The Dunedin Consort, led by Gardiner Professor of Music at the University, Professor John Butt, has been placed 11th in the respected classical music magazine, Gramophone’s list of 'The 20 Greatest Choirs'.

For their January 2011 issue, Gramophone invited an international panel of critics to choose the leading vocal ensembles, based on recordings over the past few years. The Dunedin Consort were highly placed in the list due to what the magazine describes as their ‘triple focus upon artistic revitalisation of over-familiar great works, meticulous musicological enquiry and the audiophile integrity of Linn Records' production values.

Gramophone said that the Dunedin Consort's strength lies in performing Baroque music in an historically informed performance.Prof John Butt, Musical Director of the Dunedin Consort  

Placed ahead of such world-famous institutions as King's College Choir, the Tallis Scholars and the Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Dunedin is now clearly established as a key player on the world stage.

Winners of the 2008 Midem Baroque Award and the 2007 Classic FM Gramophone Award for Best Baroque Vocal Album for their recording of Handel’s Dublin Messiah (Linn CKD 285), Dunedin Consort & Players, under the combined Artistic Direction of John Butt, Susan Hamilton and Philip Hobbs, performs throughout Scotland and Europe.

Under the musical direction of John Butt, the group has consolidated its existing strength in the Baroque repertoire. Dunedin's commitment to excellence in both live performances and recordings, coupled with the latest research in historical performance, is complemented by its strong belief in supporting new music. As part of its contemporary strand, Dunedin has commissioned and performed works by living composers - including William Sweeney, Errollyn Wallen, Peter Nelson and Sally Beamish - to complement and enhance the meaning of the old masterpieces.

Dunedin has performed at music festivals in Scotland, Canada, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Israel and France, and broadcasts frequently on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Scotland.

Dunedin Consort & Players takes its name from Edinburgh's castle (Eidyn's Din) and, like the famous landmark, has great cultural significance in Scotland's capital city.

The full top 20 are named in Gramophone’s January issue available online at  http://www.gramophone.co.uk/

First published: 13 January 2011

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