London Oratory School Schola
The London Oratory School Schola was established in 1996 and is a choir for catholic boys.[1] The current director of the Schola is Lee Ward. The choir's patrons are HRH Princess Michael of Kent, the barrister Cherie Blair, the actor Simon Callow and the composer James MacMillan (musician).[1]
Directors of the Schola
The choir's founding director was Michael McCarthy. After seven years with the Schola, McCarthy moved to the USA to become the Director of Music at Washington National Cathedral].[2] He was succeeded by Steven Grahl, who is now Organist and Director of Music at St Marylebone Parish Church and Assistant Organist at New College, Oxford.[3] The current director is Lee Ward, who combines work as Director of the Schola with his duties as Director of Music at the London Oratory School. He is also Director of Music at St John-at-Hampstead Church and a renowned organist who performs both in the UK and abroad.[4]
Performances
The choir performs a classical concert annually at the Brompton Oratory in aid of the The London Oratory School Schola Foundation (a charity set up to help finance the Schola and its work). Past concerts have included works such as Roxanna Panufnik's Westminster Mass, Britten's St Nicholas, Jenkins' Armed Man, Haydn's Missa in tempore belli and many sacred choral works. The choir regularly performs concerts in local London parishes and abroad during their annual tours.
Other concerts the Schola has taken part in include in 2009 performances at the Royal Albert Hall of The Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack live to the film and a performance with 'The Priests' in Dublin's St Peter's Cathedral, broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster. In November 2008 the choir performed in a concert for Save the Children at St Paul's Cathedral and in September a concert in Liverpool's Hope University. On 7 July 2007 the Schola performed a concert in Rome, backed by the Vatican, with the Orchestra Philarmonia Di Roma. The concert, written by Michael D’Alessandra, aimed to recall the glory of Rome.[5][6][7][8]
The choir's concert for World Aids Day took place at the Cadogan Hall in London on the 1 December 2007. The choir performed Gareth Valentine's Requiem), Colin Mawby's A Song of Hope (world premiere) and Duruflé's Requiem. All proceeds from the concert went to the SURF Fund (a campaign which works in Rwanda campaigning for free anti-retroviral treatment for survivors of the genocide, and provides medical support to reduce the effect of opportunistic infections) and SOS Children's Villages (a charity working in Swaziland to provide resources for those living with Aids and to help prevent family abandonment).[9][10]
Controversy
The schola was involved in some controversy in November 2007. For its performance for a World AIDS Day concert, the beneficiary, the Terrence Higgins Trust, was abruptly dropped one month before the concert was to take place.
David McFadden, the Headmaster of The London Oratory School, claimed that the nominated charity did not support Christian values so the school could not support the charity from the proceeds of the concert.[11][12]
In response, Actor Simon Callow threatened to resign as patron of a choir at the school in protest. He was also a patron of the Terrence Higgins Trust.[13]
Recordings
Film soundtracks
The choir has also featured on many film soundtracks including Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, The Phantom of the Opera, The Golden Compass, The Brothers Grimm and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.[14]
Audio recordings
The Schola released a recording of Ave Maria's on the Regent record label in 2008, with a recording of the music of contemporary British composer Roxanna Panufnik due in November 2009. The choir recorded an album of Christmas Carols, 'Songs of a Shepherd' in 2001, released on the Herald AV record label.[15]
In 2007 the Schola worked with the choir of an orphanage in Harare, Zimbabwe, to record a version of the popular Christmas carol Silent Night. The orphanage cares for children who were abandoned or whose parents died, largely due to AIDS. This recording supported, and was launched on, the World AIDS Day.[16] Over 50% of the purchase price goes directly to the orphanage in order to assist it with its work.[17] In 2008 The London Oratory School Schola recorded with Icelandic band Sigur Rós on their song Ára Bátur for their new album Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, recorded on the Christmas album of Faith Hill and Andrew Johnston, runner-up from Britain's Got Talent, in 2009 the choir featured on albums of 'The Priests' and Camilla Kerslake.
Gallery
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The London Oratory School Schola performing at the Brompton Oratory on 9th December 2006 -
The London Oratory School Schola performing in Rome
References
- ^ a b "London Oratory School Schola", Boy soloist, accessed 2 May 2008
- ^ "Michael McCarthy", Washington National Cathedral, accessed 2 May 2008
- ^ "Director of Music: Steven Grahl MA (Oxon), PGDip (RAM), FRCO", St Marylebone Parish Church, accessed 4 May 2008
- ^ "People - Lay People", The Parish Church of St John-at-Hampstead, accessed 4 May 2008
- ^ "Seventh Heaven Music", Rome Reports, 10 July 2007
- ^ "The London Oratory School Schola", Vatican Radio, 24 May 2007
- ^ "Seventh Heaven Music", Rome Reports
- ^ Vatican concert poster
- ^ "Concert for World Aids Day - The London Oratory School Schola", Cadogan Hall
- ^ World Aids Day concert poster
- ^ Callow Quits London Oratory Post
- ^ The Pope Vs Terry Higgins
- ^ Callow in threat to quit Oratory post | UK news | The Guardian
- ^ "London Oratory School Schola - Filmography", The New York Times, accessed 2 May 2008
- ^ "Songs of a Shepherd ", Amazon.co.uk, accessed 2 May 2008
- ^ "Silent Night in Zimbabwe", Association of Zimbabwe Journalists, 24 December 2007
- ^ "The Christmas Single of 2007 - Silent Night (Makandifira), accessed 2 May 2008
