Just as in the previous 900 or so Octobers, Oxford University is back for another academic year. Full term (Michaelmas term that is - not Christmas term as everywhere else - Oxford always has to be different) commenced on 12th October, and one of the many activities which has begun again is college chapel. Perhaps surprisingly in this secular age all 38 major colleges are not only nominally still Christian establishments but maintain Anglican (Church of England) chapels, complete with resident chaplain (like a priest or rector in a local church), and, usually, a choir.
Finding out which colleges invite the public to Evensong (generally the main church service held in chapel, normally around 6pm) is a subtle ploy not only for those who like to listen to good music but are frustrated that the beautiful ancient colleges are so often closed to the public: at least they can't stop you going in to pray! Seriously though, most of the colleges do welcome visitors to Evensong, whatever your religion or lack of it.
Here are a few pointers.
The 2014/15 University of Oxford Pocket Diary (a must have for anyone living here I would say) now lists 5 colleges - as well as the University Church - in its 'Times of Services' section. Three of these have always been there, the colleges with the so-called 'professional' choirs. These three, Christ Church, Magdalen and New College differ chiefly from the others in that they still maintain a male only tradition. Boy trebles sing the high bits instead of sopranos, who are usually female undergraduates in the other college choirs. Even these three have developed quite differently over the centuries....
Christ Church's chapel doubles up as Oxford's Cathedral; this is a big advantage for OISE as it means our students can listen to Evensong there almost every night of the year, while Magdalen and New College have services only during the University's (extremely short) terms. Careful though! As nobody can sing 365 nights a year, Christ Church runs a 'B' team in the vacations - you might not get the proper choir at all.
Magdalen is notable in that all the male voices are so-called 'Academical Clerks', i.e. they are all undergraduates with music scholarships. It's also notable in that the school that provides the choirboys, Magdalen College School, is these days almost as famous as the college. It's a secondary school as well as primary, and, judging by A level results, one of the best in the country.
The oldest is New College, founded in 1379. The founder, William of Wykeham, also established New College School in the same year to provide the choristers, and services have been sung - in term time - ever since. Unlike Magdalen the male voices were all professionals, called Lay Clerks, until recent times; now though about half are Academical Clerks. New College probably rates highest in ability - or is it just the wonderful acoustics? In any event a father of a current chorister told me the other day that the standard of music was so high that he feels he is at a concert rather than a church service. A sort of back-handed compliment, I suppose!
The other two colleges are Merton and The Queen's College. The latter has choral evensong at 6.15pm in term time on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, while Merton's evening services are on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. I know Merton has been expanding its choir's scope and activities a lot in recent years, and of course they've got a lot going for them with that wonderful chapel which has now held services for almost 750 years. Merton is now the Evensong of choice for my brother when he comes visiting from Devon, even though he went to New College School as a boy.
Finally I wouldn't write off the other colleges just because they are not in the diary: Worcester College for example runs two choirs, one with all students and one 'borrowing' the boys from Christ Church Cathedral School, and the public is welcome to all of their services.
