Kerensa Briggs

The unmistakable sound of the English cathedral choir and the apparently timeless rituals that nourish it have been part of life for Kerensa Briggs since early childhood. Her distinctive compositional voice, eloquently expressed in the ambitious Requiem (2023) and echoed in such shorter works as The Windsor Service (2019) and the ravishing Inner Light (2020), is open to influences that include the worlds of Anglican evensong, Gregorian chant, French Romantic choral music and Stravinsky-style neo-classicism. Briggs’ music often projects powerful emotions, intensified by rich harmonies and shimmering choral textures. Born in 1991, Briggs cut her musical teeth as a member of the youth choir of Gloucester Cathedral, where her father David Briggs was organist and master of the choristers. She deepened her knowledge of the sacred choral repertoire and of standards of excellence in its performance during her time as a student at Trinity College, Cambridge and as a member of its choir. She pursued postgraduate studies in composition at King’s College London and sang with its chapel choir, which has since emerged a leading champion of her work.