This is our second Festival of the Voice, in the historic surroundings of Cambridge.

This year we mix tradition with innovation: there are not many early music festivals which feature the music of James MacMillan, contemporary film, and a Belgian musician's electro-acoustic interventions! But this festival exemplifies the way many so-called early music specialists are often the most creative when it comes to programming.

Harry Christophers and The Sixteeen have long been champions of the music of James MacMillan, and the juxtaposition of his Miserere with that of Allegri will be fascinating.

John Potter and Christopher Gorman's collaboration with cutting-edge film-maker Michael Lynch on their Conductus project has caused a critical stir.

Encantar - winners of the York Early Music Festival Friends' Prize in 2011 - feature Lieselot De Wilde's soundtrack, and Joel Frederiksen includes a piece by the American composer Lawrence Traiger.

The sheer range of early repertoire presented in the five concerts is exceptional: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Gregorio Allegri, Thomas Campion, John Dowland, Giulio Caccini, Giovanni Puliaschi, Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger, Henry Lawes, Nicolas Lanier, Costanzo Festa, Cristóbal de Morales, Lambert de Sayve, Loyset Compère, Ivo de Vento, Elzear Genet Carpentras, Laurus Patavus and Bernardo Pisano: some familiar names, some unfamiliar perhaps, but great programmes!

Encantar are our Festival artists-in-residence: if you have not heard this young Belgian ensemble before, you are in for a treat.

None of this would be possible without our corporate partnership with Alpha CRC; funding from Arts Council England (which supports the Choral Pilgrimage); the Flemish Representation in the UK; the artists' record labels; and support from many other sources.

FESTIVAL OFFER

Buy tickets for the four concerts on Saturday 13 April and Sunday 14 April and save 15% (see here).

CHORAL SERVICES

This year's Festival of the Voice falls outside term-time, so the world famous choirs of King's, St John's and Trinity Colleges are not in residence. However, you can still hear early liturgical repertoire in the beautiful setting of nearby Ely Cathedral on Sunday 14 April:

10.30am Choral Eucharist and 4.00pm Choral Evensong
(see Ely Cathedral website for details)