Category: Concerts

 Performances of Messiah, Vivaldi, and Epiphany carols to feature

In January 2018, the iconic surroundings of Worcester College will play host to a brand new Epiphany Festival, featuring musical events and services which open the College, with its famous Chapel, gardens, and award-winning new Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre to the wider public, and showcase the talents of its students to new audiences.

The Festival will begin on Thursday 18 January with a candle-lit Epiphany Carol Service (6 pm) celebrating the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem. Other highlights will be a performance of Handel’s Messiah (Saturday 20 January, 7 pm) and a service of Vespers featuring music by Antonio Vivaldi (Sunday 5.45 pm), both featuring the Chapel Choir and period instruments. The College’s latest building, the Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre (opened in October by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall) will be the venue for ‘Byrd and Beer’, a special beer tasting evening accompanied by the sounds of early music (Friday, 8 pm).

The Epiphany Festival really has something for everyone — seasoned concertgoer, student, local resident, or someone looking for something a bit different.

The Festival will also celebrate and link to academic research through events running alongside the performances. Friday will see a harpsichord masterclass given by keyboard specialist Terence Charlston, and both Vespers and Messiah will be preceded by introductory talks.

Director of Music Thomas Allery remarks: ‘We are proud to showcase our students and open up our chapel and college community in several very different events in this first festival. We really want to provide something for everyone in this festival – whether in our performance of Handel’s Messiah, in an atmospheric and uplifting choral service, or through our ‘Byrd and beer’ evening where we link with local brewery Tap Social for a beer tasting evening accompanied by sixteenth century music. We want to provide a series of events for all, celebrating community, learning, and inclusivity.’

Assistant Chaplain and lecturer in music Dr Matthew Cheung Salisbury adds: ‘As a college, we are proud to be located in the heart of Jericho. The extensive college grounds link to the middle of Jericho where many members of College staff live. We look forward to welcoming our immediate neighbours, as well as people from other parts of Oxford near and far, into our college community.’

The Provost of Worcester College, Prof Sir Jonathan Bate, said: ‘On behalf of Worcester College, I warmly invite the people of Oxford to join us. There will be a wide range of music, from the Tudor polyphony of Byrd to the Georgian glory of Handel to the mighty organ works of Howells, offering something for everyone!’

The college mixed choir, staff choir, voices, and orchestra are preparing for the ‘Music for a summer’s evening concert’ on Monday June 13th. With performances from all of these groups, this concert is a celebration of another year in music for Worcester College. Music includes madrigals by Morley, Farmer, and Gibbons, arrangements of show songs, and instrumental music by Schubert. Tickets are available on the doors from 6:30 and include a glass of Pimms or a soft drink. 

On Friday May 27th the chapel choir of boy choristers and choral scholars hosted the choir of the Thomas’ school from Kensington for a joint concert in the  college chapel. 

The two choirs performed to a packed audience of parents and supporters as part of a buys weekend for the chapel community which included several choral services and concerts. 

Both choirs showcased some of their repertory before joining together to perform a movement of Faure’s Requiem and anot arrangement of ‘Lord of the Dance’. 

The boy’s choir can be heard at evensong on Sundays and Tuesdays during the University term. 

On Wednesday 25th May, there was a concert for two harpsichords in the College Chapel, performed by Thomas Allery and Nathaniel Mander. Two copies of historical instruments were heard in the college chapel in music for, and arranged for, two harpsichords. The concert opened with a performance of Bach’s third Orchestral Suite in D Major (BWV 1068), and featured music by Buxtehude, Couperin, ending with Bach’s Concerto in C (BWV 1061). 

The two instruments that the audience enjoyed hearing in the chapel were models of original historic harpsichords. One was a copy of a French instrument from 1769 by Pascal Taskin and made by Keith Hill. The other was a copy of an instrument made by Pierre Donzelague in 1711, made by Mackinnon and Waitzman in 1997. Many thanks to Simon Neal for providing and tuning the harpsichords. 

Worcester College Boys’ Choir, Oxford

Bristol, 26^th-27^th June 2015

The boys of Worcester College Choir enjoyed a short visit to Bristol to sing a tea-time concert in one of the city’s largest central churches: Christ Church, Broad Street. Unlike their regular services, this concert comprised of upper-voices repertoire, without the Alto, Tenor and Bass Choral Scholars of Worcester College, thus presenting the boys with the challenges of independent singing. The two days of the trip also allowed for plenty of other activities besides singing.

Friday 26^th June

The boys set off to Bristol following a normal school day, accompanied by a select group of parents, some of whom met us in Bristol and also attended the concert. Arriving in Bristol in the early evening, everybody enjoyed a meal in Bella Italia. We were met and welcomed there by Jonathan Price, Organist and Director of Music at Christ Church, whose excellent knowledge and hospitality was greatly appreciated throughout the weekend.

Saturday 27^th June

The morning was set aside for non-singing related activities. After a short walk around the city centre of Bristol (taking in the Cathedral and the area around Millennium Square), the boys spent the morning exploring the At-Bristol science museum. Following lunch in the museum, in the afternoon we rehearsed in Christ Church itself before the tea-time concert. The programme consisted of music by various English composers, interspersed with solo pieces on the historic 18^th Century organ. The fine acoustic of the building complimented the polished performance given by the boys. Well-attended and with refreshments provided afterwards, the concert was a fitting testament to the ability of the boys, and a reflection of their hard work over the past year.

Many thanks are due to Richard Murray of Christ Church Cathedral School, and the team of parents who helped everything run smoothly, along with the local knowledge and organisation of Jonathan Price. The trip was an excellent way to round off the year for the boys.

— Dan Mathieson, Junior Organ Scholar.

Worcester College Chapel Choir will be performing as part of the Brandenburg Choral Festival of London 2015 Autumn Series.

The concert, entitled ‘Victoria: Requiem‘ will also include Howells: Hymn to St. Cecilia and Stanford: Three Motets.

Monday 9th November 2015, 7pm, The Queen’s Chapel of the Savoy, Savoy Hill, Strand, London, WC2R 0DA.

More information can be found at the Brandenburg.org website, and tickets can be purchased from the box office by calling 07528 776625 or visiting the website.