Music and Choir

The Choir is open to all students from any subject.

There are two ways to join the Choir at St Peter’s. The best way to secure a place is by applying for a Choral Award, a University-wide process which happens before the UCAS deadline over a year before you expect to arrive. Choral Awards are only available to undergraduate students. More details can be found on the University website.

It is also possible to join the choir without a Choral Award. Vacancies often arise in the choir in the Michaelmas Term of each academic year. Those interested, both undergraduate and postgraduate students, should contact the Director of Music early to see if there is space and arrange an audition. It is important that you register your interest early, as the Choir is often fully booked a term or so in advance. A waiting list usually applies.

In some years, graduate choral scholarships exist for particularly gifted postgraduate singers. The details of these awards are communicated when vacancies arise.

The Director of Music is always very happy for potential applicants to visit the College on an informal basis, and it may be able to arrange for you to sing with the Choir during your visit. Please contact the Director of Music to arrange an informal meeting.

quintin.beer@spc.ox.ac.uk

St Peter’s offers two highly prized Organ Scholarships a year. Applicants can study any academic subject at St Peter’s to be eligible for the scholarship. Previous St Peter’s Organ Scholars have gone on to impressive careers within the music industry, as performers, conductors, and educators.

Organ Scholars receive an annual financial award from the College, play for all services and concerts, and receive tuition and experience in choral conducting in addition to a number of organ lessons.

To win an Organ Scholarship, you must apply to the University Organ Awards scheme, details of which can be found on the University website.

The St Peter’s College Music Society is a student-run organisation, open to all students from all degree courses. The Society produces weekly lunchtime concerts and other large musical events. The content of these concerts is diverse and features the range of talent from across the College, and not just those who sing in the choir or study academic music.

There is a St Peter’s College Orchestra, which rehearses for projects on a termly basis and the College Music Room is available for College musicians to practise.

The College has an award scheme for particularly gifted instrumental players. These awards are conferred on a yearly basis.

The College owns an impressive range of musical instruments.

Blüthner Grand

St Peter’s is privileged to be in possession of a Blüthner Style V Grand Piano. The instrument was refurbished by Piano Restorations in Buckinghamshire in 2020. The re-stringing and new hammers on the model make for a beautifully even sound throughout the instrument’s range. Aspects cosmetic, such as polish, buffing, and brass lacquer, make the instrument appealing to the eyes as well as the ears.

Fr Willis Organ

St Peter’s College Chapel is fortunate in that it still possesses its original organ, built by ‘Father’ Henry Willis in 1875, just as he was rising to the height of his fame with instruments such as those for the Royal Albert Hall and the Alexandra Palace.

It was subsequently slightly enlarged in 1889 by a local builder, Martin of Oxford, who added an open metal stop to the pedal division. Otherwise, the quality and durability of Willis’s original craftsmanship ensured that it served the worship in the Church of St Peter-le-Bailey (subsequently St Peter’s College Chapel) for the next hundred years.

By the year 2000, the instrument had fallen into disuse and needed substantial repair. In view of its considerable artistic significance, the decision was taken to rebuild, and, in 2003, it was completely restored by Nicholson of Worcester in an appropriate historical manner.

The instrument is so skilfully voiced for the building that from the nave it gives the impression of being much larger than its modest tally of eighteen speaking stops. It is an ideal instrument for historically informed performance of the Anglican cathedral repertoire but is sufficiently versatile to cope with music from a wide variety of styles and periods.

A full specification of the organ can be viewed below.

Willis Organ specification

Chamber organ and harpsichord

The Chamber Organ was designed and built by Nicholson’s to complement the chapel’s renowned 'Father' Henry Willis instrument (1875). It is an ideal instrument for continuo work and the performance of a wide variety of early organ music.

The College also owns a fine single-manual harpsichord built by Robert Goble. The instrument is frequently used in solo performance as well as continuo accompaniment.