The Divine Office: Choral Music at Oxford

The Divine Office Choral Music at Oxford 24–28 September 2012

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The Divine Office Choral Music at Oxford 24–28 September 2012

Up to seventeen performances with eleven ensembles in five chapels and the Sheldonian Theatre – a truly extraordinary musical, architectural and spiritual experience.

The oldest and finest college choirs Provision for music to accompany the liturgy was stipulated by the founders of the major early colleges at Oxford, and choral church music there is still very much a living tradition. Many of Britain’s professional singers and choristers have passed through college choirs. As a consequence English liturgical singing is the best in the world.

Christ Church, Magdalen, Merton and New College choirs remain the finest in Oxford and enjoy international reputations for excellence. All perform in this festival.

Internationally acclaimed professional ensembles Five professional choirs also participate: The Tallis Scholars, the world’s leading performers of Renaissance repertoire; Westminster Cathedral Choir, among the most exalted of liturgical choirs and exceptionally experienced in plainsong; Stile Antico, a young ensemble which has rapidly acquired great acclaim; Sospiri, an Oxford-based choir which specialises in chant; and the Gabrieli Consort, whose a cappella forces are equally brilliant in early and later music.

Instrumental interludes are provided by Phantasm, the viol consort led by the Oxford Professor of Music, Laurence Dreyfus, and the period-instrument orchestra Charivari Agréable, which joins New College Choir for the final concert.

The golden age of English music

An all-inclusive festival

Access to the concerts is exclusive to those who buy a package which includes accommodation in hotels or college rooms, some dinners and lunches, lectures and much else besides. See page 16 for details of what is included.

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The Tudor and early Stuart period was the golden age of English music. Taverner, Tallis, Sheppard, Byrd, Gibbons and many others rank with the greatest of their Continental peers – and many of them studied or taught at Oxford. This glorious body of music dominates the festival.

A second golden age of the English choral tradition arose towards the end of the nineteenth century and continued into the twentieth. This is also well represented, with compositions

by Parry, Vaughan Williams, Holst, Howells and others.

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The Divine Office, Oxford 2012

Introduction A beautiful and suitable city Oxford is one of the world’s great historic cities: a dense accumulation of architecture in every style from the twelfth to the twenty-first century embedded in a web of picturesque streets and alleys and dappled with lawns, trees and riverside meadows.

Reflecting their quasi-monastic origins, many colleges are equipped with cloistral layouts and magnificent chapels, which make Oxford a uniquely apposite location for a celebration of church music.

The Divine Office day itself

Contents

Choirs, Musicians............................. 4, 5 Chapels, Venues................................ 6, 7 Chapel Walks....................................... 7 Concerts........................................... 8, 9 Festival Directors.................................. 9 Divine Office day...........................10, 11

Lectures.............................................. 11 Accommodation............................12, 13

A major feature of the festival is the complete Divine Office, the eight services of the monastic day, performed at the intended times – which means beginning at 1.00am and ending at about 10.00pm.

Even were you to skip the less agreeably timed Offices, you would still be exposed to the oldest living musically enriched ritual in the world.

The most spiritually charged and aesthetically intense experience to have emerged from western civilization has, in essentials, changed little in fifteen hundred years.

Meals.................................................. 13 Miscellaneous Practicalities................ 13 Walking the Thames Valley (pre-festival tour)...............................................14, 15

Related Events.................................... 15 Prices.................................................. 16 Martin Randall Travel........................ 16 Booking Form...............................17, 18

Booking Conditions........................... 19

Highly complex, immaculately administered Martin Randall Travel has devised and run sixty such festivals putting music in appropriate historic buildings and winning accolades for exceptional musical experiences and skillfully managed complexity.

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Illustrations. Front cover: New College, late 18th-century engraving. Opposite: Christ Church Cathedral, wood engraving 1896. Below: High Street, after a drawing of 1888.

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The Divine Office, Oxford 2012

Choirs, Musicians Charivari Agréable

Founded at Oxford by Kah-Ming Ng, Charivari Agréable (‘pleasant tumult’ from a 1707 treatise on accompaniment) is an innovative leader in Early Music, striving to capture the original spirit and sound of its Renaissance, Baroque and Classical repertoire. The ensemble has accompanied over 40 choirs, and while it maintains its close association with Oxford University, it continues to raise its international profile through concerts and recordings – 21 so far.

