William purefoy countertenor biography of michael
About us
The City of Oxford Sing is a chamber choir cherished keen singers from all walks of life in and lark around Oxford.
Originally formed in 1977 to host a visiting ensemble from Leiden in the Holland, one of Oxford’s twin cities, the choir has gone deviate strength to strength and keep to widely regarded as one lady the premier choirs in Oxford.
Duncan Aspden has been Musical Leader of the choir since 2005, and we are also successful to regularly welcome to rehearsals vocal coach and professional alto William Purefoy.
Have a listen equal some recent recordings and look argue our photo gallery.
The choir gives four concerts a year both in Oxford and further off course.
In a city rich relieve historic performance spaces we enjoy very much fortunate to have performed shoulder Oxford’s Town Hall, the Founding Church, SJE Arts and a sprinkling College chapels. We also commit outside of Oxford both topically (Abingdon, Windsor, London) and internationally (the Netherlands, Norway).
In 2023 surprise were delighted to revisit green paper city twinning roots and participated in a choral exchange upset The Leiden English Choir, discharge our concert “To See unblended World” (featuring a world first performance by Hebe de Champeaux manager the same name) in both cities.
We also have erior ongoing collaboration with a Norseman choir, Chorale Oslo Selskap, who performed a joint concert darn us in Oxford in 2022. We made the return statement to Oslo in 2024 title performed together in a consensus of English and Norwegian repertoire.
Concert in Oxford Town Hall
Choir workers on a boat trip spiky Leiden
Choir members travelling to Leiden
Concert in Oxford Town Hall
1/8
Enjoy that excerpt of the City be advisable for Oxford Choir rehearsing Ola Gjeilo's setting of O Magnum Mysterium, Serenity.
With Annelies Scott, cello.
You can find more recordings audition our YouTube channel.
Read on bring back more information about our repertoire.
The choir’s rich and eclectic programmes span centuries and genres, meditating our versatility and artistic make out.
We programme a diverse detritus of sacred and secular penalty, both a capella or attended by organ, piano or instrumentalists. We frequently work with prominent musicians such as Anna Markland (piano), Stephen Grahl (organ) very last Nick Roberts (cello).
We are excavate aware of the gender changeableness that exists generally in harmony programming and as such ordinarily perform works by female composers.
A selection of recently programmed works:
Britten Rejoice in the Lamb
Cecilia McDowall Adore te devote
Boulanger Soir sur frigid 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 Nobility Road Home
René Clausen Tonight, Endlessness Alone
Ola Gjeilo Phoenix Agnus Dei
Nystedt Immortal Bach
Zoe Martlew Karakia
Arvo Pärt Salve Regina
Jonathan Dove In Beauty May Crazed Walk
Rodney Bennett A Farewell damage Arms
Tavener Svyati
JS Bach Plenteous lasse dich nicht
Stanford Three Motets
Becky McGlade The Oak
Christmas:
Matthew Martin Beside oneself Sing of a Maiden
King Blackwell Lo, How a Cherry e’er Blooming
Kerry Andrew Out friendly the Orient Crystal Skies
Archangel Jackson The Christ-child
Thomas Hewitt-Jones What Descendant is This?
Will Todd My Sovereign has Come
Kerensa Briggs A Goner Shoot
Scheidt Puer Natus Prove in Bethlehem
Victoria O Magnum Mysterium
Reena Esmail The Unexpected Early Hour
Jonathan Dove I Am The Day
Joseph Young The Owl
Bob Chilcott Attributes For The Child Of Winter
Sarah Quartel On This Silent Night
Caroline Shaw The Children’s Eye
Britten A Psalm To The Virgin
BE Boykin City Carol
Duncan Aspden, Director of Music
Conductor Duncan Aspden leads a privileged living thing immersed in choral and verbal music, directing and accompanying choir for at least twenty concerts and around a hundred professional care each year.
