Oxford Pro Musica Singers
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Oxford Pro Musica Singers (OPMS) is a chamber choir based in Oxford, England.[1][2]
Founded by Michael Smedley in 1977 as the Oxford Pro Musica Chorus to accompany the Oxford Pro Musica Orchestra, the choir soon took on a life of its own and performed regularly in Oxford as well as three of London's main concert halls: St John's, Smith Square, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Purcell Room.[citation needed] The choir reached the final of BBC/Sainsbury's Choir of the Year competition and won a Bronze Medal in the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, whilst as representatives of the United Kingdom abroad they achieved a Silver Medal in the international 'Florilege Vocal de Tours' competition in France. A recent visit to Europe was a trip to southern Spain in 2012. They have also made several recordings, ranging from folk songs to jazz classics, garnering a rosette from the Penguin CD Guide for their disc of Tavener, Pärt, and Henryk Górecki.[3] Michael Smedley led the choir for a 25th anniversary concert University Church of St Mary the Virgin, High Street, Oxford, in 2002.[4]
Since the end of 2013, the choir has been directed by Mark Jordan.[citation needed] They perform a wide range of music, from 16th-century polyphony to modern works by composers such as Morten Lauridsen, Ola Gjeilo, and Will Todd, but are also at home with the pillars of the choral repertoire: performances of Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil and Bach’s B Minor Mass in the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford, with the period orchestra Instruments of Time and Truth, were part of the choir's 2015 season.[citation needed]
References[edit]
- ^ "Oxford Pro Musica Singers". Singers.com. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
- ^ Oxford Pro Musica Singers on Facebook
- ^ OPMS CD Guide. "John Tavener, Henryk Górecki, Arvo Pärt: Sacred Choral Music - Oxford Pro Musica Singers Conducted by Michael Smedley". opms.org.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
- ^ Clover, David (5 February 2009), Oxford Pro Music Singers – 25th Anniversary (2002), YouTube, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 30 January 2017