Patrick Allies

"Das britische Gesangsensemble Siglo de Oro und sein Dirigent Patrick Allies präsentieren auf ihrer CD "The Mysterious Motet Book“ knapp die Hälfte davon in Weltersteinspielungen. Das Ergebnis ist nicht weniger als eine musikhistorische Sensation." Südwest-Presse (Review of The Mysterious Motet Book of 1539, December 2022)

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"This is an outstanding release. It seamlessly combines top-class musicianship with the results of dedicated scholarship... the superb singing of Siglo de Oro under the expert direction of Patrick Allies brings this music leaping off the page and vividly to life."

Music Web International (Review of The Mysterious Motet Book of 1539, August 2022)

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'Patrick Allies’ well-drilled choir Siglo de Oro impress... Allies’ sleeve notes are fascinating'

The Arts Desk (Review of Christmas in Puebla, December 2020)

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'Music director Patrick Allies has chosen a wonderful selection... this is high-definition Christmas, prayer meets party... British vocal ensemble Siglo de Oro dispatch it all with style'

Gramophone (Review of Christmas in Puebla, December 2020)

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'The twelve young singers of Siglo de Oro make a sound that’s transparent and well-balanced rather than rich, and the director Patrick Allies makes sure even the slow numbers have an underlying sense of rhythmic animation. In the Credo movement of the Mass he even brings in that Mexican percussion to help the build the crescendo towards the climactic final chord.'

The Telegraph (Review of Christmas in Puebla, December 2020)

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'A vivid album by the British group Siglo de Oro led by Patrick Allies... shimmering polyphony, luminously sung'

The Times (Review of Christmas in Puebla, November 2020)

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'With their latest recording, Patrick Allies and his vocal ensemble Siglo de Oro lift the veil that has shrouded the Flemish composer Matthias Werrecore... Werrecore has been overshadowed by his predecessor in Milan, Josquin des Prez – but unjustly so, judging by the quality of the music on this disc... Director Patrick Allies shapes the architecture of the large-scale musical edifices with admirable control.'

BBC Music Magazine (Review of Music for Milan Cathedral, March 2020)

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'The sacred music of Hermann Matthias Werrecore, a name previously unfamiliar to this reviewer, is featured on over half of the tracks of this fine recording and it is a revelation... The performances by Siglo de Oro under Patrick Allies are radiant: ideally balanced and paced to perfection, they shed Mediterranean light upon this already outstanding repertory.' 

Early Music Review (Review of Music for Milan Cathedral, February 2020)

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This excellent recording by Siglo de Oro is a well-deserved attempt to revive interest in this fascinating composer whose music, by the standards on this recording, is well worth exploring... Patrick Allies directs with a fine sensitivity to musical line and texture.'

Andrew Benson-Wilson (Review of Music for Milan Cathedral, January 2020)

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'I last encountered Siglo de Oro and Patrick Allies on a recording of Hieronymus Prætorius’ music for Easter on another ground-breaking Delphian recording. Both there and on their earlier Advent-tide recording, dubbed by John Quinn ‘a marvellous disc’, they make a very good case for the music. The new recording continues the good news.... may we have more, please?'

Music Web International (Review of Music for Milan Cathedral, December 2019)

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'In the end, of course, sessions like this, especially where entirely a cappella, are chiefly dependent on the quality of the conductor. Patrick Allies richly deserves the regard in which he is held. He is superbly skilled, but also patient, endlessly good-natured, and strikes an excellent balance between teaching and letting the punters have a go at the music that drew them in.'

Tamesis Magazine (Review of Thames Valley Early Music Forum Workshop, July 2018)

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'...conductor Patrick Allies has unearthed a large-scale mass setting by a not-unknown composer of the early German Baroque... this outstanding performance shows that Siglo de Oro continues to go from strength to strength.'

Classical Music Magazine (Review of Missa Tulerunt Dominum meum CD, July 2018)

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'Here is a choir in which all the elements are held in perfect equilibrium. Patrick Allies ponders every note before moulding lines whose suppleness in turn coalesce into a breathing, organic whole. He ferments vigour, urgency and narrative sweep... a beautifully recorded, aristocratically executed disc. Siglo de Oro has struck gold!'

BBC Music Magazine (Review of Missa Tulerunt Dominum meum CD, May 2018)

Choral and Song Album of the Month

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'Siglo de Oro and their director, Patrick Allies, are to be warmly congratulated on presenting this music so persuasively. One takes it for granted that ensemble, balance and tuning will be impeccable, and they are - a great disc.'

