About the Choir
St Mary Magdalen has a long musical tradition that has been present in a number of guises. The present arrangements were set up during the incumbency of Canon Hugh Wybrew, with Peter Parshall as Director of Music and Judy Martin as Director of the Choir until they departed to Dublin in 2003 on Judy's appointment as Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral - the first woman to hold such a post at a cathedral in the British Isles. Since then, Dr Stephen Rice has been Director of Music and he, with the help of the then organist, Christian Wilson, has expanded the choir's repertoire perhaps most noticeably in the direction of Franco-Flemish polyphony of the mid-sixteenth century. In September 2005 Elizabeth Burgess became Organist. Both Christian Wilson and Elizabeth Burgess were formerly Organ Scholar of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. The choir consists of eight professional singers, two each of soprano, alto, tenor and bass. It is thus able to perform almost all of the cathedral repertory. It sings at High Mass on Sundays and on other feast days from time to time. Usually the Kyrie or Gloria, and the Sanctus of a polyphonic Mass are performed, along with two or more motets or anthems. The choir also leads the congregation in the singing of psalms and hymns.
Repertoire
The choir's repertoire ranges from plainchant to the twenty-first century, mass settings by Britten, Poulenc and Rheinberger having been added to the library, as well as pieces by Gombert, Clemens non Papa and Crecquillon. Its specialities include sixteenth-century polyphony and newly commissioned works. Under the directorship of Judy Martin it made several CD recordings, which may be purchased at the church or by contacting robert.simpson AT orinst.ox.ac.uk Since the installation of the new Matthew Copley organ the repertoire has expanded to take account of the organ's capabilities.
Details of the music to be performed during the current term can be found on the Music Diary page.
Special Services
The choir is available to be booked for weddings and other special services: please contact the Director of Music via email (address at the bottom of this page).
Other Activities
Stephen Rice also runs the Brabant Ensemble, an Oxford-based early music group founded in 1998 specializing in the repertory of sacred music in the period 1520-1560. In 2004 the ensemble released its first disc featuring newly edited works by Jacobus Clemens non Papa (c.1510-1555/6). More details of the group's activities, engagements and repertoire can be found at www.brabantensemble.com.
Personnel
The Director of Music is always interested in hearing singers who would like to join the deputies list at St Mary Magdalen, and also for full- or part-time vacancies in the choir when these arise. There is one rehearsal per service, usually at 9:15 a.m. on Sundays for the 10:30 Mass: good sight-reading is therefore necessary. Please contact Dr Rice (stephen.rice AT music.ox.ac.uk) to arrange an audition.
Further details of all aspects of music at St Mary Magdalen's can be obtained from:
Director of Music:
Stephen Rice
info@stmarymagdalenoxford.org.uk