Oxford Christmas Course 2024

Venue St Barnabas Church, Jericho
Start date21/12/24
End date23/12/24
Cost
£ 130
Repertoire
Arranged by John Rutter: Arranged by John Rutter I wonder as I wander
By French composer Adolphe Adam: By French composer Adolphe Adam O Holy Night
Elizabeth Poston: Jesus Christ the Apple Tree
A sacred Christmas carol, thought to have been composed in the 16th century. : Gaudete
Plus other Festive music for Christmas:
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Booking details

About the course

Come and sing with us at Christmas!    This course is two days – Saturday 21st and Monday 23rd December 2024. On Saturday 21 December, the course will be held at St Mary Magdalen, (Magdalen Street, Oxford, GB OX1 3AE) and on Monday 23 December, the course will conclude at St Barnabas’ in Jericho (Cardigan Street, Oxford, OX2 6BG).

This Christmas, we will be singing a range of festive music from around the world. We will include some music history and appreciation, some work on vocal technique, plus some music theory in the form of fun games and exercises for the youngest groups.

To make a booking click here-

Courses are structured so that each day will conclude with an informal concert, and the end of the course with a special concert featuring the music rehearsed during the full course.

The course has a theme and each course includes whole-group singing,  music appreciation, music theory in the form of musical games and exercises to improve sight reading for the youngest group, and composition in a group for the older children. There will also be vocal coaching in small groups with other children of a similar age with a dedicated vocal coach.

A typical day will consist of a morning warm-up session followed by full choir practice; a mid-morning break, followed by smaller group sessions for music theory or music appreciation. If the weather is good, we try to take the children outside at lunchtime for some fresh air and a run around.   After lunch, there will be further group sessions, focusing on music  before a final full choir practice, another short break and a final sing-through before the concert.

Each day will begin at 9.30am (registration from 9 am) and conclude at 3.30pm (with a short concert at 3.15pm or 3pm on the last day).  Families are welcome to attend the concerts at the end of the day as it gives the singers a chance to perform what they have learnt.

Please could each child come in with a packed lunch, two snacks for the breaktimes and some water. We keep them very busy for the day which is hungry work!

About the venue

St Barnabas Church, Oxford was opened for worship on 19 October 1869. The land for St Barnabas was given by George Ward who was an Oxford ironmonger, and the benefactor for the Church building was the generous Thomas Combe, Printer to the University, along with his wife, Martha. The Church was essentially built to serve the spiritual needs of the workforce of the nearby Clarendon Press (subsequently the Oxford University Press) on Great Clarendon Street, as well as the residents of the growing west Oxford suburb of Jericho.

As one enters St Barnabas Church, one is struck at the breadth, and height of the interior space, with its majestic mosaic of Christ the King resting above a dramatic gilded canopy or baldacchino over the High Altar and the great openwork iron cross suspended above the nave (based on Fr Montague Noel’s SSC cross and memorably borrowed by Thomas Hardy in Jude the Obscure).

In 2019/2020 the Church and Parish is celebrating its 150th anniversary with a series of celebratory events, services and concerts.

St Barnabas Church, St Barnabas Street, Oxford, OX2 6BG
Oxford Train Station (National Rail)
https://www.sbarnabas.org.uk

Photos