Born in Malaysia, harpsichordist Dr KahMing Ng studied in Melbourne, Frankfurt, London and Oxford.

Christ Church Cathedral Choir

Sixteen choristers were stipulated in Cardinal Wolsey’s foundation; now there are sixteen boys, six male undergraduates and six male professionals. With the chapel building functioning also as the cathedral of the diocese of Oxford, the college choir is simultaneously (and uniquely) the cathedral choir as well. Stephen Darlington was appointed as organist in 1985 and under his guidance the choir has garnered a glittering profile that includes a number of recordings and television and film credits.

Gabrieli Consort

Founded by Paul McCreesh in 1982, Gabrieli Consort & Players are worldrenowned interpreters of great choral and instrumental repertoire from the Renaissance to the present day. Their performances encompass major works from the oratorio tradition, virtuosic a cappella programmes and mould-breaking

reconstructions of music for historical events. They are regular visitors to the world’s most prestigious concert halls, and their recordings have garnered numerous international awards.

Magdalen College Choir

Magdalen’s internationally famous choir has changed little since its foundation in 1480, still being composed of 16 boys from Magdalen College School and 12 undergraduates. As well as performing its duties in the college chapel services, it regularly gives concerts and live broadcasts and makes recordings. The current Informator Choristarum – Choirmaster, Organist and Tutorial Fellow – is Daniel Hyde. He was an organ scholar at King’s College, Cambridge and held various choir posts at the university. He continues a freelance career as organist and conductor outside the university.

Merton College Choir

Choral singing at Merton has been transformed by a recent endowment. With the appointment of Peter Phillips and Benjamin Nicholas as the first Reed Rubin Directors of Music, the choir began singing at services in 2008 and rapidly came to rank among the best in the university. Members are choral scholars at Merton and selected students from other colleges. They produced their first cd in 2011. Peter Phillips is also director of The Tallis Scholars and artistic director of The Divine Office.

New College Choir

Established in the late fourteenth century in accordance with William of Wykeham’s statutes for the college, it remains a

The Tallis Scholars, © Eric Richmond.

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group of 16 choristers and, currently, 14 clerks. It is now one of the most lauded choral groups in Britain and is wellrespected internationally. The timbre of the choir is very recognizable, as is the energy and musicality of its performance.

They perform in concerts in the UK and regularly tour abroad, and have made over 100 cds. Repertoire is very varied, though Renaissance and Baroque are specialities.

Professor Edward Higginbottom has been Director of Music at New College since 1976, and in 2008 was awarded the unique title of Professor of Choral Music in the University of Oxford. Distinguished as organist, choirmaster, musicologist and teacher, he has been highly influential on choral singing in England and beyond.

Phantasm

Phantasm was founded in 1994 by Bach scholar Laurence Dreyfus, Oxford Professor of Music and Fellow of Magdalen College. It has become one of the world’s leading viol consorts and released 13 recordings which have collected a number of accolades, including two Gramophone awards. Specialising in music spanning the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, Phantasm has developed a bold and spirited style which aspires to fulfil the great musical possibilities offered by the viol, inspired by the great string quartets of the twentieth century as well as by the distinct voice of the instrument. In 2010 it was appointed Consort-in-Residence at Magdalen College.

The Tallis Scholars

The Tallis Scholars were founded in 1973 by Peter Phillips. Through their recordings and concert performances they have established themselves as the world’s leading exponents of Renaissance sacred music. Peter Phillips has worked with the ensemble to create, through good tuning and blend, the purity and clarity of sound which he feels best serves the Renaissance repertoire. The Tallis Scholars perform in both sacred and secular venues, giving around 70 concerts each year across the globe. Gimell Records was set up in 1980 solely to record the group, and their recordings have attracted many awards throughout the world including, in 1987, Gramophone’s Record of the Year. w w w. m a r t i n r a n d a l l . c o m

The Divine Office, Oxford 2012

Choirs, Musicians Stile Antico

Stile Antico is an ensemble of young British singers which is now established as one of the most original and exciting new voices in its field. The group performs regularly throughout Europe and North America and their recordings have received major awards. Their Song of Songs won the 2009 Gramophone Award for Early Music and reached the top of the US Classical Chart. Working without a conductor, the members of Stile Antico rehearse and perform as chamber musicians, each contributing to the musical result.

Their performances have repeatedly been praised for their vitality, expressiveness and faithfulness to the text.

