FIRST PUBLISHED 4 APR 2026

Spain’s Siglo de oro, the Age of Gold, gave rise to some of the greatest sacred choral music of the Renaissance. Lead, Kindly Light is devoted to the music of two outstanding Spanish composers, exploring majestic works by Cristóbal de Morales, famed throughout Europe and in the New World, and the exquisite polyphony of Sebastián de Vivanco, whose intricately crafted counterpoint adorned services at the cathedrals of Ávila and Salamanca during the late 1500s.

^{Vivanco: O quam suavis est, Domine a4}

Contrasting and complementing these 16th-century masterpieces are spellbinding settings of words by Saint John Henry Newman: Sir James MacMillan’s Nothing in vain for soloists and double choir and the world premiere of Kerensa Briggs’s Lead, kindly light, specially commissioned for this album and The Sixteen’s 2026 UK Choral Pilgrimage.

^{Morales: Emendemus in melius}

TRACK LISTING
Sebastián de Vivanco Christus factus est pro nobis
Cristóbal de Morales Emendemus in melius
Vivanco Assumpta est Maria a6
Morales Gaude et laetare Ferrariensis civitas
Kerensa Briggs Lead, kindly light*
Vivanco Magnificat octavi toni
Morales Jubilate Deo omnis terra
Vivanco O quam suavis est, Domine a4
Morales Exaltata est sancta Dei Genitrix a6
Morales Lamentabatur Jacob a5
Vivanco Caritas Pater est a9
James MacMillan Nothing in vain**

* New commission & world premiere recording
** Commissioned by the Genesis Foundation for The Sixteen & Harry Christophers

‘Lead, Kindly Light’, featuring all the music from this year’s Choral Pilgrimage is available to purchase from The Sixteen's own label, CORO Records, and to listen on all major streaming platforms.