Invocations Apollo5

• 1 Joel: And So It Goes (arr. Fraser Wilson & Apollo5) 02:56
• 2 John: Your Song (arr. Matt Greenwood) 04:17
• 3 Withers: Ain't No Sunshine (arr. Fraser Wilson) 06:02
• 4 Gjeilo: Ubi Caritas 03:44
• 5 Kent: I Know I Dream (arr. Fraser Wilson) 05:31
• 6 Hart, Rodgers: With a Song In My Heart (arr. Matt Greenwood) 04:07
• 7 Wilson: Invocation 06:10
• 8 Purcell: The Plaint (arr. Fraser Wilson) 08:35
• 9 Byrd: Mass for Five Voices: Agnus Dei 03:14
• 10 Telles: Chan Chan (arr. Fraser Wilson & Apollo5) 04:15
• 11 Burns: Ae Fond Kiss (arr. Fraser Wilson & Apollo5) 04:05
• 12 Gershwin, Gershwin: Summertime (arr. Matt Greenwood) 04:25
• 13 Wilson: The Last Rose of Summer (arr. Fraser Wilson) 05:05
• 14 Thiele: What a Wonderful World (arr. Fraser Wilson) 04:01
• Total Runtime 01:06:27

Info for Invocations

Celebrating the release of the album of the same name, Invocations is the culmination of Apollo5’s work with its Associate Composer and pianist, Fraser Wilson. Born out of the group’s desire to share fragments of their life stories with audiences, the performance encourages listeners to discover their own ‘life music’.

In an evocative weaving of singing and sharing, the performers present the stories of their lives. If any person were asked for their favourite music it would become evident that behind each piece is a story, a glimpse into part of their lives, a fragment of personality and a thread of tale. A hope, a dream, a regret, a memory, an emotion, a wish. Assembling the six musicians most cherished songs and texts and blending them with newly composed and arranged material, creates a powerfully evocative programme which is both nostalgic and new.

Much of Fraser’s recent career has been spent putting traditional folksongs into new contemporary clothing - Apollo5 mirrors this, blending centuries’ worth of contrasting music into imaginative concert and recording programmes. At a fundamental level the group believes that music brings people together, showing their common ground. Through ‘invoking’ their own personal stories in music, the six musicians invite others to consider the same.

Apollo5
Fraser Wilson, piano

APOLLO5
is one of Britain’s most dynamic small vocal ensembles, renowned for its ability to connect intimately with audiences while producing a rich, vibrant and versatile sound. Formed in London in 2011 and part of The VOCES8 Foundation, the critically acclaimed a cappella quintet brings together a soprano, mezzo‑soprano, two tenors and a bass, and draws on more than five centuries of music in programmes that move effortlessly between Renaissance and classical repertoire, folk traditions, jazz and pop.

Touring regularly across Europe and North America, APOLLO5 has appeared at leading venues including Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Sinfonia Smith Square, the Barbican Centre, Oper Frankfurt, and Philharmonie Luxembourg. Recent highlights include performances at the Three Choirs Festival, Rheingau Musik Festival and York Early Music Festival, alongside North American tours taking in Memphis, Albuquerque (for SWACDA) and Honolulu. The ensemble’s distinctive sound and programming have made them frequent guests on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune, and the group also receive airplay on Classic FM, Magic Classical and NTS Radio. APOLLO5 occasionally appears alongside VOCES8 in concerts and media performances, with both groups forming the core of The VOCES8 Foundation Choir.

The group’s growing discography reflects both its stylistic range and its commitment to storytelling through sound. APOLLO5 has released eight solo studio albums. Their most recent release, Crossings (2026), is a musical meditation on the ancient Via Francigena pilgrimage route. Other albums include Anam (2025), a Gaelic-inspired collection, and Haven (2023), which explores music by troubled, displaced and persecuted composers and features William Byrd’s complete Mass for Five Voices. Where All Roses Go (2021) and O Radiant Dawn (2019) both reached the top five of the UK Classical Charts, while the winter album A Deep But Dazzling Darkness (2021) was picked as one of The Observer’s best classical Christmas albums of the year. Invocations (2023), a collaboration with composer‑arranger Fraser Wilson, showcases the ensemble’s flair for contemporary writing and bespoke arrangements. Draw Near, released in 2026 and a collaboration with American composer Alexander Pierce Hill, presents a new five‑part setting of the Greek Orthodox liturgy.

During the COVID‑19 pandemic APOLLO5 played a central role in LIVE From London, The VOCES8 Foundation’s award‑winning digital festival series, helping to launch a platform that has since delivered more than ten online seasons and broadcast over 100 concerts, selling over 250,000 tickets in more than 183 territories and raising over £1.5 million to support over 500 arts professionals on and off screen. The ensemble continues to feature prominently in LIVE From London broadcasts and recordings, reaching global audiences through beautifully filmed performances.

Education and outreach sit at the heart of APOLLO5’s work. As part of The VOCES8 Foundation, the ensemble collaborates with CEO Paul Smith and affiliated groups to deliver transformative workshops, masterclasses and concerts to over 40,000 participants each year across the UK, Europe and the USA. In France, APOLLO5 has worked with thousands of singers through Association Sing’In projects, performing in unique spaces from football stadiums and circuses to royal abbeys. Much of their UK education activity is based at the VOCES8 Centre at St Anne & St Agnes Church in central London, where they lead children’s concerts, residencies and long‑term projects that champion ‘music education for all’.

“Immaculately sung one-to-a-part. Everything here is faultless, from the perfectly balanced pace and imaginative choice of repertoire to Apollo5’s exceptional cohesion and effortless style.” — BBC Music Magazine

This album contains no booklet.