Blackbird Leys choir

Our latest community activity focused on the Blackbird Leys Choir, 'The Singing Estate' of Channel 5 fame. Following their successful televised debut at the Royal Albert Hall two years ago, we have been working with them to help the choir establish themselves as a permanent presence on the Blackbird Leys estate. The collaboration involved an intensive series of rehearsals leading up to major public concerts with the full Oxford Philomusica. In addition we have conducted a series of workshops on voice training and musical appreciation in association with the Department of Continuing Education at the University of Oxford. The Choir is now self-reliant while still maintaining a close association with the Oxford Philomusica.

The High Sheriff’s Community Choirs Concert

Marie-Jane Barnett, the Oxfordshire High Sheriff, marked the end of her year in office with a Community Choirs concert on Sunday April 10th 2011 in the Town Hall. Oxford Philomusica was delighted to be associated with this concert. The idea was to bring together a number of contrasting choirs representing the complete community mix in Oxford, in a communal singing celebration. Ticket proceeds go to the Oxford Community Foundation (a charity run by local people that makes grants to other voluntary groups across the county).

The programme included a popular classical piece (Handel’s Zadok the Priest). The individual choirs then performed separately, and came together with the orchestra in a final piece with the combined choirs singing in a popular grand finale (the Halleluia Chorus).