Draw Near Apollo5

• Alexander Pierce Hill: The Victorious Hymn:
• 1 Hill: The Victorious Hymn 02:09
• Receive Me Today:
• 2 Hill: Receive Me Today 04:02
• The Trisagion Hymn:
• 3 Hill: The Trisagion Hymn 04:31
• The Lord Upholdeth All:
• 4 Hill: The Lord Upholdeth All 04:41
• It is Truly Right:
• 5 Hill: It is Truly Right 03:06
• Anamnesis:
• 6 Hill: Anamnesis 01:05
• The Lord Is Near:
• 7 Hill: The Lord Is Near 03:58
• First Antiphon:
• 8 Hill: First Antiphon 03:14
• The Cherubic Hymn:
• 9 Hill: The Cherubic Hymn 04:53
• Second Antiphon:
• 10 Hill: Second Antiphon 05:11
• Kyrie Eleison:
• 11 Hill: Kyrie Eleison 04:32
• Praise the Lord:
• 12 Hill: Praise the Lord 02:25
• The Lord Is Gracious:
• 13 Hill: The Lord Is Gracious 04:26
• The Choir of the Saints:
• 14 Hill: The Choir of the Saints 03:04
• Today the Virgin Goes Forth:
• 15 Hill: Today the Virgin Goes Forth 04:03
• Total Runtime 55:20

Info zu Draw Near

Draw Near is a new setting of the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, with music by North American composer Alexander Pierce Hill, sung by the British a cappella ensemble APOLLO5. The text, attributed to the notable Church Father and Archbishop of Constantinople, is brought vividly to life by Hill’s choral homophony and APOLLO5’s intimate blend, with all five voices moving together in rhythm and text, highlighting the unifying nature of communal worship. Hill’s harmonies walk a tightrope between dissonant tensions – evoking a yearning for God – and consonant relief, bringing hope, reassurance and joy. This rich harmonic language responds to the beauty and piety of the text, whilst conjuring an otherworldly fusion of the earthly and heavenly.

Entering its sixteenth year of performing, APOLLO5 continues to captivate and inspire audiences as one of Britain’s smallest yet most impressive vocal groups. Comprising a soprano, mezzo-soprano, two tenors and a bass, the ensemble – which takes its name from the ancient Greek god of music – has become known for their ability to move audiences with intimacy and directness while showcasing the power and rapturous sound of five voices alone. With a repertoire spanning renaissance, classical and contemporary choral works to folk, jazz and pop, the group’s five voices bring the music of five centuries to life.

APOLLO5’s active tour schedule crosses Europe, North America, and Asia garnering critical acclaim along the way: “exceptional adhesion and effortless style…faultless” (BBC Music Magazine), “exceptionally beautiful singing” (Classic FM), “the rapt listener would be hard put to find fault.” (Yorkshire Times), and “Pure singing…” (Westfalenpost). Performances in prestigious UK venues include the Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, St John’s Smith Square, the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican Centre. Their extensive European concert and festival performances include Germany, France, Italy, Scotland, Wales, Portugal, and Czech Republic. The group is a regular guest on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune and receives frequent airplay from the national broadcaster as well as Classic FM, Magic Classical, and NTS Radio.

APOLLO5’s vocal artistry and signature sound have attracted collaboration with the finest choral composers and arrangers of today. Works by Ola Gjeilo, Taylor Scott Davis, Francis Pott, Fraser Wilson, Paul Mealor, Blake Morgan, Paul Smith, and more are featured on APOLLO5’s seven studio albums. Haven, which explores the music of troubled, displaced and persecuted composers and features a full setting of William Byrd’s Mass For Five Voices, was released in 2023 to critical acclaim. Where All Roses Go and O Radiant Dawn both charted in the top 5 of the UK Classical Charts. Their most recent album is Anam, a Gaelic-tinged program of “music to move the soul,” released in early 2025. APOLLO5 was part of the launch of LIVE From London in 2020, a series of live broadcasts from many of the world’s leading vocal ensembles and orchestras. These online concerts brought music to the homes of millions during the pandemic, and raised funds for more than 500 artists, composers and production teams in the process; the festival continues to thrive online in today’s post-pandemic world.

As part of the VOCES8 Foundation, APOLLO5 works alongside CEO Paul Smith and other affiliated ensembles to deliver a transformative program of workshops, masterclasses and concerts to over 40,000 young people annually in the UK, Europe, and the USA. Over the past few seasons, the group has worked with thousands of young people and adults across France as part of Association Sing’In projects, performing in the unique locations of a football stadium, a circus, and a royal abbey to large audiences. Much of APOLLO5’s UK-based education work is carried out at the Foundation’s home, The VOCES8 Centre at St Anne & St Agnes Church in the heart of London. The group has also helped lead an extensive singing project in the London boroughs of Hackney and Tower Hamlets, working with inner-city schools and supporting their teachers. This ongoing project is supported by the Masonic Charitable Foundation, the Worshipful Company of Glovers, The Big Give Trust, and a number of private trusts and generous individual donors.

Penelope Appleyard, soprano
Clare Stewart, mezzo-soprano
Jacob Ewens, tenor
Joseph Taylor, tenor
Augustus Perkins Ray, bass-baritone

Apollo5
The international award-winning British vocal ensemble Apollo5 delights audiences with versatile and engaging performances on the concert platform, singing repertoire ranging from renaissance, classical and contemporary choral music to folk, jazz and pop.

Frequently performing in their home city of London they have sung in venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Kings Place (London A Cappella Festival), the Barbican, the Houses of Parliament and Wembley Arena. They regularly give concerts at their home in the heart of the City of London, the Gresham Centre.

As well as concerts across the UK Apollo5 has enjoyed giving performances internationally. Last season the five outstanding vocalists undertook a month-long debut tour of the USA and in 2016 they made their south Asian debut, taking part in the Taipei International Choral Festival. Over the last two years they have given performances in Italy, Germany, Holland and France. This season includes international performances in France (Via Aeterna Music Festival), Poland (for La Folle Journée) and a collaboration with the Academy of Ancient Music.

Apollo5 is part of the VCM Foundation, and leads its innovative education programme aiming to inspire creativity through music. Working alongside vocal ensemble VOCES8 and Paul Smith the programme reaches 40,000 young people annually in the UK, Germany, France, Sweden, the USA and Asia. The Foundation has its home at the Gresham Centre, at St Anne and St Agnes Church. In partnership with the Diocese of London, VCM has established a hub for excellence in education, outreach and the performance of vocal music. Last season saw the first Gresham Centre Festival in which the group performed with VOCES8 and the VOCES8 Scholars.

Apollo5 leads regular workshops, masterclasses, and a children’s concert series at the Gresham Centre, as well as longer term projects and residency programmes. The group oversees an extensive outreach project called the Open Mind Programme in Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Newham. Now in its third year, the Open Mind Programme has received support from Arts Council England, The Merchant Taylors’ Company and the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers. The education programme is also supported by Holman Fenwick Willan and the Ernest Cook Trust.

Apollo5 has released albums with VCM Records, including “The Spirit Like a Dove”, music by Josquin des Prez performed with the Ingenium Ensemble which was Number 4 in the UK Classical Chart, and “With a Song in my Heart”, an album of folk, jazz and pop. Also released is “Journey” on the Edition Peters Sounds label featuring the group with former King’s Singer Paul Phoenix. A new album “O Radiant Dawn”, which explores the human journey through birth, love, struggle, the end of life and reflection will be released in May 2019.

Apollo5 will start to publish its musical arrangements with Edition Peters this year.

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