When Sir James MacMillan writes a new choral work, the world takes notice because few living composers write with more honesty and passion. With a span of around an hour, Angels Unawares is a major new statement from MacMillan coupled with a brilliant libretto written by Robert Willis, former Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, completed shortly before his untimely death in autumn 2024. Who better to give the work’s UK premiere than The Sixteen and the Britten Sinfonia, both tireless champions of MacMillan’s work? Angels Unawares is commissioned and supported by the Genesis Foundation for Harry Christophers and The Sixteen.