Brought together by their shared affection for the lesser-known and rarely-performed repertoire for choir and harp, vocal ensemble Corvus Consort and harpist Louise Thomson formed this collaboration to shine a spotlight on the rich and varied music which exists for this combination, with a particular focus on women’s voices – both singers and composers. They have enjoyed performances together at Church Stretton Festival, Whiddon Autumn Festival, and at King’s Place in London as part of Sounds Sublime Festival curated by The Sixteen. In 2024 they released their album ‘Welcome Joy’, a celebration of women’s voices, on Chandos to critical acclaim.
Founded and directed by Freddie Crowley, Corvus Consort is a UK-based vocal ensemble comprising some of the country’s finest young professional singers. Described as “dazzling” and “always full of fresh thinking” by BBC Music Magazine, Corvus’s combination of musical excellence, passionate performance and unstuffy presentation makes them hugely popular with audiences up and down the country.
Corvus’s innovative programming and artistic versatility see them perform in a wide variety of genres and styles, ranging from Renaissance polyphony and Baroque motets right through to 20th century music and contemporary choral works. The Consort’s flexible combination of voices also allows them to carefully tailor their size and forces for each performance context.
In addition to frequent appearances as an a-cappella ensemble, Corvus places particular emphasis on its instrumental collaborations. Ongoing projects include upper voices and harp with Louise Thomson, voices and saxophones with the Ferio Saxophone Quartet, and contemporary explorations of Renaissance soundworlds with instrumental duo Music on the Edge.
In collaboration with the Ferio Saxophone Quartet, Corvus Consort released its debut CD ‘Revoiced’ in July 2022 on Chandos Records, to great acclaim across press and radio. ‘Revoiced’ explores the magical blend of voices and saxophones and brings new colours to early music with a set of Baroque and Renaissance works uniquely reimagined by Freddie Crowley, described by BBC Radio 3’s Record Review as “intriguing and strikingly effective arrangements”. Four works by living composers nestle amongst these early music gems: a new piece by Owain Park re-interpreting Allegri’s iconic Miserere, together with newly-created versions of existing works by Sarah Rimkus, Roderick Williams and James MacMillan.
Corvus’s second disc for Chandos, ‘Welcome Joy’, was released in 2024, and sees the Consort’s upper voices team up with harpist Louise Thomson to present glorious music for upper voices and harp in celebration of visionary women’s voices, both vocal and compositional. The disc immediately caught the attention of critics and broadcasters, being selected as BBC Radio 3 Essential Classics ‘Album of the week’ and by BBC Music Magazine as both ‘Recording of the Month’ and as one of the 13 best classical albums of 2024 in its year-end review.
Alongside their dynamic performances of core vocal repertoire, Corvus has quickly developed a strong track record of championing new music and commissioning some of the most exciting composers in the UK and beyond. For Christmas 2020, twelve young composers were commissioned to write twelve miniature carols for twelve voices based on the well-known song The Twelve Days of Christmas, as part of a festive project entitled “Twelve Composers Composing”. Corvus’s most recent new music project “Byrd Takes Flight” commemorated William Byrd’s 400th anniversary in 2023 with four contemporary works for voices and instruments, placing Byrd’s compositional voice into direct dialogue with some of today’s brightest artistic voices. Part of Corvus’s ongoing collaboration with Music on the Edge and featuring commissions by Anna Semple, Derri Joseph Lewis, Shruthi Rajasekar and Harry Baker, the project saw its premiere at the 2023 Whiddon Autumn Festival and was performed in a series of concerts in the summer of 2024.
Particular highlights of recent seasons have included Corvus’s debut at the Three Choirs Festival, Rachmaninov’s All Night Vigil at Exeter Cathedral, and a Bach programme alongside violinist Rachel Podger. Since its inception in 2020, Corvus has also enjoyed performances including London’s King’s Place, Chiltern Arts Festival, Church Stretton Festival, Dorchester Arts, Little Missenden Festival, Kings Lynn Festival and Music on the Quantocks, as well as an ongoing position as Ensemble-in-Residence at Devon’s Whiddon Autumn Festival since the inaugural festival in 2021.
Louise Thomson is a versatile and accomplished harpist, with an innovative and virtuosic approach that enables her to explore the instrument’s capabilities to the full.
Her exceptional talent has taken her to some of the UK’s most prestigious concert venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Cardiff’s St David’s Hall, and the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. She has performed with many of the country’s leading ensembles, including the Hallé, Manchester Camerata, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra and Manchester Concert Orchestra. Louise has appeared live on BBC Radio 3 and made her television debut on BBC 1’s ‘Heaven and Earth’ show, performing alongside soprano Katherine Jenkins.
Recent highlights of Louise’s career include performances at the Buxton, Ryedale and Ripon Festivals, as well as a residency at the 2023 Whiddon Autumn Festival. She performs on a Salvi Diva, a one-of-a-kind, personalised pedal harp renowned for its powerful depth of sound and cutting-edge design. Louise’s current virtuosic recital programme reflects the contemporary and forward-thinking nature of her Salvi Diva, an instrument that gives voice to both her technical brilliance and artistic expression.
Beyond her performing career, Louise is a dedicated and passionate teacher, nurturing a vibrant harp community in the North of England. She teaches at Chetham’s School of Music, Withington Girls’ School and The Manchester Grammar School. She also serves as a visiting tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music and as the harp tutor at Huddersfield University. In 2024, Louise curated and served as the musical director of the inaugural Manchester Harp Festival, an event which solidified Manchester’s place on the global harp scene and showcased Louise’s leadership and vision within the harp community.
Louise gained significant recognition early in her career by winning the Harp Finals at the Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales in 2003 and reaching the finals of the London International Harp Competition in 2005. In 2007 she was shortlisted to audition for the then Prince of Wales for the prestigious position of Royal Harpist and had the honour of performing for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at The Royal Variety Performance. In 2022, Louise was selected to perform at the World Harp Congress in collaboration with presenter Polly Ives. Together, they frequently present in schools and theatres as part of ‘Concerteenies’, an award-winning producer of musical events for young children and their families.
Louise’s musical journey began at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, where she studied under Eira Lynn Jones. During her time there she won the Ida Carroll String Prize for outstanding musical achievement and earned an entrance scholarship to the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). She was awarded a First Class BMus (Hons) degree, a postgraduate diploma (PGDip) with Distinction in Performance in 2006, and a master’s degree (MMus) in 2007, again with Distinction in Performance, in addition to winning the prestigious Concerto Competition. After completing her formal education, Louise was immediately invited to join the “Live Music Now Scheme”, founded by Yehudi Menuhin, where she toured extensively giving solo recitals and educational workshops to diverse audiences across the UK.
