Vocal workshops
Vocal workshops
Since 2013 we have held annual open workshops. These are an opportunity for both the choir and non-members to work in some depth on ensemble, listening skills and other aspects of musicianship. They normally take place on a Saturday afternoon and include refreshments and music hire.
​
'Incredibly well-structured… a very clear narrative to the session, thinking about vowels and consonants, meaning and colour. The pieces used as exemplars were similarly well chosen… The best three hours of singing I've spent in the last year, bravo!'
Workshop attendee, January 2019
'Good teacher, friendly but business-like atmosphere, about the right number of people for this type of workshop. I shall certainly keep my eyes open for future workshops. Thanks to all concerned for a stimulating and enjoyable afternoon of singing.'
Workshop attendee, January 2018
and breathe... 24 September 2022
New Road Baptist Church, Bonn Square, Oxford
A choral workshop aimed to improve breath control, vocal stamina, and vocal projection, especially in recovery from Covid-19.
Harris, W. H. – Holy is the true light, Victoria, G. P. – O quam gloriosum, Rachmaninov, S. – Bogoroditsye Dyevo, Bruckner, A. – Christus factus est
​
Spring online programme 2021
Tues 2 March Vocal Workshop on Britten’s The Salley Gardens; Tues 9 March Desert Island Discs; Tues 16 March Sectional rehearsals on Mendelssohn’s Ferleih uns Frieden; Mon 22 March Elijah webinar with Peter Gortner; Tue 20 April Vocal workshop, focussing on Vaughan Williams’s “Tired”; Tue 27 ‘Operas & Musicals’ themed Quiz; Tue 4 May Sectionals on Edward Elgar’s “They are at rest”; Tue 11 May Webinar on John Adams’s “Harmonium”
​
Online Quiz 9 February 2021
A free online evening of music, trivia and fun. Quizmaster: Benedict Goodall
​
Belshazzar's Feast 26 January 2021 Online Webinar
• Introducing our new conductor Benedict Goodall
• This online session will focus on the wondrous piece Belshazzar’s Feast by William Walton. In this session Ben will be dissecting the piece, analysing it, and giving as much information as possible on the history of the work, as well as describing what it is like to perform it. We will then have the opportunity to talk about it as a group to really understand this masterwork.
Breathe the melody 25 January 2020
New Road Baptist Church, Bonn Square, Oxford
• Learn how to sustain your breath through long phrases
• Enhance the flow of the melody
• Achieve a blended choral sound
Duruflé: Requiem; excerpts from Byrd: Mass for four voices; Fauré: Requiem
​
Sing the words – paint the music! 12 January 2019
New Road Baptist Church, Oxford
This workshop gave choral singers the experience of exploring texts in depth, working at the colour of vowels and clarity of consonants.
Bruckner: Locus Iste; Macmillan: O radiant dawn; Genée: Italian Salad;
Britten: Concord and Time (from ‘Gloriana dances’)
​
Perfect Harmony 27 January 2018 New Road Baptist Church, Oxford
A chance to explore gorgeous choral works and learn to achieve beautiful tuning.
Eric Whitacre ‘I thank you God’. Weelkes ‘As Vesta was from Latmos Hill descending’.
This is a Voice 8 October 2016 Rye St Anthony School, Oxford
Led by voice experts Jeremy Fisher & Dr Gillyanne Kayes, authors of the new book This is a Voice, commissioned by the Wellcome Trust. www.vocalprocess.co.uk Handel, Messiah; Verdi, Requiem; Elgar, The Dream of Gerontius; a Spiritual and a complete performance of Vaughan Williams, Serenade to Music.
​
Sacred music of the Renaissance 3 October 2015
New Road Baptist Church, Bonn Square, Oxford
This workshop focused on the music of the period c.1550-1650 and the contemporary style of singing, including phrasing, expression, tuning, and reading from part books.
Mundy: Lord the maker of all thing; Byrd: O quad glorious and excerpts from
Tallis: Te lucis ante terminus; Palestrina: Agnus Dei from ‘Missa Brevis’;
Lassus: Timor et tremor
1 November 2014, St Alban’s Church Hall, East Oxford
Spirituals – selection from OUP collection; Eric Whitacre: I thank you God;
Giacomo Carissimi: final Chorus from ‘Jephte’
2 November 2013, St Margaret’s Church, Jericho, Oxford
Spirituals – selection from the OUP collection; Bob Chilcott: A Little Jazz Mass; Irish Blessing; James Bassi: Harpsonnets