TONUS PEREGRINUS COMMEMORATES 35 YEARS WITH A VIBRANT NEW ‘CORAL’ REMIX OF ANTONY PITTS’S MASTERPIECE, JERUSALEM-YERUSHALAYIM

A STORY OF HOPE, REMIXED FOR OUR TIMES

Album: Jerusalem-Yerushalayim (TP 35th Anniversary Coral Remix)
Artist: TONUS PEREGRINUS
Label: 1equalmusic
Release Date: October 2025
Contact: 1equalmusic |
Listen & explore the album booklet:
https://www.tonusperegrinus.co.uk/jerusalem-yerushalayim

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TONUS PEREGRINUS COMMEMORATES 35 YEARS WITH A VIBRANT NEW ‘CORAL’ REMIX OF ANTONY PITTS’S MASTERPIECE, JERUSALEM-YERUSHALAYIM

London, UK – Building on the momentum of two new albums and a remaster of their debut recording, the renowned vocal ensemble TONUS PEREGRINUS marks its 35th anniversary with a vibrant new remix of Antony Pitts’s evocative oratorio Jerusalem-Yerushalayim. This sweeping musical odyssey delves into the Biblical history and profound symbolism of Jerusalem, blending ancient narratives with timeless themes of peace and unity.

• One Equal Music (2025) – https://www.tonusperegrinus.co.uk/one-equal-music
• The Patmos Book of Carols (2024) – https://www.patmoscarols.com/
• Music for a Large Audience (1990/2025) – https://www.tonusperegrinus.co.uk/music-for-a-large-audience
• Jerusalem-Yerushalayim (2011/2025) – https://www.jerusalemoratorio.com/
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REVIEWS

Gramophone – “As director of TONUS PEREGRINUS, Antony Pitts’s spiritually imbued sacred settings have evolved hand in hand with his vocal ensemble over the years, as heard on recordings such as Alpha and Omega (Hyperion) and the modern oratorio Jerusalem-Yerushalayim…”

Limelight – “Textually, the work uses the Jewish (and by extension, Christian) scriptures to evoke the city regarded as holy by Jews, Christians, and Muslims, beginning with the genealogy of Abraham and concluding with Isaiah’s vision of a peaceful Jerusalem. Musically, the score is thoroughly postmodern. Pitts peppers his kaleidoscopic pop-style writing with numerous references to Western art music ranging from Dunstaple, White, and Tallis through to Handel and Parry… The challenging but rewarding score could provide a unifying focus for performers of different origins in the midst of very real conflict in the Middle East.”

MusicWeb International – “The enthralling opening work [Hyperion CDA67668] is the coda from Pitts’s Jerusalem-Yerushalayim… The received etymology of the name Jerusalem links it with the Semitic root s-l-m, peace, and that’s the spirit that breathes through this work…”

BBC Music Magazine – “Embracing both large public works (the a cappella coda for an oratorio, Jerusalem-Yerushalayim commissioned for a concert hall in Israel) and intimate occasions… all the pieces here confirm the composer’s command of the entire history of choral music…”

Fanfare – “The Peace of Jerusalem is actually the choral coda of a new oratorio called Jerusalem-Yerushalayim… Pitts shapes the piece as a single trajectory from gentle pianissimos through to radiant climax. The singers of TONUS PEREGRINUS are exquisitely blended…”
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A CONTEMPORARY ORATORIO IN THE GREAT TRADITION

Drawing from the shared heritage of Judaism, Christianity, and the universal human experience – and echoing masters like Handel and Walton – Pitts’s oratorio charts Jerusalem’s arc from the patriarchs in Genesis through pivotal historical and prophetic moments, culminating in Isaiah’s prophecy of enduring harmony: “…the wolf shall dwell with the lamb… they shall not hurt nor destroy…”

The libretto, sourced from the Tanakh (the Old Testament), weaves ancient Hebrew names like Avraham and Yerushalayim into the modern English text, bridging eras and faiths. Structured in twelve “windows”, the oratorio is a masterly blend of classical sacred traditions with distinctive modern harmony, crafting a work that transcends religious boundaries and speaks to contemporary audiences.
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THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM – A MUSICAL JOURNEY

The grandeur of Handel’s Messiah meets the anthemic energy of 1980s pop – Jerusalem-Yerushalayim features SATB soloists and flexible accompaniment, and is designed for both professional and community choirs. Dramatic highs, introspective meditations, and a soaring finale vividly tell the tale of one enduring city.

Rooted in the Western choral legacy – with echoes of Tallis, Purcell, Handel, and Parry – the score incorporates fresh jazz-infused harmonies and subtle world-music influences for a rich, layered sound. Premièred in 2008 and recorded in 2011 by TONUS PEREGRINUS with a superb cast of soloists including Robin Blaze, alongside Londinium and the Tiffin Boys’ Choir, the new 2025 ‘Coral’ Remix enhances balance, clarity, and emotional resonance in this landmark recording, delivering an immersive and heartfelt listening experience.
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ABOUT THE COMPOSER: ANTONY PITTS

Antony Pitts (b. 1969) is a multi-award-winning composer, conductor, producer, and visionary musical leader known for fusing early and contemporary traditions through bold programming and historically informed practice. A former Chapel Royal Chorister at Hampton Court and Honorary Senior Scholar at New College, Oxford, he founded TONUS PEREGRINUS, which won the 2004 Cannes Classical Award for Arvo Pärt’s Passio. His pioneering career includes the 1995 Radio Academy BT Award for a groundbreaking webcast and the Prix Italia in 2004, as a BBC Senior Producer; a Senior Lecturer at the Royal Academy of Music; and a seven-year tenure as Artistic Director of Australia’s national vocal ensemble, The Song Company, before establishing TONUS AUSTRALIS. From a family of composers, Pitts’s works – released on Hyperion, Naxos, Harmonia Mundi, and 1equalmusic – have premièred at venues including the Berlin Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal, Wigmore Hall, Sydney Opera House, Westminster Cathedral, and the Concertgebouw; and include the breathtaking Missa Unitatis, the 40-part motet XL published by Faber Music, The Naxos & Patmos Books of Carols, and the longest-ever Requiem – his Requiem for the Time of the End, completed in 2025 and featured on TONUS PEREGRINUS’s One Equal Music album. Appointed inaugural William Byrd Fellow at Excelsia University College in Sydney in 2023, he is developing compositional techniques of murmuration and real-time creation, researching performance from original notation, and extending figured bass into a holistic system called ‘figured tone’.
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A UNIVERSAL STORY

“My hope is that this compound of music and words, of times and places, touches the hearts of many listeners – may it be an oratorio for our times,” says composer Antony Pitts.

Jerusalem-Yerushalayim (TP XXXV Coral Remix) is available to stream now on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and YouTube Music.
Follow @tonusperegrinus | #JerusalemYerushalayim | www.tonusperegrinus.co.uk

An extended edition, featuring Biblical narration by David Suchet, is available on Bandcamp and via:
https://www.tonusperegrinus.co.uk/jerusalem-yerushalayim

Jerusalem-Yerushalayim (TP XXXV Coral Remix) – a soundscape of hope for a divided world.