Repertoire – Synergy Vocals

Synergy Vocals’ relationship with Steve Reich goes all the way back to our first concert in 1996 – a performance of Tehillim for Reich’s 60th birthday celebration in London, an LSO concert conducted by David Robertson (now happily known as our “chief conductor”).

We have performed all of Steve Reich’s vocal music on countless occasions all over the world (premiering Three Tales and Daniel Variations), and are now well-known as one of the finest exponents of his music.

It was an honour to share the stage on many occasions as honorary members of Steve Reich & Musicians, including a 2006 European tour for Reich’s 70th birthday.

“a wonderful performance from you and your excellent colleagues - such a marvellous group!”
Paul Hughes (Manager – BBC Symphony Orchestra)

“It was a true pleasure having you with us and we were thrilled by the performances”
Alexander Steinbeis (Boston Symphony)

“You were awesome!!!”
Sue Spence (Askonas Holt) for conductor Daniel Harding

“this was a Berio Sinfonia to be proud of, valiantly and effortlessly delivered by
Synergy Vocals”
Classical Source

"a triumph...the great demands placed upon the singers were impeccably met...outstanding musical performances"
Boulezian

“eight virtuoso voices, the superb British ensemble Synergy Vocals”
Boston Globe

“Synergy Vocals performed like a flawless machine”
New Yorker

“Since I, as a teenager, heard Les Double Six singing Quincy Jones, I developed a real passion for a certain vocal sound. Christiane Legrand, Michel Legrand’s sister, sang very fast improvisations, as hot as Art Farmer. The timing, the pitches, the non-vibrato, the legatissimo all together resulted in extremely passionate and powerful musical interpretations. It took me almost fifty years to find a vocal group who could perform in this way, straight as a door (as we say in Dutch): Synergy Vocals"
Louis Andriessen

“Synergy Vocals are the best I have ever heard because they are able really to sound different from Classical trained singers. The women should not sound like Classical trained singers but should sound like 4 girls in the market in Athens 600 BC who are very angry about all kinds of things, and that is the sound I finally got from the Synergy Vocals in this performance and I am very proud of that”
Louis Andriessen

“Since the late nineties, they have sung several of my large pieces. It doesn’t get much better than this. Very nice people too – I am happy to know them!”
Louis Andriessen

“the fantastic Synergy Vocals were sharp as a knife, and more in tune than a piano”
Louis Andriessen

“Louis called to say that this performance of De Staat was one of the finest and most energetic in the history of the piece. He had special praise for the voices, which were the best he had ever heard. The Greek pronunciation, the sound and the intonation - everything. I couldn't agree more!”
Jurjen Hempel (conductor)

Our first performance of Grand Pianola Music was conducted by John Adams in San Francisco back in 2000. John explained that the sinuous opening lines of the 3 female vocalists should sound beguiling like the voices of sirens, then just a few moments into the rehearsal said that someone might have to chain him to the mast! Happily, in 2015, we finally recorded the piece with John conducting the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, along with Orli Shaham and Marc-André Hamelin on pianos.

“completely engaging”
Bachtrack