On the last Tuesday of October, Bob Jones University hosted The Queen’s Six, a British a cappella singing group based in Windsor Castle, for the university’s Concert, Opera and Drama Series in Founders Memorial Amphitorium. Their comprehensive performance encompassed musical and vocal styles ranging across 600 years of history. These six individuals’ voices filled FMA as easily as they fill large cathedrals.
The Queen’s Six, contrary to popular misconception, are not named after the late Queen Elizabeth II. The group was founded on the 450th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth I’s ascension to the throne. Six of the best chorale singers from across the United Kingdom and its former territories were chosen to live in Windsor Castle and perform for the royal family at official functions. They have sung at royal weddings, funerals and other formal gatherings. Part of the duties of The Queen’s Six is to sing about eight times a week at St. George’s Chapel to both congregation members and tourists.
Their repertoire consists of choir arrangements from the renaissance, beautiful Italian madrigals, traditional English folk pieces. It also includes more modern songs such as “The Mermaid” which they sang at the end of the second half of their performance. Many of the songs that were sung in the first half were sung in Latin, an excellent demonstration of how choirs sang in churches for centuries.
Even with all their responsibilities to the royal family and Windsor Castle, The Queen’s Six travels extensively, performing around the world. They have performed in Asia, Australia, North America, and much of Europe. Their beautiful performances and friendly personalities make them well received across the globe.
The Queen’s Six’s performance for the BJU community revolved around the theme of mapping the stars. They sang medieval arrangements like “Hence stars, too dim of light” and modern arrangements like “When you wish upon a star” to demonstrate that mankind has an innate desire to observe and learn from the stars. They sang songs like “Eternal Father, strong to save” and “Sun, moon, sea and stars” to express that when we look at creation, we are really looking to the Creator.
After their performance in FMA, The Queen’s Six continued on their tour of the United States. They enjoy nearly back-to-back bookings, as they spread their fame and message to a wide range of audiences.
