5th podcast from Merton College Choir

The fifth podcast of a live Evensong from Merton College Chapel was made on Wednesday November 5th. Like the previous four it is now available on iTunes (go to iTunes Store, type ‘Merton College’ into the search box and hit the return key). All five should also be available on the University and College sites under podcasts. This latest recording is the first of the choir which formed up fresh at the beginning of the current academic year, marking a further advance in our standards.

The music was:
Prelude: Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ BWV 639 (Bach)
Responses: Smith
Psalms 111, 112
Canticles: Short Service (Gibbons)
Anthem: The souls of the righteous (Lewis)
Voluntary: Sonata No. 4 (1st Movement) BWV 528 (Bach)

 
Officiant: The Revd Dr Simon Jones (Chaplain)
Directors of Music: Peter Phillips and Benjamin Nicholas
Organ Scholar: Natasha Tyrwhitt-Drake

I conducted the Gibbons and the Responses (as opposed to the Preces)

The recording was made by Steve Smith of Gimell Records

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Fourth podcast from Merton Chapel

The fourth podcast of a live Evensong from Merton College Chapel was made on Wednesday June 17th. Like the previous three it is now available on iTunes (go to iTunes Store, type ‘Merton College’ into the search box and hit the return key). All four should also be available on the University and College sites under podcasts.

The music was:
Responses: Rose
Psalm: 119 (vv. 33 – 40)
Canticles: Chichester Service (Walton)
Anthem: I saw the Lord (Stainer)
Voluntary: Toccata (from the Suite Gothique – Léon Boëllmann)
 
Officiant: The Revd Dr Simon Jones (Chaplain)
Directors of Music: Peter Phillips and Benjamin Nicholas
Organ Scholars: Christopher Chan and Natasha Tyrwhitt-Drake

I conducted the Stainer – a dream come true…

The recording was made by Steve Smith of Gimell Records

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Merton College Choir posts third podcast

The third podcast of a live Evensong from Merton College Chapel was made on Wednesday April 29th. Like the previous two it is now available on iTunes (go to iTunes Store, type ‘Merton College’ into the search box and hit the return key). All three may also be available on the University and College sites under podcasts, though at the moment the only one on the College site is the first one.

The music was:
Responses: Smith
Psalm: 67
Canticles: Collegium Regale (Howells)
Anthem: The Lord is my Shepherd (Berkeley)
Voluntary: Saraband (in modo Elegiaco) (Howells)
 
Officiant: The Revd Dr Simon Jones (Chaplain)
Prayers: The Revd Dr Andrew Davison (Junior Chaplain)
Directors of Music: Peter Phillips and Benjamin Nicholas
Organ Scholars: Christopher Chan and Natasha Tyrwhitt-Drake

The recording was made by Steve Smith of Gimell Records

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Merton College Chapel Choir performs world premiere of Gabriel Jackson’s In the beginning

From the Merton College, Oxford, website:

The Chapel Choir’s inaugural concert will take place in the College Chapel on Saturday 16th May at 6.00 pm.

The concert will include the first performance of Gabriel Jackson’s In the beginning, written specially for the Choir, as well as works by William Byrd, Henry Purcell, Michael Tippett and Mertonian, Lennox Berkeley.

The College will also be launching the Friends of the Choir of Merton College, set up to promote and support the Choir’s current and future activities. Annual membership is £60.

Tickets are available at £15 each. Friends will be able to attend the concert free of charge.

If you would like tickets, wish to become a Friend, or want further information about the Friends, please contact the Development Office at Merton College. For further details of the programme see under the Calendar of this website.

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Merton College podcasts

The second podcast of Evensong from Merton College, Oxford, was made on March 11th. The first was made on February 11th. Both these can be found on iTunes. I have been instructed to announce this:

‘Go to the iTunes store and search for CHORAL EVENSONG: our 11th February podcast is second on the list, the 11th March podcast is further down the page. You can also search for MERTON COLLEGE or MERTON COLLEGE CHAPEL CHOIR and get useful results.’

Both versions are or will also be available from the college and university websites. Go to www.merton.ox.ac.uk in the first instance to download. On the 11th March podcast both Ben Nicholas and I conduct the choir. Simon Jones is the Chaplain. The music was:

Responses: Tomkins
Canticles: Second Service (Byrd)
Anthem: When David heard (Tomkins)

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Merton College Chapel Choir in Winchester Cathedral

The choir of Merton College sang Evensong in Winchester Cathedral on Wednesday 4th March. They were directed by myself and Ben Nicholas. The lessons were read by Simon Jones, College Chaplain, and by the Dean of Winchester. The music, which was not recorded, was:

Responses: Smith
Canticles: Magnificat (Pärt); Nunc Dimittis (Holst)
Anthem: Versa est in luctum (Alonso Lobo)

A reception was held afterwards at the house of Elizabeth and Ian Skeet. It was the first time in many years that I had returned to the city where I grew up. The choir of Merton will be recording a podcast this coming Wednesday, March 11th, details to follow.

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Podcast of Evensong from Merton College Chapel

You can now listen to the first recording of the new Merton College Chapel Choir. This is a live podcast of the Evensong sung on 11th February. To hear it visit www.merton.ox.ac.uk and follow the link under ‘news’. Please be aware that it takes about three minutes for the broadcast to load ready for playing. The Director of Music on this occasion is Benjamin Nicholas (I was in Venice) and the Chaplain is Simon Jones. The music was:

Responses: Ayleward
Canticles: Truro Service (Gabriel Jackson)
Anthem: Exultate Deo (Palestrina)

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On Merton

Merton College (photo: Flickr user 'flissphil')

For me personally the teaching and masterclassing side of what I (really) do is significantly increasing. In October 08 the choir at Merton College Oxford began to sing services. There has been quite a bit of media interest in this, but I would ask that this choir is not judged on the first year of its existence, let alone the first month. It will take three years to go through the normal cycle of undergraduate coming and going even to establish a base for what may follow – and in reality it will be years more to establish a proper tradition. Still, it is an exciting prospect!

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