The Choir of Magdalen College

Founded in 1480, the Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford was then one of the oldest and largest choral foundations in late- medieval England. That historic legacy has been preserved and maintained over five centuries. The Choir exists primarily to sing the daily church services in Magdalen College Chapel. They also sing at a number of special occasions throughout the year, including the famous May Day celebrations, an ancient tradition dating back to 1509.
In recent years Magdalen College Choir has toured Japan, USA, the Caribbean, Hungary, Italy, Belgium and France. In 1997 they made their debut at the BBC Proms. They have worked regularly with the film composer George Fenton, most notably in Richard Attenborough’s movie, Shadowlands, and on the award-winning soundtrack for the BBCTV series, Blue Planet and on the cinematic version, Deep Blue, in which the Choir joined forces with the Berlin Philharmonic. In November 2006 at the Royal Albert Hall they took part in the London premie?re of Paul McCartney’s classical piece, Ecce Cor Meum, written especially for the Choir.

Magdalen College Choir records for harmonia mundi usa. Their 2004 recording, With A Merry Noyse, was nominated for a Grammy, with BBC Music Magazine referring to its ‘perfectly paced dynamics and flawless ensemble’. Their most recent release, Listen Sweet Dove, is of choral and organ music by Bill Ives, the Choir’s currentdirector.