Cathedral Music ((Review of Missa Tulerunt Dominum meum CD, May 2018)

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‘I love the sense of drama Siglo de Oro, directed by Patrick Allies, bring to this performance, not afraid of the inherent theatricality of the text... far too fine a work to leave languishing in a dusty library.’

BBC Radio 3 Record Review (Review of Missa Tulerunt Dominum meum CD, March 2018)

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'These are accomplished performances, confident, sonorous and full of character... Patrick Allies' firm grasp of pacing and architecture serves both choir and music well.'

Gramophone (Review of Missa Tulerunt Dominum meum CD, March 2018)

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'It became immediately apparent that the choir was on top form, capturing perfectly the different
moods of the choruses and singing with exemplary clarity and diction, a credit both to the singers
themselves and to the telling influence of their Musical Director, Patrick Allies.'

The Wokingham Paper (Handel Messiah, March 2018)

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'Wokingham Choral Society gave an outstandingly polished performance of Bach's Christmas Oratorio... The Society's
Musical Director, Patrick Allies, choose four of the parts, telling a coherent story of Christ's birth... The choir was well balanced and incisive and captured perfectly the contrasting moods... The evening was truly exceptional.'

The Wokingham Word (Bach Christmas Oratorio, December 2017)

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'Director Patrick Allies then explained the afternoon’s programme, and throughout the concert would step forward to elaborate on each section. Speaking articulately, he proved an excellent guiding hand... As a performance the afternoon was a triumph.'

Seen and Heard International (Lunchtime Concert at St John's Smith Square, November 2017)

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'Corkin's playing is a superb match for the group and the sense of line, shape and musical delivery is clearly completely shared with director Patrick Allies. This could be a very exciting musical partnership, especially considering this is the first commercial release for Siglo de Oro. More, please.'

Cathedral Music (Review of Drop Down Ye Heavens CD, November 2017)

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'I liked Patrick Allies’s restrained conducting, leaving the attention on the music and the singers, rather than the conductor. He also dealt well with the changes of pulse and momentum in the Bach and Scarlatti, and the intense Purcell moments.'

Andrew Benson-Wilson (Holy Week Festival at St John's Smith Square, April 2017)

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'I have been impressed with Siglo de Oro on previous hearings, and remain so. They produce an excellent consort sound, with no individual singers dominating.... Director Patrick Allies has an engaging conducting style that focuses on the music, rather than self-promotion.'

Andrew Benson-Wilson (Spitalfields Music Winter Festival, December 2016)

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'Director Patrick Allies set a broad pulse for the insertions of early polyphony and coaxed an unaffected legato from his singers, who enjoyed the suspensions of Pierre Certon and Antoine de Mornable without leaning on them and overbalancing the structure.'

The Arts Desk (Spitalfields Music Winter Festival, December 2016)

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'This is a most welcome release... The programming, singing and playing are all excellent, and you have to hand it to the ambition of a young choir who begin their recorded career with a big idea and lots of new works. Hats off to director Patrick Allies who, I suspect, was the motivating brain behind the project. This disc deserves to do well.

Music Web International (Review of Drop Down Ye Heavens CD, December 2016)

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‘This is Siglo de Oro’s first commercial recording, and it is a smash hit on all counts. The singing is beautifully shaped in both the renaissance and the contemporary repertoire… Patrick Allies’ direction is precisely detailed and cohesive and yet the choir is always given free reign to express itself with joy and freedom.’

Music and Vision (Review of Drop Down Ye Heavens CD, November 2016)

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'A heavenly chorus of voices rang out around the University of Reading's Great Hall last weekend as Wokingham Choral Society performed the highlight of their 2015 programme. Tackling Mendelssohn's epic Elijah as the first performance of the society's new musical director Patrick Allies was no mean feat but it all came together beautifully.'

The Wokingham Paper (Mendelssohn - Elijah, November 2015)

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'Under the assured direction of Patrick Allies, Siglo de Oro performed with vivacity and poise - and, perhaps most striking of all, they left their audience with an overarching sense of the shape of sound, highlighting this extra dimension in an already lively concert.'

The Financial Times (Spitalfields Music Winter Festival, December 2014)

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'Best of all – and this is a virtue that never grows old – Siglo de Oro sang with a precision and glow that radiated through every crevice of Shoreditch’s noble if slightly peeling St Leonard’s Church. Their eyes rarely strayed from watching their conductor, and the fruit of this was constantly clear in their laser-like entries and trim attack.'

The Arts Desk  (Spitalfields Music Winter Festival, December 2014)

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