Sospiri

Founded in 2006 by its director Chris Watson and composer John Duggan, Sospiri has built up a diverse repertoire and released five cds. Well established in the UK, notably for its performances of plainsong, the choir has begun to gain recognition abroad with tours of France and Italy. Chris Watson has performed as a member of The Tallis Scholars more than 250 times – he will be singing with them for The Divine Office as well as directing Sospiri – and with most of the leading Early Music vocal ensembles.

Westminster Cathedral Choir

Westminster Cathedral is the mother church for Roman Catholics in England and Wales. The choir was founded in 1903, and has since gained a reputation as one of the foremost choirs in Britain, and indeed the world. It has a notable list of recordings to its name, and a history of commissioning new works by such composers as Britten, Vaughan Williams and Tavener. As well as touring in the UK and abroad, and frequently featuring on radio and television, it is the only Catholic cathedral choir in the world to sing daily Mass and Vespers.

Martin Baker was appointed as Master of Music in 2000 after organ and choral posts at Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral, London.

Right: Merton College, etching by Mortimer Menpes (1855–1938). m a rt in r a nda l l t r av e l

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The Divine Office, Oxford 2012

Oxford 2012

Chapels, Venues there was provision for ten chaplains, three clerks and 16 choristers.

Magdalen College

The ambitions and endowment of Magdalen exceeded those of all previous foundations when established by Bishop Waynflete (again of Winchester, again Chancellor) in 1458. On a site outside Oxford’s walls, buildings of several centuries spread across an expansive area which include a deer park beside the River Cherwell.

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o more fitting place than Oxford’s college chapels could be found for performances of the music which features in this festival. In one, Christ Church, liturgical singing has an almost unbroken tradition for well over 800 years; in three others the duration is in excess of 700, 600 and 500 years respectively. In all the chapels the audience sits in stalls alongside or opposite the choir, giving rise to a rare degree of proximity and sense of collegiality. All are buildings of beauty, architecturally remarkable and well embellished with art and craftsmanship.

We are very grateful to the various college authorities for granting us the privilege of using the chapels for this festival.

The chapels are described in the order of the date of their foundation; the secular building follows.

Merton College

There are earlier foundations, but by the generosity of its endowment and by the prescriptions of its 1264 statutes Merton qualifies as the first fully-fledged college in either Oxford or Cambridge. Though haphazard in its development, Mob Quad is the earliest surviving quadrangle in Oxford, and it contains England’s oldest library; 14th-century cusped windows still light student rooms.

The chapel, begun around 1290, is also Oxford’s first. Some say it is also the most m a rt in r a nda l l t r av e l

beautiful, the tracery of the east window ranking with the loveliest of the Decorated phase of English Gothic. Most of the stained glass is original, a rare survival in this city. Building continued for 160 years but the intended nave was never built. The transepts and crossing beneath the tower instead formed an ante-chapel which set a pattern imitated at New College, Magdalen and many other Oxbridge colleges.

Despite 19th-century restorations, making good Reformation iconoclasm, the glorious chapel is little changed since it was built 1474–80. Despite the munificence of the college’s founder, it is not large. With two choirs installed for the Divine Office we can squeeze 110 people into the main body of the chapel (from which flows the upper limit for the festival, 220). The famous tower followed shortly after, 1492–1509.

Waynflete made provision for eight clerks and 16 choristers and an informator choristarum. John Sheppard was among the distinguished holders of this post (1543–48).

New College

Initiated in 1369 and finally begun, with unprecedented munificence in 1379

by William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester and Chancellor of England, it was the first college to be planned from the outset around a large quadrangle and the first in which there were lodgings for undergraduates as well as for fellows. The Great Quad has been largely rebuilt, but the cloister, chapel and hall largely retain their late-mediaeval forms, if restored and embellished in subsequent centuries.

The chapel is one of the most capacious of the purpose-built mediaeval chapels in Oxford (the festival’s concerts here do not have to be repeated). The windows have the first Perpendicular tracery in Oxford; some 14th-century glass survives but much is of the eighteenth century. The building is further distinguished by works by El Greco, Joshua Reynolds and Jacob Epstein.

Musically the most significant of the earlier foundations in Oxford, from the outset

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The Divine Office

Oxford 2012

Chapels, Venues Christ Church

When Thomas Wolsey founded Cardinal College in 1525 he intended it to outshine all its predecessors. Despite his fall from favour and Henry VIII’s confiscation of his property and endowments, Christ Church, as it was renamed, retained primacy in matters of size. The (unfinished) quad is the largest in Oxford, it boasts the biggest 18th- and 19th-century college buildings and the chapel is by far the most capacious – but its spread through aisles, transepts and chantry chapels betrays its noncollegiate origin.

