Oxford’s Schola Cantorum, established in 1960, is what you get when you put some of the best singers in Oxford into one choir. I was lucky enough to sit in on one of the rehearsals for their upcoming concert ‘One Foot in Eden’, and despite planning to stay for half an hour ended up spending almost two hours there. It was captivating to watch expert conductor James Burton guide the choir through the repertoire, picking up on the tiniest details and helping the choir to engage fully with the music. A particular highlight of the rehearsal for me was Britten’s ‘Hymn to St Cecilia’, the words to which were written by W. H. Auden. Schola executed this difficult piece flawlessly, capturing at one its haunting beauty and mood of celebration.
Since its establishment, Schola has performed widely both in the UK and abroad, with concerts in recent years being given in Argentina, Italy, Israel, Mexico, Poland, Spain, China and France. In September last year the choir embarked on a hugely successful tour of the USA; the first time they have crossed the pond since 1989. Over the years Schola has produced some of the country’s finest singers, including Emma Kirkby, Ian Bostridge, Jane Glover, Laurence Cummings and Christine Rice, all of whom would consider their time in Schola as formative. Schola gives Oxford’s most talented singers who often sing in college choirs a chance to perform secular and contemporary music that church choirs don’t usually offer, and it was clear from watching everyone how much they all enjoyed this change.
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The concert on Sunday 14th June will feature a summery selection of music, from Britten’s stunning ‘Hymn to St Cecilia’ and Flower songs, to Sibelius’ ‘Rakastava’ which is one of a number of Scandinavian songs on the programme. The choice of name ‘One Foot in Eden’ reflects the mix of pastoral and ecclesiastical that the repertoire contains and is also the title of a piece by Maw that the choir are performing. Many of the pieces are technically very challenging, so this concert is a great opportunity to hear an accomplished choir performing them. Last term I saw Schola perform Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts with Oxford University Jazz Orchestra, which was one of the most awesome musical experiences I’ve had during my time at Oxford. I can’t wait to see them perform again, and if you are free on Sunday evening then this opportunity to hear a truly world-class choir should absolutely not be missed.
Schola Cantorum’s ‘One Foot in Eden’ is on Sunday 14th June, 8pm at the University Church of St Mary the Virgin.
Tickets available here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/date/168982
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1435541303417056/
