MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Rubbra: Choral Music

Voces Sacrae is one of the most exciting and versatile professional chamber choirs in Britain today. Having had already established an excellent reputation and receives superb reviews for every performance. The ensemble has been working in the fields of both contemporary (mainly a capella) and Renaissance choral music and has been performing and recording in association with Oxford University Press, promoting their new choral repertoire. The choir is very keen to bring the work of new composers to people's attention, recently recorded works by Magnus Williamson and Anthony Pitts. Voces Sacrae has also made the premier recording of Michael Finnissy's Seven Sacred Motets. This was followed by a disc of music by contemporary British composers which includes the first recording of Michael Berkeley's Eight Motets as well as works by Gabriel Jackson, Bob Chilcott and Magnus Williamson.

The choir has broadcast on the BBC and has given highly acclaimed concerts in venues nationwide. In 1998 Voces Sacrae toured South East Australia in association with OUP, giving concerts and leading workshops. Whilst there, it performed live on "The Music Show", the ABC's national music programme, and subsequent concerts were filmed for television and recorded for radio broadcast. Voces sacrae also gave the world premier performance of Michael Finnissy's Seven Sacred Motets in Sydney. Judy Martin was organ scholar of Selwyn College Cambridge from 1986 to 1989 where she studied conducting under Dr Andrew V. Jones. On graduating, she worked as an organist and conductor with posts at Exeter and The Queen's Colleges in Oxford, and as the conductor of The Arcadian Singers. In 1991 she spent six months in Sydney, as part of the Music Department at Christchurch St. Laurence, conducting and playing the organ. In 1995, after two years of teaching, she was appointed Head of Music at The Abbey School, a prestigious independent girls' school in Reading.