Wolsey had intended to demolish the 12th-century church of the suppressed priory of St Frideswide but it was saved by his demise. Truncated, it became the college chapel and then, in 1546, a cathedral. The resultant combination of collegiate and diocesan functions remains unique. Basically Romanesque, there are Gothic insertions and extensions, notably the vaults with their pendant bosses. One of England’s smallest cathedrals, it is the largest college chapel, but for reasons of sight and sound we are limiting attendance at the concerts here to 110.

Wolsey established 16 choristers and chose the first informator choristarum, John Taverner, greatest of early Tudor composers.

Keble College

Keble College was founded in 1870 in memory of John Keble, the High Church Anglican. An aim was to cater for those who could not afford to attend the traditional colleges and to educate priests who might encourage a more sacramental style of liturgy. Today’s students study for a wide range of subjects.

The buildings were designed by William Butterfield, one of the most original and perhaps the best of English Gothic Revival architects. But within a generation, and for nearly a hundred years thereafter, Keble became a byword for the ugliness of High Victorian architecture. It has been little more than a generation since opinion reversed again, and nowadays Butterfield’s vigorous, assertive and colourful designs are widely appreciated as among the finest of their era. The soaring chapel, internally enriched with glazed bricks, tile mosaics and carved alabaster, is a glorious creation. m a rt in r a nda l l t r av e l

Sheldonian Theatre

Built 1664–67 to accommodate university ceremonies, the building was designed

by Christopher Wren, then Professor of Astronomy. It was based loosely on the ancient Theatre of Marcellus in Rome and has a semicircular auditorium. The Sheldonian can claim to have the longest musical history of any secular building in Britain, and the most distinguished; Handel and Haydn were among the many composers to hear performances of their own works here.

Illustrations. Opposite, top: Merton College Chapel, steel engraving c. 1850. Opposite, below: Magdalen Chapel from Magdalen College Oxford, 1907. Above: Christ Church, from a pen drawing c. 1900.

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Chapel Walks

Visits to chapels with an architectural historian are offered as an optional extra.

There are two itineraries, each examining two chapels, each lasting 90 minutes and each limited to 16 participants. They provide the opportunity to learn about buildings in which you will be spending quite a lot of time.

The lecturers are John McNeill and Dr Cathy Oakes, both historians of mediaeval architecture and residents of Oxford.

The price is £25 per person. There are limited slots available for the walks, given the festival’s full programme, so we recommend you make your requests at the time of booking.

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Concerts Christ Church Choir

in Christ Church Cathedral The Treasures of Christ Church

All the music in this concert has a Christ Church connection: the manuscript is in the library or the composer is associated with the college. It starts with Renaissance works (Taverner Christe Jesu, Tallis Salvator mundi, Parsons Ave Maria, Byrd O Lord make thy servant Elizabeth, Gibbons Great Lord of Lords, Weelkes Hosanna) and moves via the Baroque (Purcell O God thou art my God and Handel Zadok the Priest) into the twentieth century (Howells Like as the hart, Walton Set me as a seal and Jubilate). There are short organ interludes.

Gabrieli Consort

in Keble College Chapel Close Thou Thine Eyes

The Gabrieli Consort is renowned for devising a series of stunning a cappella programmes. On this occasion, with 22 singers, they draw on their acclaimed programme The Road to Paradise to create a programme of reflective music for the end of the day, with John Sheppard’s votive antiphon Media vita in morte sumus, William Byrd’s Christe qui lux es et dies, A Good-Night by Richard Rodney Bennett, Nunc dimittis by Gustav Holst and, by William Harris, organist at Christ Church and New College, Bring us, O Lord God.

Magdalen College Choir

Merton College Choir

Drawing on the wealth of music connected with Magdalen and previous holders of the post of Informator Choristarum, Daniel Hyde directs the choir in a programme entirely by Magdalen composers including works by John Sheppard (Libera nos, salva nos), Richard Nicholson (O pray for the peace of Jerusalem), Thomas Tomkins (My beloved spake), Daniel Purcell (Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis), John Stainer (I saw the Lord and Lead kindly light) and Bernard Rose.

