
Here is a list of the Churches Choirs in Oxford. This does not include the College Chapel Choirs which can be found in the other sections.
If any information is missing, incorrect or needs updating please contact admin@singoxford.org
Location: Christ Church Cathedral
The Cathedral Singers of Christ Church is the mixed-voice choir of Christ Church Cathedral, and one of the most active choirs of its type in the country. Its main role is to maintain the Cathedral’s daily pattern of sung worship at times when the Cathedral Choir is away or on vacation. This amounts to over a hundred sung services a year. Directed by its own professional staff of Director and Organist, the choir comprises talented volunteer musicians from the local area, from young professionals to professorial fellows. Its repertoire spans from Renaissance polyphony to new music.
Director of Music: Simon Hogan
Location: Cowley Road
There are two churches in the parish; St Alban’s Church on Charles Street and St Mary and St John on Cowley Road.
Both churches have a non-auditioning choir and sing at the choral Sunday morning services which are at 9.30am (St Alban’s) and 10.30am (St Mary and St John) including hymns, a mass setting and an anthem. Rehearsals are at 9am (St Alban’s) and 9.45am (St Mary and St John). The two choirs often combine for special services, some of which are in Bartlemas Chapel on Cowley Road.
Directors of Music: Lawrence Tao and Alex Tester (St Mary and St John), Susanna Gimson (St Alban’s)
Location: Linton Road
The St Andrew’s Church Choir sings regularly at our 11.15 Sunday services. We sing a variety of styles in SATB, accompanied by organ, piano and melody instruments. Practices are alternate Wednesday evenings. We have an expanded choir for special events eg carol services and “Come and Sing” events. All welcome – for more details email Roger Peach, Director of Music roger.peach@standrewsoxford.org
Director of Music: Roger Peach
Location: Cardigan Street
St Barnabas Church Choir is a mixed-voice choir, made up of volunteers and choral scholars, that rehearses and sings on Sunday mornings for High Mass. It supports the Anglo-Catholic liturgy of the church by singing the plainchant propers, a choral mass setting each week, and an anthem. Twice a year we sing an orchestral mass setting with instruments. New member are always welcome, and we have a small number of choral scholarships available
Director of Music: Esther Bersweden
Location: Cardigan Street
Open to anyone of school-going age and all musical abilities. The only prerequisite is a love for singing. The Choristers rehearse every week on Friday evenings from 6pm-7pm during school term time, and sing once a month at a Sunday morning service. In addition to learning repertoire, Choristers receive theory training and work through the RSMC's 'Voice for Life' scheme.
Friday evenings, 6pm-7pm and Sunday morning, once a month.
Director of Music: Philip Burnett
Location: Woodstock Road
St Giles’ contributes to the heritage of the English choral tradition to the highest of standards. The choirs lead the church’s worship on rotation, alongside a rich programme of local, national, and international concerts – an unparalleled provision in a small parish church. There are separate training groups for teenagers with changing voices who sing services with one of the choirs. This provides a home for our former choristers, and attracts those who were not trebles at St Giles’.
Director of Music: Nicholas Prozillo
Location: St. Margaret's Road
St Margaret’s is a family-friendly church with an experienced, mixed-gender SATB choir, in which children and teenagers are trained and sing alongside adults. The choir’s main focus is the Sunday 10.30 Parish Eucharist at which an Anthem and a Psalm are sung, with an Introit on feast days. In addition, there are occasional Choral Evensongs and other special evening services, particularly at Advent, Christmas, and Passiontide. Friday rehearsals are fast-paced, and around 100 individual choral prices are performed each year from across the Anglican choral repertoire, as well as new works composed specially for the choir. Several former choristers have gone on to hold university choral scholarships, meanwhile St Margaret’s offers organ scholarships for sixth-formers to provide liturgical playing experience prior to university entrance.
Director of Music: Richard Goodall
Location: Magdalen Street
The choir of St Mary Magdalen’s is widely regarded as one of the finest parish church choirs outside of London. Established in its current form by Peter Parshall and Judy Martin in 1997, the professional eight-strong choir sings at the High Mass on Sunday mornings, major feasts, and at occasional other services throughout the year.
Director of Music: Will Dawes
Location: Church Street, Kidlington, OX5 2AZ
St Mary’s Kidlington has a proficient mixed adult choir with a broad and varied repertoire ranging from 16th century motets to contemporary works. The choir rehearses weekly on Friday evenings 7pm-8.30pm (followed by a glass of wine), and regularly leads the worship at Sunday morning services, monthly choral evensongs, and at special services at Christmas and Easter, alongside our children’s choir, St Mary’s Choristers. We are a friendly bunch, and we have an active social scene. New members are always welcome! Contact the Director of Music, Dr David Hewett if you are considering joining us. Over the past few years we have sung in a number of wonderful places including Romsey Abbey (Hampshire), Dorchester Abbey, and the chapels of Exeter College and Worcester College, Oxford.
Director of Music: David Hewett
Location: Church Way
St Mary’s choir meets roughly once a month at 4.30pm in the Church Hall to rehearse for specific Choral Services. Occasionally this is a full Choral Evensong but more often either evening prayer with extra sung parts (introit, anthem, psalm, canticles to chants) or in particular seasons a service of Music & Readings (Advent, Christmas, Passiontide, Remembrance). New members always welcome - contact Janet Low.
Director of Music: Janet Low
Location: Cornmarket Street
Our choir at St Michael’s is one of long-standing, with roots in the traditional all-male choir (see history here), although nowadays our choir is mixed. While times have changed, our choir still flourishes as a wonderful mixed ensemble. Auditions for the choir are held all year round
Director of Music: Richard Pantcheff
Location: Elsfield Road
Our Junior Choir (8 to 11 years) and Youth Choir (11 to 18 years) meet for a weekly music practice in term term at 6 pm on Friday evenings. Our SATB Choir 16+ meets for a weekly practice in term time at 6.30pm on Thursday evening. All our choirs sing on the 1st Sunday of the month at our 10am Community Service for All and at special church and community events throughout the year. Our SATB choir sing at choral evensongs on some first Sundays of the month at 18:00 and at special events with other choirs.
Director of Music: Neil Barker
Location: High Street
The University Church has an auditioned choir which, reflecting the unique nature of the church as both a parish and University Church, combines singers from the city with the best young singers from the colleges. Each year a number of Choral Scholarships are available (currently 4).
Director of Music: Robert Howarth