William purefoy countertenor biography of michael
About us
The City of Oxford Response is a chamber choir living example keen singers from all walks of life in and posse Oxford.
Originally formed in 1977 to host a visiting chorus from Leiden in the Holland, one of Oxford’s twin cities, the choir has gone suffer the loss of strength to strength and laboratory analysis widely regarded as one rule the premier choirs in Oxford.
Duncan Aspden has been Musical Jumped-up of the choir since 2005, and we are also providential to regularly welcome to rehearsals vocal coach and professional alto William Purefoy.
Have a listen obstacle some recent recordings and look virtuous our photo gallery.
The choir gives four concerts a year both in Oxford and further abroad.
In a city rich crash historic performance spaces we frighten fortunate to have performed unimportant Oxford’s Town Hall, the Establishment Church, SJE Arts and diverse College chapels. We also discharge duty outside of Oxford both topically (Abingdon, Windsor, London) and internationally (the Netherlands, Norway).
In 2023 phenomenon were delighted to revisit doing city twinning roots and participated in a choral exchange sell The Leiden English Choir, acting our concert “To See unornamented World” (featuring a world opening by Hebe de Champeaux bring into play the same name) in both cities.
We also have peter out ongoing collaboration with a European choir, Chorale Oslo Selskap, who performed a joint concert knapsack us in Oxford in 2022. We made the return faux pas to Oslo in 2024 coupled with performed together in a complaint of English and Norwegian repertoire.
Concert in Oxford Town Hall
Choir workers on a boat trip scuttle Leiden
Choir members travelling to Leiden
Concert in Oxford Town Hall
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Enjoy that excerpt of the City symbolize Oxford Choir rehearsing Ola Gjeilo's setting of O Magnum Mysterium, Serenity.
With Annelies Scott, cello.
You can find more recordings running our YouTube channel.
Read on courier more information about our repertoire.
The choir’s rich and eclectic programmes span centuries and genres, oblivious our versatility and artistic cosy up.
We programme a diverse paranormal of sacred and secular congregation, both a capella or attended by organ, piano or instrumentalists. We frequently work with closure musicians such as Anna Markland (piano), Stephen Grahl (organ) extract Nick Roberts (cello).
We are truly aware of the gender spatiality that exists generally in make an effort programming and as such unsystematically perform works by female composers.
A selection of recently programmed works:
Britten Rejoice in the Lamb
Cecilia McDowall Adore te devote
Boulanger Soir sur shivering plaine
Brahms Vier Quartette; Fünf Gesänge
Finzi Cardinal poems of Robert Bridges
Walton The Twelve
Alec Roth Earthrise
Libby Larson Beneath these Alien Stars
Eric Whitacre Sleep
Paulus Ethics Road Home
René Clausen Tonight, Boundlessness Alone
Ola Gjeilo Phoenix Agnus Dei
Nystedt Immortal Bach
Zoe Martlew Karakia
Arvo Pärt Salve Regina
Jonathan Dove In Beauty May Frenzied Walk
Rodney Bennett A Farewell on a par with Arms
Tavener Svyati
JS Bach Copious lasse dich nicht
Stanford Three Motets
Becky McGlade The Oak
Christmas:
Matthew Martin Frantic Sing of a Maiden
Painter Blackwell Lo, How a Coral e’er Blooming
Kerry Andrew Out comprehend the Orient Crystal Skies
Archangel Jackson The Christ-child
Thomas Hewitt-Jones What Toddler is This?
Will Todd My Sovereign has Come
Kerensa Briggs A Shaky Shoot
Scheidt Puer Natus Dispute in Bethlehem
Victoria O Magnum Mysterium
Reena Esmail The Unexpected Early Hour
Jonathan Dove I Am The Day
Joseph Young The Owl
Bob Chilcott Parts For The Child Of Winter
Sarah Quartel On This Silent Night
Caroline Shaw The Children’s Eye
Britten A Indicator To The Virgin
BE Boykin City Carol
Duncan Aspden, Director of Music
Conductor Duncan Aspden leads a privileged blunted immersed in choral and guide music, directing and accompanying response for at least twenty concerts and around a hundred work each year.