Merton’s choristers begin their concert with motets by Tallis, Byrd and Weelkes, highlights of the Tudor and Stuart ages.

They continue with the three major composers of the second Golden Age: from the Songs of Farewell by Sir Hubert Parry (Oxford Professor of Music 1900–08); Valiant for Truth and movements from Mass in G minor by Parry’s pupil, Ralph Vaughan Williams; the programme finishes with the lushly melancholic Take him, earth, for cherishing by Herbert Howells.

in Magdalen Chapel Floreat Magdalena

More about the concerts: practical information Exclusive access. The concerts are private, being planned and administered

by Martin Randall Travel exclusively for an audience consisting of those who have taken the full festival package.

Seats. Specific seats are not reserved. You may sit were you want or where there is space. Most seating is stalls or pews.

Secular. All the performances are concerts rather than religious services.

Repeats. Only two of the five chapels used for this festival, New College and Keble College, can accommodate the whole audience with satisfactory acoustics and sightlines. Concerts in the other chapels are therefore repeated – or, for the Divine Office itself, there are two simultaneous performances.

Duration. Most are a little less than an hour. Matins may be 80 minutes, while four of the Offices are about half an hour.

None of the concerts has an interval.

You don’t have to attend them all!

Seventeen concerts is a lot to absorb in five days. To conserve your energies it might be wise to omit one or two.

Tickets for individual concerts may be put on sale from 3rd September, if any spare places remain, to those who have registered interest before this date.

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in Merton College Chapel The Golden Ages

New College Choir in New College Chapel Festal Evensong

Evensong is an Anglican fusion of Vespers and Compline devised in the reign of Edward VI by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. This concert version, without a priest but with a cantor, includes an introit

by Jonathan Dove, responses by Richard Ayleward, hymns by Tallis and Goss, Magnificat and Nunc dimittis by Howells and anthems by William Boyce and Samuel Sebastian Wesley. It begins and ends with organ voluntaries by J.S. Bach.

Illustrations. Above, Magdalen Collge Choir. Right: Christ Church, wood engraving after a photoghraph 1896. w w w. m a r t i n r a n d a l l . c o m

The Divine Office

Oxford 2012

Concerts Phantasm

in Magdalen College Chapel A Pageant of English Viol Consorts

In the intimate surroundings of Magdalen Chapel, considered to possess one of the finest acoustics in Oxford, this recital presents some of the finest pieces for three, four or five viols from the Elizabethan Age to the Restoration. Composers include William Byrd, Orlando Gibbons, John Jenkins, John Ward, Henry Purcell and William Lawes.

Stile Antico

in New College Chapel Festive Vespers

This programme juxtaposes late mediaeval Franco-Flemish composers with their English Tudor counterparts. Extraordinary musical brilliance has been lavished on this, the evening Office, most of all the Magnificat canticle (‘My soul doth magnify the Lord’). Two versions are included, by Robert White and Nicolas Gombert. There are two versions also of Nesciens mater, by Jean Mouton and Walter Lambe, and Ave maris stella is sung to a setting by Jacob Regnart. There are four interludes of chant, and the concert finishes with the – well – glorious Gaude gloriosa by Thomas Tallis.

The Tallis Scholars

in Christ Church Cathedral Taverner’s Missa Gloria tibi Trinitas

The outstanding composer of the early sixteenth century, John Taverner was for five years from 1526 the first organist and director of music (Informator Choristarum) at Cardinal College (later renamed Christ Church). It is likely that this, Taverner’s most celebrated example of his festal church music, was first heard in the church where it is performed in this festival. There are two insertions by Tallis, Lamentations I and Audivi vocem.

New College Choir and Charivari Agréable in the Sheldonian Theatre Mozart at Salzburg Cathedral

The final concert consists of two of Mozart’s finest ecclesiastical works, both written shortly before he left episcopal employment at Salzburg for a freelance career in Vienna. The Coronation Mass K.317 is his most celebrated complete setting (epistle sonatas will be added), and Vesperae solennes de Dominica K.321 has a full set of five psalms and the Magnificat.

Details of the Divine Office day itself – a further eight concerts – are given overleaf.

