Oxford

Benjamin Nicholas and his Choir of Merton College Oxford present a starlit celebration of Advent choral music and Christmas carols from composers old and new.

Benjamin Nicholas and his Choir of Merton College Oxford present a starlit celebration of Advent choral music and Christmas carols from composers old and new.

The resounding refrains of The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford reverberate throughout A Lullaby Carol: Christmas from Christ Church, a rich tapestry of traditional and contemporary works celebrating the choir's musical heritage, particularly from the 20th and 21st centuries.

This recording focusses on arrangements made by Vaughan Williams for The Oxford Book of Carols (1928), coupled with two later carols published by OUP. Many of the tunes are far from well-known and deserve a new audience. 10 of the 22 tracks are first recordings, but reserve the right to have overlooked one or two amidst the vast but very mixed heritage of recorded carols. The preface to The Oxford Book of Carols tells us that: "Variety in the method of singing is even more important than with hymns, and the verses should never be sung straight through all in the same way". In this spirit the choir’s director, William Vann, has prepared the carols for recording with a mixture of accompanied, unaccompanied and solo verses. Few of these carols are likely to have been undertaken by a congregation; this recording by a choir of distinguished professional singers presents the carols at their best, supported by the Henry Willis organ of St Jude-on-the-Hill, Hampstead, in half of the carols.

Malgré ses 75 ans, Oxford n'entend pas mettre un terme à ses activités de détective privé. À son épouse mourante, il a cependant fait la promesse de se retirer dès qu'il aura épuisé les sept balles restant dans le chargeur de son revolver... Une série de 7 albums et d'enquêtes menées au rythme des tirs des 7 dernières balles du vieux détective.

"Be Still, My Soul - Hymns from Magdalen" is a CD release featuring The Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford, led by Mark Williams.

The Choir of St John's College, Oxford, directed by David Bannister, sing music associated with Christmas, together with youthful work by Imogen Holst and Benjamin Britten. Looking towards the sixtieth anniversary of Elizabeth Poston's Penguin Book of Carols (1965), initially undertaken with Ralph Vaughan Williams, the recording presents music associated with these two composers and the works they edited, alongside newer pieces exemplifying and revivifying the English carol tradition.