In just over a week’s time, a diverse selection of choirs from different areas of Oxford will be gathering at the Town Hall for a choral shindig — and there will be opportunities for the audience to join in with favourites such as Zadok the Priest and the Halleluia chorus from Messiah.
The event is Marie-Jane Barnett’s final fling as High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, and when I met up with her recently, I found her bubbling with enthusiasm over the project.
“I wanted, in my High Sheriff year, to have a musical theme,” she told me. “I love singing and I love music — I particularly love jazz, blues and choral music right at the other end of the spectrum. Music makes you feel good, it cheers you up, and it’s a marvellous thing.
“So this will be my final hurrah as High Sheriff. I’ll be going out with a bang — hopefully the right sort of bang!”
Marie-Jane’s passion for music began in her childhood, when she would often be “wheeled out”, as she puts it, to entertain guests.
“I didn’t need much encouragement!” she admits. “I’ve always just loved singing. When we moved to Towersey somebody said they had a traditional jazz band, and their singer had just gone, so I rang them up, and ended up singing with them for the next ten years. It was marvellous fun.” (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘Simon Payne’
OXFORD TIMES PREVIEW: High Sheriff’s Community Choirs Concert, Oxford Town Hall, 10 April, 3pm
Thursday, March 31st, 2011
Oxford Phil welcomes our latest corporate member
Tuesday, February 1st, 2011
We are delighted to announce that the Four Pillars Hotels group have become our latest Corporate Member. The group runs luxury 3 star and 4 star hotels in Oxford, the Cotswolds, Thames Valley and Bristol. They are promoting a weekend deal on their website, to attract new visitors to their two Oxford hotels. The deal includes a champagne reception at the hotel, transport to and from the concert at the Sheldonian, premium seats, and a buffet meal in a college hall after the concert.
As part of the Four Pillars Hotels’ next ‘Classical Weekend Break’ on 10/11 June 2011, not only do you get to stay in one of their four star Oxford properties (Oxford Spires or Oxford Thames) but you also get to enjoy the Oxford Philomusica concert featuring Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis at the Sheldonian Theatre, all for only £95 per person, per night. For more information about this offer and to book visit http://oxford-spires-hotel.four-pillars.co.uk/oxford-philomusica-weekend-_81/
A week with Simon Payne Development Manager
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010It is a privilege to be able to spend my days – and evenings – working in music with Oxford Phil.
Monday - Early into the office for the weekly staff meeting, this week focussing on the Covent Garden auction, our major fundraising event of the year. I brief Larisa our designer on changes to our Sponsor pack with details of our newly re-launched Friends scheme.
Tuesday - Oxford. I catch up with Luke Purser, my main contact at the University Development Office. We discuss OP’s involvement in the Campaign for Music, spearheaded by Howard Goodall (whose Brit award-winning ‘Eternal Light: A Requiem’ we will play at our Cadogan Hall concert on 6th May).
Wednesday - Talk with recording guru Charles Padley, who is helping launch our ‘Oxford Series’ on the OP Records label. Following the success of The Creation with New College Choir we plan to record Handel’s Acis and Galatea with Stephen Darlington and Christ Church Cathedral Choir. In the evening I attend a marvellous OP concert followed by a reception where I talk to a prospective sponsor, already a major donor to the arts, who is very interested in the recording.
Thursday – To an international chain of audio engineering colleges with its head office in Oxford. They are organising a conference, and have asked us to provide a concert for 200 guests. In the afternoon I catch up with our PR and Press Consultant Julie Peacock, and with our marketing team, on ways of finding new audiences.
Friday – I talk to Tony Mealings, head of the County Music Service, about his new arts festival in Banbury. Perhaps OP can put on a family concert there?
