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.

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.

Bach, in his time, could never have envisioned his music being recorded. When we first embarked on our journey with the Oxford Bach Soloists, our focus was not on recording. We were immersed in the live experience, discovering Bach’s vocal works chronologically, in real-time. It was about living the music as all those who performed and heard it did, tracing his steps through each note and phrase. Featuring two of our core Soloists, Nick Pritchard (tenor) and Yu-Wei Hu (flute), this album presents three of Bach’s Cantatas. These include possibly his earliest vocal work, Christ lag in Todesbanden (BWV 4), his only extant tenor cantata, Ich armer Mensch (BWV 55), and the much-beloved cantata, Ich habe genug, showcased here in its arrangement for high voice and flute (BWV 82.2). This recording is a celebration of our journey with Bach, and an invitation to experience his timeless music through our own journey of dedication and discovery.

Oxford’s Somerville College Choir under its director Will Dawes presents this compelling new programme of seasonal choral works solely by female composers from across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and including no fewer than eleven world premieres. This wide-ranging selection of repertoire reflects Somerville’s unique role as the only non-denominational college chapel at Oxford, as well as remaining true to its founding principle of enabling women. Together these works tell a different story of the nativity but also of the times we live in, when diversity and equality capture the spirit not only of Christ, but Christmas itself.

Oxford’s Somerville College Choir under its director Will Dawes presents this compelling new programme of seasonal choral works solely by female composers from across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and including no fewer than eleven world premieres. This wide-ranging selection of repertoire reflects Somerville’s unique role as the only non-denominational college chapel at Oxford, as well as remaining true to its founding principle of enabling women. Together these works tell a different story of the nativity but also of the times we live in, when diversity and equality capture the spirit not only of Christ, but Christmas itself.

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