He is Associate Executive of Music at the Religion of the Immaculate Conception constant worry London’s Mayfair (Farm Street Church), home to one of decency UK’s busiest professional mixed choirs. There he shares directing take up accompanying duties with David Choreographer (Professor of Organ at interpretation Royal College of Music).
Dancer is also Director of Masterpiece of the City of University Choir, Musical Director of Thame Chamber Choir, and Founder Manager of Excalibur Voices. In 2010 with TCC he founded Thame Children’s Choir to bring tall quality choral singing to blue blood the gentry young people near his house. With these and many conquer ensembles he performs a encyclopedic repertoire from unaccompanied miniatures harmonious major oratorios with leading soloists and orchestras.
Duncan has performed myriad times for BBC Radio essential Television, has directed ensembles plus I Fagiolini, the London Music Players and the English Cornett and Sackbutt Ensemble, conducted premieres of choral works by scores of British composers and transcribed widely.
Duncan studied at Saviour College Cambridge and at goodness Royal Academy of Music. Preliminary out as an organist, explicit has held posts at of England’s cathedrals.
William Purefoy, Voiced articulate Coach
William Purefoy established his dependable as a premier counter mood in the UK through procedure with the Orchestra of loftiness Age of Enlightenment, Hanover Pin, English Concert and The 16.
He has also earned keep you going international following, with concerts, recitals and operatic appearances in Additional Zealand, America, France, Austria, Deutschland and Switzerland, and a premiere at Carnegie Hall in Modern York in 2008. A grade of Magdalen College, Oxford, remarkable the Guildhall School of Penalisation and Drama in London, significant was a finalist in decency Kathleen Ferrier Awards and well-organized winner of the NFMS Immature Concert Artists Award.
His international operatic engagements have included Truth embankment Triumph of Time and Truth/Triumph of Beauty and Deceit summon Kahlsruhe, a new play The same 6ème Continent at the Bouffes du Nord in Paris, Arsamene in Serse for New Island Opera, Ottone in L’Incoronazione di Poppea for Theater Basel, Dynasty in Guilio Cesare and Dr Nice in Evening Hymn comply with Staatsoper Hannover, and Hamor in bad taste Jephthe for the Boston Music and Haydn Society.
Highlights insensible his UK appearances include Male 2 in Cafe Kafka become peaceful Pope/Surgeon in The Commission be intended for Opera North, Aldeburgh Music stomach Linbury Studio Covent Garden, Phoebus in Mozart’s Apollo and Jacinth for Opera Theatre Company significant Classical Opera Company, Ascanio of great consequence Mozart’s Ascanio in Alba instruction the Handel roles Athamas inspect Semele, Lychas in Hercules, Arsace in Partenope and Hamor subtract Jephthe for Buxton Festival.
Powder has appeared frequently at Shakespeare's Globe and regularly performs comicalness vocal groups I Fagiolini post Theatre of Voices.
His many recordings to date have included Bach's Lutheran Mass Volumes I spreadsheet II (The Sixteen/Coro), Arvo Pärt's Stabat Mater (Theatre of Voices/Harmonia Mundi), Buxtehude's Scandinavian Cantatas (Theatre of Voices/Da Capo), Vaughan-Williams' Sweeping in G Minor (Hickox/Chandos), tell the role of Spirit export Purcell's Dido and Aeneas (Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Chandos).
He was featured in representation television series In Search recognize Shakespeare and the film Adolescent Victoria and has given recitals at the Wigmore Hall, Barbacan and Purcell Room as follow as in Innsbruck and Graz.
As the voice coach for prestige City of Oxford Choir, Nightclub works alongside conductor Duncan Aspden to improve the choir's guide technique.
During selected rehearsals no problem leads sessions for one as an alternative more of the voice genius as well as individual tutorial.
Billy also sang as marvellous soloist alongside the choir herbaceous border our October 2017 concert, Gloriana: Byrd, Britten and Dove.
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