Select a region
A Jersey student studying at Oxford has brought her university choir to Jersey to bring a taste of its choral tradition to the island she calls home.
Katie Bastiman (21), who studies French and Italian at Somerville College, arrived in the Channel Islands with Somerville Choir this week.
On Friday, the mixed voice group performed in Guernsey, before journeying to Durrell, where they performed a selection of tunes spanning various ages and composers – from Tallis and Howells, to the more modern Chilcott and Rutter – last night.
Tonight, they’ll be performing at Chateau Vermont.
Video: Somerville Choir performing Cecilia McDowall - O Oriens.
Katie, who was Music Captain at JCG prior to university, told Express she was “so excited” to be able to perform at home.
“The choir has been an enormous part of my university experience, and I’m so proud of our beautiful island, so the opportunity to bring those two things together is amazing. I’m looking forward to a fun-filled weekend and the chance to bring a taste of the Oxford choral tradition to the Jersey stage,” she said.
The Channel Islands tour comes after the choir became the first in Oxford to tour India, inspiring the group to use their performances as a fundraising opportunity.
Video: Somerville Choir performing John Taverner - Mater Christi sanctissima.
“There will be a retiring collection for the Karta Initiative, a social mobility movement that works to bridge the divide between underprivileged youth and leading educational opportunity. We worked with the Karta Initiative during our tour to India last December in order to bring a little of the Oxford experience to disadvantaged young people in Mumbai, and we are delighted that a Karta student will be beginning their studies at Somerville college next year!” Katie added.
Explaining the reasons behind the pieces being performed, conductor and musical director Will Dawes commented: “The pieces we're singing are a selection of works in the repertoire of the college choir. Being a non-denomonational college with a Chapel which is not consecrated means that we're able to perform a huge variety of music, such as all the pieces we'll be singing on this trip.
“The programme comprises works by British composers who had an interest in other cultures e.g. Tavener converted to Greek Orthodox, and Holst had a fascination with all things Sanskrit. Taverner and MacMillan represent Catholicism, with Tallis representing the origin of the Church of England. All in all, a mixed bag!”
Somerville Choir will be performing at Chateau Vermont between 18:30 and 19:30 tonight. Click here for more information.
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.