- London Oratory School Schola
The London Oratory School Schola was established in 1996 and is a
choir for catholic boys. The current director of the Schola is Lee Ward. The choir's patrons areHRH Princess Michael of Kent , the actorSimon Callow and the composerJames MacMillan (musician) . [http://www.boysoloist.com/artist.asp?VID=623 "London Oratory School Schola"] , Boy soloist, "accessed2 May 2008 "]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] . [ [http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral/music/bios.shtml#4 "Michael McCarthy"] ,
Washington National Cathedral , "accessed2 May 2008 "] 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. [ [http://www.stmarylebone.org.uk/music04.htm "Director of Music: Steven Grahl MA (Oxon), PGDip (RAM), FRCO"] , St Marylebone Parish Church, "accessed4 May 2008 ] The current director isLee Ward , who combines work as Director of the Schola with his duties as Director of Music at theLondon Oratory School . He is also Director of Music atSt John-at-Hampstead Church and a renowned organist who performs both in the UK and abroad. [ [http://hampsteadparishchurch.org.uk/data/staff.php "People - Lay People"] , The Parish Church of St John-at-Hampstead, "accessed4 May 2008 ]Performances
On
7 July 2007 the Schola performed a concert inRome , backed by the Vatican, with the "Orchestra Philarmonia Di Roma". The concert, written byMichael D’Alessandra , aimed to recall the glory ofRome . [ [http://151.1.143.193/index.php?lnk=700&id=376 "Seventh Heaven Music"] , Rome Reports,10 July 2007 ] [ [http://www.vaticanradio.org/english/Articolo.asp?c=135466 "The London Oratory School Schola"] , Vatican Radio,24 May 2007 ] [ [http://151.1.143.193/index.php?lnk=750&id=376 "Seventh Heaven Music"] , Rome Reports] [ [http://www.eventomusica.net/immaginieventomusica/evento7luglio2007.jpgVatican concert poster] ]The choir's concert for
World Aids Day took place at the "Cadogan Hall " in London on the1 December 2007 . The choir performedGareth Valentine 's "Requiem"),Colin Mawby 's "A Song of Hope" (world premiere) andDuruflé '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 inSwaziland to provide resources for those living withAids and to help prevent family abandonment). [ [http://www.cadoganhall.com/showpage.php?pid=510 "Concert for World Aids Day - The London Oratory School Schola"] ,Cadogan Hall ] [ [http://www.london-oratory.org/downloads/WAD.pdf World Aids Day concert poster] ]Controvesy
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 headteacher of 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. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/nov/08/schools.theatrenews Callow Quits London Oratory Post] [http://www.bigozine2.com/features07/MDterry.html The Pope Vs Terry Higgins]
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. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/nov/08/schools.theatrenews Callow in threat to quit Oratory post | UK news | The Guardian ] ]Recordings
Film soundtracks
The choir has also featured on many film
soundtrack s including "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". [http://movies.nytimes.com/person/550015/The-London-Oratory-School-Schola/filmography "London Oratory School Schola - Filmography"] ,The New York Times , "accessed2 May 2008 "]Audio recordings
The choir recorded an album of Christmas Carols, 'Songs of a Shepherd' in 2001, released on the Herald record label. [ [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shepherd-London-Oratory-School-Schola/dp/B00006S1Y4 "Songs of a Shepherd "] , Amazon.co.uk, "accessed
2 May 2008 "]The London Oratory School Schola worked with the choir of an
orphanage inHarare ,Zimbabwe , to record a version of the popular Christmas carolSilent Night . The orphanage cares for children who were abandoned or whose parents died, largely due toAIDS . This recording supported, and was launched on, theWorld AIDS Day . [ [http://www.zimbabwejournalists.com/story.php?art_id=3363&cat=6 "Silent Night in Zimbabwe"] , Association of Zimbabwe Journalists,24 December 2007 ] Over 50% of the purchase price goes directly to the orphanage in order to assist it with its work. [ [http://www.silentnight2007.com "The Christmas Single of 2007 - Silent Night (Makandifira)] , "accessed2 May 2008 "] .References
External links
* [http://www.london-oratory.org/schola Official site]
* [http://www.london-oratory.org/schola/brochure/Scholabrochure%20Jan%2007-v1.pdf Choir brochure]
* [http://www.itslafoce.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29&Itemid=46 Siena music festival]
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