After twenty-seven years of world-wide performance and recording, The Sixte… Read Full Bio ↴After twenty-seven years of world-wide performance and recording, The Sixteen is recognised as one of the world’s greatest vocal ensembles. Its special reputation for performing early English polyphony, masterpieces of the Renaissance and a diversity of 20th century music is drawn from the passions of conductor and founder, Harry Christophers. Over ninety recordings reflect The Sixteen’s quality in a range of work spanning the music of five hundred years, winning many awards including Grand Prix du Disque for Handel's Messiah, numerous Schallplattenkritik, the coveted Gramophone Award for Early Music, and most recently the prestigious Classical Brit Award 2005 for 'Renaissance'.

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

Salve Regina: Salve Regina
The Sixteen Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Salve Regina, mater misericordiae,
vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamamus,
exsules filii Evae.
Ad te suspiramus,
gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia ergo, advocata nostra,
illos tuos misericordes oculos

ad nos converte, et Jesum,
benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

Virgo mater ecclesiae,
aeterna porta gloriae,
esto nobis refugium
apud Patrem et Filium.

O clemens!

Virgo clemens, virgo pia,
virgo dulcis o Maria,
exaudi preces omnium
ad te pie clamantium.

O pia!

Funde preces tuo nato,
crucifixo, vulnerato,
et pro nobis flagellato,
spinis puncto, felle potato.

O dulcis Maria, salve!

Overall Meaning

The Sixteen's song Salve Regina is a hymn dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The song starts with "Salve Regina," which means "Hail, holy Queen" in Latin. This is an address to the Virgin Mary, who is called "mater misericordiae," meaning "mother of mercy." The Virgin Mary is seen as a source of both comfort and hope, as described by the words "vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve," which mean "our life, our sweetness, and our hope, hail."

The second verse of the song is a plea to the Virgin Mary, asking her to show mercy and compassion to all those who are suffering in this world. The lyrics "Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae" mean "we cry to you, exiles, children of Eve." The words "hac lacrimarum valle" describe the earthly world as a "valley of tears," where people are always suffering and shedding tears.

The final verse is a prayer to the Virgin Mary, asking her to protect and guide us through our earthly journey. The words "esto nobis refugium apud Patrem et Filium" mean "be our refuge with the Father and the Son." Overall, Salve Regina is a beautiful hymn that exalts the Virgin Mary as a merciful and compassionate mother, who will guide us to salvation.

Line by Line Meaning

Salve Regina, mater misericordiae
Greetings, Queen and Mother of Mercy

vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve.
Our life, sweetness, and hope, we greet you

Ad te clamamus,
To you we cry

exsules filii Evae.
banished children of Eve

Ad te suspiramus,
To you we sigh

gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle.
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears

Eia ergo, advocata nostra,
Therefore, our advocate

illos tuos misericordes oculos
turn your merciful eyes

ad nos converte, et Jesum,
towards us, and show us Jesus

benedictum fructum ventris tui,
the blessed fruit of your womb

nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
show us, after this exile.