Category: News

  • Summer Tours for Choirs

    Both the Boys’ and Mixed Choirs enjoyed successful tours this summer.

    In July, both choirs took a week’s residency at Southwell Minster.  The Boys’ Choir sang Evensong for three days, before the Mixed Choir took over to finish off the week.  This was an excellent opportunity to sing favourite repertoire in a cathedral setting, and all choir members enjoyed singing in Southwell’s wonderful acoustics.  At the conclusion of the week we bade farewell to three Choristers, two Choral Scholars and our Senior Organ Scholar, Edward Turner.

    In addition to singing the daily service, the boys enjoyed a visit to the local National Trust workhouse, a tour up the Cathedral’s tower and lots of fun playing on the local recreation grounds.  The choral scholars enjoyed a session singing a selection of repertoire in the glorious setting of the Cathedral’s chapter house, alongside taking walks through the local area.

    The Mixed Choir have just returned from a highly successful tour to Germany, where they performed several concerts and services.  The tour began with the choir opening Paderborn’s Festival Musica Sacra on the steps of the town’s Theology Faculty, before performing three short programmes to a full cathedral during the course of the evening.  The choir sang mass at Schloss Neuhaus, and offered Choral Evensong in Paderborn’s Abdinghofkirche for locals and the British Army community.  The tour ended with a concert at Kloster Lüne, where the choir performed a programme of English Sacred Music, from renaissance polyphony to the contemporary compositions of James MacMillan and Gabriel Jackson, to a highly appreciative and large audience.

    We all enjoyed getting to know both Paderborn and Hamburg, and the tour was tremendously enjoyed by all.  Huge thanks to Miriam Thiede, choral scholar, who put so much work into organising the tour.

  • Choirs Tour to Southwell Minster

    Southwell_minster1Later this month, the Boys’ and Mixed Choirs will be visiting Southwell Minster to sing Evensong between Monday 29th July and Friday 2nd August.  The Boys’ Choir will be singing on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with the Mixed Choir singing on Thursday and Friday.

    All are welcome to attend Evensong, which begins at 5.45pm daily.

  • Evensong and Concert at Broughton Parish Church

    Broughton Poster FINAL[3]The Mixed Choir will be visiting Broughton Parish Church (near Banbury) on Thursday 13th June to sing Choral Evensong and perform a concert.

    The concert and service will feature music by Bairstow, Harris, Tallis, Vaughan Williams, Wood and more.

    Choral Evensong takes place at 5.30pm, with the concert beginning at 7.30pm.  All are welcome, with free admission (retiring collection.)

  • Farewell Concert

    Farewell Poster

    On Saturday 8th June, both Choirs will combine forces to perform a concert to celebrate the end of a very successful academic year in the Chapel. Music includes works by Vaughan Williams, Bairstow, Stanford, Elgar and Parry as well as some other favourites from this year’s music list.

     

    Concert begins at 5.30 pm and is free. All are welcome to attend.

    View Facebook event.

  • Trinity Term 2013

    The upcoming term consists of many exciting events, alongside the regular services that will take place in the Chapel.  We begin the term with an Evensong for prospective Choral and Organ Scholars as part of the University-wide Open Day on Saturday 20th April.  The following day, the Mixed Choir will sing the first service of the term, with a sermon from the Chaplain.

    On 1st May, the Mixed Choir will combine with the choirs of Merton and The Queen’s Colleges in a service at the University Church of St Mary-the-Virgin.  The choirs will perform music by Benjamin Britten, with Stephen Shipley, Senior Producer at BBC Radio 4 in Religion and Ethics, delivering a sermon on the theme of ‘Britten’s God’.

    On 15th May, the college confirmation service will take place, as we welcome the Bishop of Oxford to confirm members of college.  The following day, we welcome the choir of St Peter’s College to join with us for Evensong.

    To conclude the term, the Combined Choirs will perform a concert at 5.30pm on Saturday 8th June, with refreshments served afterwards.  On Thursday 13th June, the Mixed Choir will visit Broughton Church to sing Evensong (5.30pm) and perform a concert (7.30pm).  All welcome.

    In addition to these special events, the choirs sing services each Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday and some Mondays.

    Regular service schedule

    Music list

    Further details of Special Events

    Preachers at College Evensong this term

  • Choral and Organ Scholar Open Day: 20th April

    If you are interested in becoming a Choral or Organ Scholar at Worcester College, you are invited to attend the University-wide Open Day which takes place on Saturday 20th April.

    As part of the day’s events, Worcester College Chapel will be hosting an Open Evensong where you are welcome to come and sing with our Mixed Choir (rehearsal at 5pm, service at 6pm).  Other events include organ and singing masterclasses, talks from admissions tutors regarding application advice and a chance to meet those who are in charge of chapel music across the University.

    Sign up to the Open Day at the Music Faculty website – we look forward to seeing you there!

  • Mixed Choir Concert

    HT13 Concert Poster Draft 2

    On Saturday 2nd March (7th week), the Mixed Choir will perform James MacMillan’s Miserere, which they recently sang under the composer’s direction, alongside a variety of Lenten motets from other composers, including Henry Purcell and Francis Poulenc.

    The concert takes place at 7.30pm in the college chapel.  All are welcome to attend.

    Tickets

    £5 (£1 concessions) – available on the door, or email: worcesterchapel@gmail.com

    Join the event on Facebook

     

  • Mixed Choir sing MacMillan

    The Mixed Choir joined with Hertford, Lincoln and University College Choirs to perform James MacMillan’s Miserere as part of the University Church’s Ash Wednesday Eucharist.  This service was part of the University Chaplaincy Week exploring Christianity’s relationship with the Arts.

    James MacMillan directed the performance, and later spoke to an appreciative audience about the role that his faith plays in his composition.

    The week of events continue at the University Church, with a performance of the play Two Planks and a Passion taking place this evening at 8.15pm. On Friday 15th October, two artists meet with Lord Harries to answer the question Can Christian art be modern?

    All events are free and open to all.

    Later this term, the Mixed Choir will perform MacMillan’s Miserere as part of their Lenten concert on Saturday 2nd March in the college chapel. Tickets available on the door for £5 (£1 students).

  • BBC Radio 4 Broadcast

    BBC Radio 4’s ‘Sunday Worship’ broadcast came from Worcester College Chapel this morning, featuring both chapel choirs, poetry from Hilary Davies and a thought-provoking sermon from Prof Ben Quash on the arts’ place in Christianity and society in general.

    If you missed the broadcast, you can listen again for the next seven days on the BBC iPlayer.

    OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

  • BBC Radio 4 Broadcast: Important Information

    Owing to technical problems beyond the control of Worcester College and the BBC, this weekend’s broadcast will now be pre-recorded on the afternoon of Saturday 9th February, and broadcast at 8.10am on Sunday 10th February.

    If you wish to be in the congregation for this service, please arrive at Worcester College Chapel by 4.30pm on Saturday. All are welcome.

    The service will be broadcast at the usual time of 8.10am on Sunday on BBC Radio 4.

    Further information from BBC website