Oxonmoot 2024

Following last year's success, I'm happy to announce the return of the Oxonmoot Scratch Choir! In this workshop I'll teach you a piece of choral music which, if all goes to plan, we can then perform on Saturday evening as an Entertainment. This was fantastic fun last year and very well recieved. No previous singing experience is necessary: the only requirement is that you love to sing! I very much look forward to seeing you there.

In order to perform on Saturday evening it is essential that the whole choir is present for the Entertainment soundcheck on Saturday afternoon. Our soundcheck time is 2pm. If this is an issue please don't let it stop you coming to the workshop: we will try to sort any problems out as best we can to let everyone be involved.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
This year I'll be teaching one of my own compositions entitled Anchor. This piece was written for a character in my own fantasy writing, and fits very well with themes in Tolkien's work such as fellowship and adventure.

If you scroll down this page, you will find the vocal score and rehearsal tracks recorded by my good friend Susan Harknett, which you can use to familiarise yourself with the piece before the workshop if you would so desire. This isn't a requirement, but I know some people like being able to look at things in advance.

A note on rehearsal tracks:

• There are three main parts: soprano, alto and tenor. Men with lower voices don't panic: the tenor part isn't very high! The track for each part is recorded with the other two quieter in the background to allow you to hear how it fits together. Altos have the tune for most of the piece.
• If you are super confident and feel able to look at more than one part, that might be useful in helping balance numbers on each part in the workshop.
• Men: you may notice that there are a few bars towards the end of the piece (from letter E) where the written line is different from the recording. Mostly it is simply an octave down from what is recorded in these bars. This is because the tracks were originally created for an all female choir. I expect you will be more comfortable singing it as written.

This is an opportunity to perform music or sing in an informal and supportive setting. We'll form a ring (if the room format and numbers allow) and go round with those who wish to do so performing a song or piece of music - whether that's a song from the movies, your own setting or composition, a filk (parody) song or another piece of music. There will also be some songs for everyone who wishes to join in and sing / play along. (If you want to look at these singalongs in advance, there are words/chords attached on Sched plus mp3 demos for a couple where the tunes may be unfamiliar). The session will be hybrid and online performances will also be welcome. Performances should be short however (song length) so we can get round as many as possible. If there is spare time we can try and go round again for additional contributions. There's no minimum (or maximum) musical standard, all performances will be positively received, and if you want to come along and just listen, that is fine too. If you're travelling and can't bring your instrument we may be able to lend you one on the day.

For many years the Tolkien Estate has refused to allow any musical treatment of the works of the author which employed his own words. They had however already agreed to make a concession in respect of the music of Paul Corfield Godfrey, whose cycle of “epic scenes from The Silmarillion” was finally completed in 2023 with the issue of a ten-CD series of recordings from Volante Opera and Prima Facie Records.

In this first of two talks the composer will be playing extracts from all five parts of the epic scenes and giving a brief introduction to the music. We will begin with the prologue to The War of Wrath, the final section of the score which was only written in 2019, and then proceed through the other works beginning with The Children of Húrin from 1982 - excerpts from which were performed at Oxonmoot the following year. Copies of the CDs and scores will be available for purchase, and we will also be looking forward to the recordings of both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit which have been granted copyright permission by the Estate.