pilgrimage, a tour of our finest cathedrals bringing music back to the buildings for which it was written. In 2006 The Choral Pilgrimage features the Requiem of 1605 by Tomás Luis de Victoria. An ongoing association with the BBC Philharmonic allows the choir to stretch its repertoire into large-scale choral works of the 20th century. The Sixteen are "The Voices of Classic FM" and from the 2006/7 season will become Associate Ensemble at the South Bank Centre, London.
The choir is enhanced by the existence of its own period instrument orchestra, The Symphony of Harmony and Invention, and through it Harry Christophers brings fresh insights to music including that of Purcell, Monteverdi, JS Bach and Handel. 2004 witnessed the launch of the group‘s annual Handel in Oxford Festival, a weekend of concerts and events dedicated to the life of this great composer.
CORO is the award-winning record label of Harry Christophers and The Sixteen. Started in 2001, CORO releases new recordings from The Sixteen and is re-releasing former Collins CDs by the group, re-mastered and re-packaged. With nearly 50 recordings on the label, many international award winners including a Gramophone Award for an Eton Choirbook, a Gramophone Award 2006 nomination for Victoria's Requiem 1605, Diapason D'Or and Deutsche Schallplatten Kritik winners and a prodigious number of five star reviews, CORO continues to go from strength to strength. CORO titles are available internationally at retail, at concerts, via this website and digitally via iTunes and most other important digital music platforms. The Sixteen has also recorded Renaissance and Ikon for Universal Records, the former winning the 2005 Classical Brit award for The Best Ensemble Recording of the Year.
This, and other info about The Sixteen is avaliable on their official website;
www.the-sixteen.org.uk
Miserere mei
The Sixteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum, dele iniquitatem meam.
Amplius lava me ab iniquitate mea: et a peccato meo munda me.
Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco: et peccatum meum contra me est semper.
Tibi soli peccavi, et malum coram te feci: ut iustificeris in sermonibus tuis, et vincas cum iudicaris.
Ecce enim in iniquitatibus conceptus sum: et in peccatis concepit me mater mea.
Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti: incerta et occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi.
Auditui meo dabis gaudium et laetitiam: et exsultabunt ossa humiliata.
Averte faciem tuam a peccatis meis: et omnes iniquitates meas dele.
Cor mundum crea in me, Deus: et spiritum rectum innova in visceribus meis.
Ne proiicias me a facie tua: et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me.
Redde mihi laetitiam salutaris tui: et spiritu principali confirma me.
Docebo iniquos vias tuas: et impii ad te convertentur.
Libera me de sanguinibus, Deus, Deus salutis meae: et exsultabit lingua mea iustitiam tuam.
Domine, labia mea aperies: et os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam.
Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium, dedissem utique: holocaustis non delectaberis.
Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus: cor contritum, et humiliatum, Deus, non despicies.
Benigne fac, Domine, in bona voluntate tua Sion: ut aedificentur muri Ierusalem.
Tunc acceptabis sacrificium iustitiae, oblationes, et holocausta: tunc imponent super altare tuum vitulos.
The lyrics to The Sixteen's song "Miserere mei" are a expression of repentance and a plea for mercy from God. The first line, "Miserere mei, Deus," translates to "Have mercy on me, O God," emphasizing the singer's need for forgiveness. The following lines, "secundum magnam misericordiam tuam. Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum, dele iniquitatem meam," translate to "according to thy great mercy. And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my iniquity," further emphasizing the need for divine forgiveness. The singer then asks to be cleansed of their sins and for God to purify their soul. The lyrics detail the extent of the singer's sins and their understanding of the gravity of their actions. The song then asks for divine intervention to lead the singer on the path of righteousness and to inspire others to do the same.
Line by Line Meaning
Miserere mei, Deus: secundum magnam misericordiam tuam.
Have mercy on me, God: according to your great mercy.
Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum, dele iniquitatem meam.
And according to the abundance of your mercies, erase my iniquity.
Amplius lava me ab iniquitate mea: et a peccato meo munda me.
Wash me more from my iniquity: and cleanse me from my sin.
Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco: et peccatum meum contra me est semper.
For I know my iniquity: and my sin is always before me.
Tibi soli peccavi, et malum coram te feci: ut iustificeris in sermonibus tuis, et vincas cum iudicaris.
Against you alone have I sinned, and done evil in your sight: so you are justified when you speak, and right when you judge.
Ecce enim in iniquitatibus conceptus sum: et in peccatis concepit me mater mea.
For in iniquity was I conceived: and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti: incerta et occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi.
For you have loved truth: you have revealed to me the obscure and hidden things of your wisdom.
Asperges me, hyssopo, et mundabor: lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.
Sprinkle me with hyssop and I shall be cleansed: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Auditui meo dabis gaudium et laetitiam: et exsultabunt ossa humiliata.
You will grant me joy and gladness: and the bones that have been humbled shall rejoice.
Averte faciem tuam a peccatis meis: et omnes iniquitates meas dele.
Turn your face away from my sins: and blot out all my iniquities.
Cor mundum crea in me, Deus: et spiritum rectum innova in visceribus meis.
Create in me a clean heart, God: and renew a right spirit within me.
Ne proiicias me a facie tua: et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me.
Do not cast me away from your face: and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.
Redde mihi laetitiam salutaris tui: et spiritu principali confirma me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation: and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Docebo iniquos vias tuas: et impii ad te convertentur.
I will teach the wicked your ways: and sinners will turn to you.
Libera me de sanguinibus, Deus, Deus salutis meae: et exsultabit lingua mea iustitiam tuam.
Deliver me from bloodshed, God, God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
Domine, labia mea aperies: et os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam.
Lord, open my lips: and my mouth will declare your praise.
Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium, dedissem utique: holocaustis non delectaberis.
For if you had desired sacrifice, I would undoubtedly have given it: but you do not delight in burnt offerings.
Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus: cor contritum, et humiliatum, Deus, non despicies.
The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Benigne fac, Domine, in bona voluntate tua Sion: ut aedificentur muri Ierusalem.
Do good, O Lord, in your good pleasure to Zion: that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up.
Tunc acceptabis sacrificium iustitiae, oblationes, et holocausta: tunc imponent super altare tuum vitulos.
Then you will accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations, and burnt offerings: then they will lay calves upon your altar.
Contributed by Isabelle J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.