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The History of The Wychwood Chorale

Our Story So Far...

The Wychwood Chorale was formed in 2008 by David Crown as a non-auditioned choir drawn from the local community, singing a mixed repertoire including short classical choral works, operatic extracts, spirituals, musical theatre pieces and choral arrangements of popular music. A smaller chamber choir -- which became known as The After Nines -- was also formed some years later for those who wanted to work on specific musical techniques and develop their musicality generally.

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In 2013, David left the choir to pursue other musical opportunities, including setting up the prestigious Oxford choirs VoX and Opus 48. The choir established itself formally to be administered by a committee under the musical direction of Bernard West. Its core membership grew to over 50 singers who live both close-by and who travel from further afield, including Stow-on-the-Wold, Moreton-in-Marsh, Hook Norton, Banbury and Oxford.

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When Bernard left in 2023 after a valiant ten years directing the choir, Matthew Foster, a recent graduate and organ scholar of Lincoln College, Oxford, became Musical Director. He has brought a youthful energy and enthusiasm and a willingness to challenge the choir with some more complex -- but very rewarding -- music.​

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Throughout its existence, The Wychwood Chorale has remained a mixed-ability, non-auditioned choir that does not charge for tickets to its performances, rather relying upon voluntary collections at its concerts which contribute towards supporting predominantly smaller, local charities. The choir itself was awarded charitable status in 2018.

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The choir has sung at the following venues/events:

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Chipping Norton Music Festival 2011, 2015, 2018

Chipping Norton Town Hall

St Nicholas' Church, Chadlington

Chadlington Carols on the Stocks

Chadlington Beer Festival

Chadlington Apple Day

St Mary's Church, Charlbury

St Mary's Church, Chipping Norton

Chipping Norton Methodist Church

St John the Evangelist, Little Tew

St Kenelm's Church, Enstone

St Michael's and All Angels Church, Leafield

St Simon & St Jude, Milton-under-Wychwood

All Saints' Church, Churchill

Holy Trinity Church, Finstock

All Saints' Church, Spelsbury

Spelsbury Village Hall

Kingham Hill School

Co-Op, Chipping Norton

Kingham Lodge, Kingham

St Ecgwins Church, Honeybourne

St Mary the Virgin, Shipton-under-Wychwood

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