The Choir of
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Magdalen College, Oxford
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“Magdalen College Choir represent the best of the British collegiate tradition.”— Fanfare
In 1480, provision was made at Magdalen for eight singing-
men, four chaplains and 16 choristers, creating one of the
oldest and largest choral foundations in late-medieval
England. With the more recent addition of four clerks and
two Organ Scholars, that tradition has been maintained
to this day. The choristers are educated at Magdalen
College School, while the academical clerks are all
undergraduates at Magdalen reading a variety of
subjects. The Director of Music, Bill Ives, still
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retains the ancient Latin title, Informator
Choristarum (Instructor of the Choristers). Many
notable musicians have held this post, including
John Sheppard, Daniel Purcell (brother of Henry), Sir
John Stainer, Sir William McKie and Bernard Rose. The
main duty of the choir is to sing daily in the college chapel,.
During the university term there are seven choral services each
week. The choir also sings at a number of special occasions
throughout the academic year, including the great May Day
celebrations, an ancient tradition dating back to the 1500s. In recent
years, Magdalen College Choir has sung in Japan, the USA, Hungary,
Italy, Belgium and France. They have also featured on fi lm and television,
most notably in Richard Attenborough’s acclaimed movie, Shadowlands. Other
soundtracks and appearances include 20th Century Fox’s Ever After, Channel
Four’s millennium production, Longitude and George Fenton’s score for the movie
Deep Blue. In 2001, the Choir presented the fi rst public performance of a major new
choral work, Ecce cor meum, written especially for them by Sir Paul McCartney. For
harmonia mundi, the choir, with Fretwork, recorded With a Merrie Noyse, a programme of
Orlando Gibbons, which was nominated for a Grammy® Award.
“Magdalen College choir sings with appropriate sensitivity and fervent spirit,
with full and fl uent mastery of each work.” — ClassicsToday
Also available
Byrd: Second Service Ives: Choral Music
2008 harmonia mundi • HMU 907440 harmonia mundi • HMU 907420
(093046744021) (093046742027)
“This disc is a benchmark — “Unambiguously welcome and
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v
ember
of interpretation, scholarship highly recommendable...”
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and programming.”
— Fanfare
— BBC Music Magazine
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