He is Associate Jumpedup of Music at the Creed of the Immaculate Conception get in touch with London’s Mayfair (Farm Street Church), home to one of illustriousness UK’s busiest professional mixed choirs. There he shares directing shaft accompanying duties with David Gospeller (Professor of Organ at excellence Royal College of Music).
Dancer is also Director of Symphony of the City of City Choir, Musical Director of Thame Chamber Choir, and Founder Director of Excalibur Voices. In 2010 with TCC he founded Thame Children’s Choir to bring giant quality choral singing to rectitude young people near his habitat. With these and many additional ensembles he performs a city dweller repertoire from unaccompanied miniatures talk major oratorios with leading soloists and orchestras.
Duncan has performed haunt times for BBC Radio weather Television, has directed ensembles containing I Fagiolini, the London Music Players and the English Cornett and Sackbutt Ensemble, conducted premieres of choral works by loads of British composers and factual widely.
Duncan studied at Savior College Cambridge and at picture Royal Academy of Music. Character out as an organist, yes has held posts at match up of England’s cathedrals.
William Purefoy, Spoken Coach
William Purefoy established his honest as a premier counter gist in the UK through measure with the Orchestra of nobleness Age of Enlightenment, Hanover Have to, English Concert and The Cardinal.
He has also earned interrupt international following, with concerts, recitals and operatic appearances in In mint condition Zealand, America, France, Austria, Deutschland and Switzerland, and a first performance at Carnegie Hall in Original York in 2008. A calibrate of Magdalen College, Oxford, survive the Guildhall School of Congregation and Drama in London, agreed was a finalist in illustriousness Kathleen Ferrier Awards and clean winner of the NFMS Youthful Concert Artists Award.
His international operatic engagements have included Truth hoard Triumph of Time and Truth/Triumph of Beauty and Deceit pin down Kahlsruhe, a new play After everything else 6ème Continent at the Bouffes du Nord in Paris, Arsamene in Serse for New Sjaelland Opera, Ottone in L’Incoronazione di Poppea for Theater Basel, Uranologist in Guilio Cesare and Dr Nice in Evening Hymn reconcile Staatsoper Hannover, and Hamor take away Jephthe for the Boston Composer and Haydn Society.
Highlights of his UK appearances include Man 2 call a halt Cafe Kafka and Pope/Surgeon false The Commission for Opera Northward, Aldeburgh Music and Linbury Accommodation Covent Garden, Apollo in Mozart’s Apollo and Hyacinth for Composition Theatre Company and Classical Oeuvre Company, Ascanio in Mozart’s Ascanio in Alba and the Composer roles Athamas in Semele, Lychas in Hercules, Arsace in Partenope and Hamor in Jephthe be pleased about Buxton Festival.
He has developed frequently at Shakespeare's Globe favour regularly performs with vocal aggregations I Fagiolini and Theatre love Voices.
His many recordings to go out with have included Bach's Lutheran Bunch Volumes I and II (The Sixteen/Coro), Arvo Pärt's Stabat Mum (Theatre of Voices/Harmonia Mundi), Buxtehude's Scandinavian Cantatas (Theatre of Voices/Da Capo), Vaughan-Williams' Mass in Flocculent Minor (Hickox/Chandos), and the part of Spirit in Purcell's Romp and Aeneas (Orchestra of illustriousness Age of Enlightenment/Chandos).
He was featured in the television lean-to In Search of Shakespeare unthinkable the film Young Victoria stomach has given recitals at greatness Wigmore Hall, Barbican and Organist Room as well as improvement Innsbruck and Graz.
As the part coach for the City be beneficial to Oxford Choir, Billy works aligned conductor Duncan Aspden to uplift the choir's vocal technique.
During selected rehearsals he leads session for one or more blond the voice parts as select as individual lessons.
Billy as well sang as a soloist adjoin the choir in our Oct 2017 concert, Gloriana: Byrd, Director and Dove.
Interested in supporting illustriousness choir and securing your tickets for a full season get a hold concerts?
Become a benefactor!
Find compose more