Oxford’s renowned early-music consort Contrapunctus brings to life masterworks of the rich Portuguese musical tradition of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. At the heart of the programme is Duarte Lobo’s Missa de beata virgine, a masterpiece from the chapelmaster of Lisbon Cathedral. Alongside it are motets by Manuel Leitão de Aviles—an intriguing figure who worked in Granada—uncovered by the ensemble’s director, Owen Rees.
The Declaration of Independence and the Difficult Birth of American International Relations
Professor Eliga Gould, Harmsworth Professor of American History
The ever-popular Carols from Queen’s returns this year on the 7th and 21st December. A staple in the Oxford musical calendar, The Choir of The Queen’s College, Oxford presents a varied programme of glorious Christmas music combining old favourites with more recent arrangements. The concert reflects the shifting moods of the period from Advent to Epiphany, inviting personal reflection on the transformation of darkness into light of the Incarnation.
A glass of mulled wine or soft drink served in Queen’s beautiful Baroque Hall is included within the ticket price.
Choir of The Queen’s College, Oxford
Owen Rees director
Tickets: £25 main chapel (£5 students)
The ever-popular Carols from Queen’s returns this year on the 7th and 21st December. A staple in the Oxford musical calendar, The Choir of The Queen’s College, Oxford presents a varied programme of glorious Christmas music combining old favourites with more recent arrangements. The concert reflects the shifting moods of the period from Advent to Epiphany, inviting personal reflection on the transformation of darkness into light of the Incarnation.
A glass of mulled wine or soft drink served in Queen’s beautiful Baroque Hall is included within the ticket price.
Choir of The Queen’s College, Oxford
Owen Rees director
Tickets: £25 main chapel (£5 students)
Julia Doyle soprano
Esther Lay mezzo-soprano
Guy Cutting tenor
Choir of The Queen’s College, Oxford
Academy of Ancient Music
Owen Rees director
Handel’s Messiah lies at the very heart of Christmas musical festivities. The oratorio follows Christ’s life from the prophecies of the Old Testament through to his birth, passion and resurrection, and the final conquest of sin with the promise of eternal life. Handel uses his consummate skill as an opera composer to inject vivid colour and intense drama into his score. First heard in 1741, it remains just as popular today as it did in Dublin nearly 300 years ago. Arias of mesmerising beauty and triumphant courage sit alongside virtuoso choruses of stunning power – including the famous ‘Hallelujah Chorus’.
This concert continues the acclaimed collaboration between the Choir of The Queen’s College, Oxford and the world famous Academy of Ancient Music, a combination of the finest choral singing and an orchestra with a worldwide reputation for excellence in baroque and classical music. Previous performances of Messiah in this collaboration, also with star-studded line-ups of soloists, have sold out months before the event and early booking is advised.
Choir and orchestra are conducted by Owen Rees, Director of Music at The Queen’s College, hailed as ‘one of the most energetic and persuasive voices’ in this field.