As choral ensemble The Sixteen heads for Oxford for the first of a series of concerts NICOLA LISLE talks to the group's founder and conductor Harry Christophers

This week Mexico, next week Oxford. These days, The Sixteen rarely seems to stand still, so its new status as Music at Oxford's Artists in Residence, which involves a series of three concerts at the Sheldonian over the next seven months, is something of a triumph for all concerned. It was also a relief for me to track down Harry Christophers, The Sixteen's inspirational leader, at home in a rare moment of respite.

Although Harry now lives in Kent, The Sixteen's offices are in Oxford, and he clearly regards the city as very much the spiritual home of the ensemble that he founded here nearly 30 years ago.

"We've always had an association with Oxford, so it's lovely to be coming back," he told me. "We do feel it's our second home, and I'm really looking forward to being back in the Sheldonian."

The Sixteen's first concert of the series offers audiences a rare opportunity to hear a programme that has so far only been performed at the South Bank in London and on tour in Mexico. Entitled Streams of Tears, it is an exploration of music by 16th and 17th-century composers from Spain and the Iberian peninsular, among them Domenico Scarlatti, but also including a number of little-known names.

"We like to champion composers nobody's heard of," Harry explained. "There's some fascinating music here, some of it quite quirky, and very powerful. Oxford audiences have always been keen to listen to things they may not know well, and we like to bring to people's attention composes that are not household names."

Tradition and innovation are represented in the Streams of Tears programme. In the traditional camp are Portuguese composers Almeida and Melgás, whose work depended largely on the old polyphonic style. Contrasting with this is the music of Padilla, whose move to Mexico provided him with the inspiration for a new and exciting musical style.

Straddling both old and new is Scarlatti, who drew upon the traditional polyphonic style while acknowledging the influence of the New World, and this is evident in his passionate Stabat Mater, which ends the programme.

Running through this are the dual threads of celebration and penitence. The discovery of the New World brought both optimism and bloodshed, as Mexico and Brazil were subjected to violent conquests. This was reflected in the sacred music written at the time, with the idea that the tears shed among the violence echoed the tears shed by Christ on the cross.

"A lot of it's quite graphic and quite emotional," said Harry. "Particularly the Scarlatti at the end, which is incredibly emotional."

Streams of Tears is followed in June by something much closer to home - a celebration of the music of Tudor England. The programme features three composers born before or during the reign of Henry VIII, all of whom lived to see the crowning of Elizabeth I in 1558, and therefore spanned the reigns of no fewer than four Tudor monarchs.

Thy Muse Lives On: Treasures of Tudor England is part of The Sixteen's 2008 Choral Pilgrimage tour, a concept that was established in 2000 and has now become an annual fixture.

"We decided to branch out and tour the UK, including Scotland and Wales, and go to the great cathedrals, taking music back to the buildings they were written for," said Harry. "Oxford is a very important part of that."

Once again, The Sixteen is introducing audiences to little-known composers - Christopher Tye, Robert Parsons and Robert White.

"Even people who know Tudor music may not know these composers," said Harry, "but it's all great music."

Thy Muse Lives On is at the University Church on April 25, and includes a pre-performance talk.

Finally, The Sixteen bring their residency and the Music at Oxford season to a joyful close on June 21 with a selection of Handel's Coronation Anthems, including the ever-popular Zadok the Priest and The King Shall Rejoice, interspersed with other favourites such as Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.

It's a programme that Harry is clearly looking forward to with particular relish.

"It's a big night celebration of Handel, which is just perfect for the Sheldonian. Sadly, we're not able to continue with our Handel in Oxford Festival, at the moment, although we do hope to revitalise it at some point. But, in the meantime, this is a way of making sure we still do some Handel in Oxford."

The Sixteen's Streams of Tears will be at the Sheldonian Theatre on Friday, November 16. For tickets call the box office on 0870 750 00659. For further details about this and other Music at Oxford concerts, visit www.thesixteen.com or www.musicatoxford.com websites. A new CD of music by Padilla, one of the composers featured in the Streams of Tears programme, is being recorded for release next year.