Announcing Michael Chance as our Patron
Today we are thrilled to announce Michael Chance as Patron of the Oxford Bach Soloists! “I am thrilled to have been asked to be Patron of Oxford Bach Soloists, with the music of J. S. Bach being central to my performing and recording life. The work OBS has been...
Choral Scholar Focus: Tom Lilburn
Tell us a bit about yourself, and your training to date? I have been a Lay Clerk in the Choir of St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle for three years. I came to Windsor after graduating in Natural Sciences from St John’s College Cambridge, where I was a choral scholar...
The Towns and Cities of J. S. Bach
In this newsletter, we explore the cities and towns where Bach took up residence and composed his great cantatas. Eisenach Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach in 1685, a small town in Thuringia, Germany. He was the seventh and youngest child of Johann Ambrosius...
Choral Scholar Focus: Emily Brown Gibson
Tell us a bit about yourself, and your training to date? I grew up in Toronto, Canada and at the age of four was handed a tissue-box-and-stick-makeshift-violin, which was my first introduction to classical music. The box eventually turned into a real violin, which I...
Bach’s Band: The Harpsichord
Find out more about some of the instruments played by our ensemble in our new series, Bach’s Band. Our latest newsletter is by Anhad Arora on the harpsichord! What are the essential features and sound of the harpsichord? The harpsichord is a member of an...
Bach’s Band: The Viola Da Gamba
Find out more about some of the instruments played by our ensemble in our new series, Bach’s Band. Our latest newsletter is by Susie Heinrich on the viola da gamba! What are the essential features and sound of the viola da gamba? From a broad evolutionary...
Choral Scholar Focus: James Jenkins
Tell us a bit about yourself, and your training to date? For me, it all started with years of to-ing and fro-ing from school with only my Mum, sister, and the complete works of ABBA for company. The transition from back-seat dancing queen to cassocked chorister didn’t...
Choral Scholar Focus: Tom Lowen
Tell us a bit about yourself, and your training to date? I started singing aged 8 as a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral and have practically been speaking in recitative ever since. I masqueraded as a violinist for a few years while I made the transition from highest...
Bach’s Band: The Horn
Find out more about some of the instruments played by our ensemble in our new series, Bach’s Band. Our latest newsletter is by Anneke Scott on the horn! What are the essential features and sound of the horn? Whenever I think of the horn of Bach’s time, the lines...
Bach’s Band: The Flute
Find out more about some of the instruments played by our ensemble in our new series, Bach’s Band. Our latest newsletter is by Yu-Wei Hu on the flute! (Main image by Aiga Ozo) What are the essential features and sound of the flute? The Baroque flute is made of...
Choral Scholar Focus: Aimee Presswood
Tell us a bit about yourself, and your training to date? I studied Music at the University of Manchester and then did a Masters in singing at Trinity Laban Conservatoire. I perform as a choral singer and a soloist in a range of oratorio and opera, and also enjoy...
Q&A with our Artistic Director, Tom Hammond-Davies
What have been your highlights so far in 2019 with OBS? One of my highlights this year was discovering the unique Cantata 152 Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn (Walk on the path of faith) scored for recorder, viola d’amore, viola da gamba, and oboe. Mark Baigent...
Choral Scholar Focus: Elspeth Piggott
Tell us a bit about yourself, and your training to date? Whilst studying for a BA (Hons) in Music at the University of York, I trained with vocal specialists including Robert Hollingworth, Rachel Nichols, Professor William Brooks and Alex Ashworth. Since graduating in...
Bach’s Band: The Bassoon
Find out more about some of the instruments played by our ensemble in our new series, Bach’s Band. Our latest newsletter is by Noel Rainbird on the bassoon! What are the essential features and sound of the bassoon? The bassoon evolved from the dulcian over...
Choral Scholar Focus: Filippo Turkheimer
Tell us a bit about yourself, and your training to date? I am a second year Music student at New College where I’m also a choral scholar. I started singing under Suzy Digby at age five and she was the first person I remember who not only ignited my love for singing...
Announcing our Summer Concerts for 2019
Announcing our upcoming concerts taking place over the course of the summer! May: Word of Thunder Cantatas for the Last Sundays in Trinity On 2nd November 1723, Bach was in Störmthal and performed Cantata 194 to dedicate their new organ. Full of extrovert colours,...
Bach’s Band: The Oboe
Find out more about some of the instruments played by our ensemble in our new series, Bach’s Band. Our latest newsletter is by Frances Norbury on the oboe! What are the essential features and sound of the oboe? The oboe was developed from the shawm in France in...
Choral Scholar Focus: Charlie Hodgkiss
Tell us a bit about yourself, and your training to date? I arrived at Keble College, Oxford to study Philosophy and Theology with a choral scholarship in 2015, having spent a year as a choral scholar at Truro Cathedral. In my final year studying at Keble, I took part...
