SUPERIUS
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After graduating from his studies in language and literature, Stratton Bull went on to study at the Conservatory in his hometown of Toronto and later at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. He performed with leading ensembles in Europe and North America, including Tafelmusik Toronto, Hesperion XX, Cappella Pratensis, Cantus Cölln and Capilla Flamenca, and has been singing since 1988 at Cappella Pratensis, shortly after this ensemble was founded.
Since 2004 Stratton is artistic director of Cappella Pratensis. His interest is particularly on the interpretation of 15th and 16th century polyphony from the old notation. He regularly gives workshops and masterclasses on this subject. Through his work at the Alamire Foundation (International Centre for the Study of the music of the Low Countries, University of Leuven), he works closely together with various musicologists on projects related to the music that Cappella Pratensis performs, including the digitisation of late medieval choir books.
In 2020, Tim graduated from the specialised master’s in Early Music Theory course at Het Koninklijk Conservatorium in Den Haag and is currently enjoying a vibrant international performing career as both a countertenor and baritone, working with groups such as Amsterdam Baroque and De Nederlandse Bachvereniging (2022) alongside Cappella Pratensis. Alongside his activities as a vocalist, Tim gives regular classes on the history of singing at Het Utrechts Conservatorium and Het Koninklijk Conservatorium in Den Haag and is frequently invited to lead workshops on a variety of subjects related to the historical interaction between performance and theoretical issues.
In 2020, Tim set up the online initiative Cacophony! which aims to further the discussion of various issues in historical vocal practices, while continuing to challenge traditional narratives concerning the history of Western vocal aesthetics and reframe our aural imaginations of the musical past.
Andrew Hallock (photo Sander Heezen)
Countertenor Andrew Hallock actually started his musical life as a composer. He graduated in 2001 as a bachelor in composition at the University of Texas. Born in Austin, Texas, he initially sang as bass in a number of local choirs before finally finding out that his adult voice was a lot higher. After that he studied singing at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, thanks to the teachers Lenie van den Heuvel, Rita Dams, Michael Chance, Peter Kooij and Jill Feldman. He graduated in 2009 and has been working as a freelance singer ever since.
In 2011 he made his solo debut in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw with Bach’s Matthäus Passion. As a soloist he is regularly engaged to the passions of JS Bach, and the cantatas throughout the year. He performed at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, the Salzburger Festspiele, the Festival d’Ambronay, the Early Music Festival in Utrecht, and the Flanders Festival.
Since 2010, Andrew has been a fixture within Cappella Pratensis, has made countless concert tours in the US, France, Germany, Portugal and, of course, Belgium and the Netherlands. He has performed with il Gardellino (BE), English Voices (UK), The Scroll Ensemble (NL), Bach Choir of the Netherlands (NL), Musiche Varie (DE), Vox Luminis (BE), and is now excited this year. to explore earlier repertoire with Sollazzo Ensemble (CH), and Ensemble Diskantores (NL). In addition to his singing career, Andrew is also involved in the world of cornetti- an old type of wind instrument. He also plays and makes these, attending conferences, exhibitions, lectures, markets and courses … as well as a player and teacher. He studied playing with Marleen Leicher (BE) and making instruments with Paul Beekhuizen (NL). His instruments have appeared on various recordings and are currently being used on stage. As a teacher Andrew gave lectures on wind instruments and temperament for Komenius University in Bratislava 2016 and “vocal play” for the Musica Antiqua Early Brass Course in
Virginia 2017. He coached vocal ensembles for Alamire Foundation 2016, and Stichting Koorprojecten Rotterdam 2018. Every August is Andrew is one of three voice teachers in the Cappella Pratensis summer school – a one-week course in singing from the old notation. He also gives co-lessons to a course making instruments with Sam Goble – “make your own cornetto”.
In his spare time, Andrew spends a lot of time in the kitchen, and also improvises midnight snacks and good meals. He is involved in traditional woodworking techniques, sound and video editing, kombucha brewing, cycling and chess.