The King's Singers have announced that British tenor Julian Gregory will be joining them as their newest member this September. The news comes after Benedict Hymas was announced for the position before having to withdraw for personal reasons.
'We were blessed with a world-class field of singers for this position and are thrilled that Julian has agreed to become a member of The King’s Singers, his voice having been on our radar for some time,' baritone Christopher Gabbitas has said. 'He sings beautifully, and fits within the ensemble perfectly, both on and off-stage. We’re all looking forward to working and touring with him very much.'
Unable to audition for the position in April, Gregory has commented: 'The opportunity to be in The King’s Singers only comes around once and, although for me this has come mid-studies at the Royal Academy of Music, I’m truly delighted to be embarking on this new adventure at this early stage of my career. The King’s Singers is a group that I’ve revered since I was a child - my close friends can vouch for this! - so to now be in this unique position is unbelievable.'
Currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music, Gregory initially learnt his choral trade just down the river from King's, the college at which the Singers first got together in the 1960s and from where they take their name. A chorister at St John's College, Cambridge, as a boy, he later went on to sing in the choir as a choral scholar in his undergraduate years.
His life with the King's SIngers begins in earnest on 25 September, when he will be singing at a charity event in Mayfield, East Sussex, before touring with them across Europe and the United States, performing in venues that include the Dresden Frauenkirche, Washington National Cathedral and the Budapest Palace of Arts.
Nathan Dearden