Breadcrumbs

Somerville Chapel Choir

 Somerville College has a flourishing musical life and excellent facilities for music.

Somerville's mixed voice chapel choir, led by the Director of Music, David Crown, with the assistance of the Organ Scholars, plays a central role in the musical life of the College, in both services and concerts.

The choir's engagements include termly concerts with orchestra, featuring soloists from the choir whenever possible. Recent concerts have included the Durufle Requiem and Handel's Messiah. In July 2010, the choir undertook a very successful tour of Italy. To read an account of the tour please click here.

The choir sings for the Sunday evening service each week in term-time, with dinner provided afterwards. The regular choral commitment at Somerville is one service and one weekday rehearsal per week.

Somerville College Chapel has one of the finest accoustics among the Oxford chapels. The organ, in the West gallery, is a traditionally voiced instrument by Harrison and Harrison. The College's fine musical facilities include a grand piano and double harpsichord in chapel and a dedicated music-study and IT room.

Future perfomances

Monday 6th February, Evensong at St Paul's Cathedral, 5.00pm

Saturday 3rd March, Concert, St Mary's, Charlbury, 7.30pm (time to be confimed)

Friday 9th March, St Michael at the Northgate, Oxford, 7.45pm - A concert with the superb professional orchestra 'The Musicians of the Dreaming Spires', including works by Bach, Schubert and Albinoni.

Somerville Choir also has its own YouTube channel.

Exhibitions and scholarships

Somerville offers up to five Choral Exhibitions each year to applicants wishing to read any subject, and for voice types: sopranos, altos, contraltos, tenors, and basses.

Organ Scholars at Somerville are provided with generous funding for organ and conducting lessons, and are guaranteed rooms in College for the duration of their course.

For further details about Organ and Choral Scholarships at Somerville, please contact the Senior Tutor, or the Director of Music.