Thank you for expressing an interest in joining the Oxford Bach Choir. You might find it useful if you know a little about the choir before coming completing the application form and applying for an audition.

The Oxford Bach Choir has 180 members drawn from the city, its surrounds and students from both universities. We have been making music in Oxford for over 100 years and we are one of the country’s leading choirs.

Rehearsal timeEach season, the Choir gives at least four concerts in the Sheldonian Theatre in central Oxford, including a carol concert, which range from the famous classical choral pieces to unusual and challenging commissions.

Conductors

Our Principal Conductor is Nicholas Cleobury, who has wide international experience of conducting orchestras and choirs, and who conducts the December and March concerts. Tim Byram-Wigfield, director of music at St.George's Chapel, Windsor, is our Associate Conductor, who conducts the carol concert in December, our summer concert in June, and takes some rehearsals for the other concerts.

Auditions

Auditions are taken by our Principal Conductor, Nicholas Cleobury. They are not demanding, and consist of simple scales and arpeggios to test for range and quality, ear tests including pitch and rhythm, singing a short piece of your own choice and a little sight reading.

Additional events

The Choir is often asked to sing at functions such as weddings and memorial services, and smaller groups from within the Choir form for this purpose. From time to time, foreign trips are arranged. Recently members went to Lier in Belgium, and Göttingen in Germany.

Rehearsals

Rehearsals are held once a week between 7.30pm and 9.45pm, usually on a Monday, and in the Autumn and Spring terms there is one all-day rehearsal on a Saturday. There is usually no Saturday rehearsal in the Summer term, but rehearsals are moved to Tuesdays on the two bank holiday weeks. In the concert week, there is also a Friday night, and Saturday afternoon rehearsal. Unless there are exceptional reasons, no one should miss the Friday night rehearsal, and attendance at the Saturday rehearsal (with orchestra) is obligatory.

Because we operate within Oxford University’s terms, we only have eight weeks to prepare for a concert. We therefore need to have strict requirements for rehearsals. Members are expected to attend every rehearsal, but, with the conductor’s written permission, they may miss up to two rehearsals in any one term. They are also expected to do some work on the music in between rehearsals.

Regular rehearsals ensure that the Choir is always prepared to professional standards

Membership fees

Our current annual fees are £180 or £45 for students. This does not include the cost of purchasing or hiring scores. Members who join partway through the season (October to June) pay a reduced fee.

Next step - complete the application form