About us
Ishirini, Swahili for twenty, is a group of singers from Cambridge originally formed for a tour to Tanzania in 2009.
In our inaugural tour, we established the practice of working with local musicians to develop and share deeper insights into our respective choral traditions. Our strong relationship with national stars Upendo enabled us to develop a truly collaborative programme. We continued this spirit of collaboration in our recent tour to India in April 2011.
We've also sung several favourably-reviewed concerts in Cambridge and Dorset. In July 2010, we hosted and joined Upendo's highly successful tour of the UK. In October 2011 we visited Venice for a concert in San Salvador and a service in St. Mark's.
In each of our performances our musical director, Jeremy Rouse has carefully researched thematic programmes which explore various aspects of place and tradition. We have commissioned new compositions for each of our concerts, with a focus on the fusion of different musical traditions.
Previous projects have included a programme inspired by the connections to Bengali Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and performances of music based on African melodies and harmonies. A recent concert in Netherbury, Dorset included the performance of a medieval manuscript which had lain hidden in the bell-tower of the church for centuries.