Festival Directors Peter Phillips, Artistic Director

Reed Rubin Director of Music at Merton College and founder of The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips won an organ scholarship to St John’s College Oxford in 1972. He has dedicated himself to the research and performance of Renaissance polyphony, appearing in over 1600 concerts and making over fifty discs. As a result of his work, Renaissance music has come to be accepted as part of the mainstream classical repertoire. He contributes a regular music m a rt in r a nda l l t r av e l

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Walter Lambe (c. 1450–1504) Jean Mouton (c. 1458–1522) John Taverner (1490–1545)

Nicolas Gombert (c. 1495–c. 1560) Thomas Tallis (1505–1585)

John Sheppard (1515–1558) Robert Parsons (1535–71/2)

Robert White (c. 1538–1574) Jacob Regnart (c. 1540–1599) William Byrd (1543–1623)

Richard Nicholson (1570–1639) John Ward (c. 1589–1638)

Thomas Tomkins (1572–1656) Thomas Weelkes (1576–1623)

Orlando Gibbons (1583–1625) John Jenkins (1592–1678)

William Lawes (1602–1645)

Richard Ayleward (1626–1669) Henry Purcell (1659–1695)

Daniel Purcell (c. 1664–1717)

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) William Boyce (1711–1779)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) John Goss (1800–1880)

Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810–1876) John Stainer (1840–1901)

Hubert Parry (1848–1918)

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958) Gustav Holst (1874–1934)

William Harris (1883–1973)

Herbert Howells (1892–1983) William Walton (1902–1983) Bernard Rose (1916–1996)

Richard Rodney Bennett (1936–) Jonathan Dove (1959–)

column to The Spectator and is owner and publisher of The Musical Times, the oldest continuously published music journal in the world.

Martin Randall

The festival was devised by the eponymous founder and Chief Executive of Martin Randall Travel Ltd. An art historian by training, he began in the travel business in 1979 and founded the company in 1988. He is largely responsible for the detailed planning, logistical and musical, of The Divine Office.

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The Divine Office

Oxford 2012

The Divine Office day T

he central component of the festival is the performance of the complete Divine Office, within the span of a single day and at the appropriate times. There are eight Offices of the Hours; the first, Matins, begins at 1.00am and the eighth, Compline, finishes towards 10.00pm.

sleep deprivation: vocal stamina, and the quantity of plainchant whose singing is a specialist skill which is not easily mastered.

Our solution is to engage two choirs for most of the Hours, one to perform the chant and the other the polyphony – formerly standard practice in the better endowed cathedrals and colleges.

The principal features of the Offices are the chanting of psalms with their antiphons, the singing of hymns and canticles, and the chanting of readings from the Bible with sung responsories. The most spiritually charged musical tradition to have emerged from western civilization has, in essentials, changed little in nearly fifteen hundred years. Aspects may go back further: the roots of plainchant (‘Gregorian’ chant) may lie in Jewish or Pharaonic practice.

Were you to attend all eight Hours, you would become one of an elite few among living souls who had done so, so rare is the opportunity now. Even were you to skip the less agreeably timed ones, you would be exposed to what may be the most potent spiritual and aesthetic experience available in the western world.

Moreover it could be said, at the risk of divine wrath for extreme hubris, that, musically, this manifestation of the Divine Office will rank as the finest ever performed, it being perhaps unprecedented for so many first-rate choirs to participate.

Though this ‘performance’ of the Divine Office (they are concerts, not services) is basically an authentic rendering as might have been performed in England in the sixteenth century, there are some departures from liturgical correctness. It does not follow the texts prescribed for a particular day, and we err on the side of musical elaboration beyond what is canonically necessary. The polyphonic passages have been selected from among the finest ever composed, within an (hardly limiting) overarching Marian theme.

As the capacity of the chapels is limited, most of the Offices are performed in two chapels simultaneously. Each member of the audience is assigned to a particular set of Hours to ensure maximum variety of choirs and chapels.

We shall ask that there be no applause at any time during the day.

Five choirs take part, two of which, The Tallis Scholars and Westminster Cathedral Choir, have opted to participate in all eight Offices. There are two challenges facing contemporary choirs wishing to perform the complete Divine Office, apart from

Matins, 1.00am

The liturgical day starts with the Night Office, potentially the longest of the Canonical Hours, though we are limiting it to 80 minutes. Musically it is also one of the most important of the Offices, including some of the most ancient chants and finishing with a Te Deum. l Christ Church Cathedral: The Tallis Scholars (polyphony) and Sospiri (chant). l New College Chapel: Stile Antico (polyphony) and the men of Westminster Cathedral Choir (chant).

Lauds, 4.00am

Also called Morning Prayer, Lauds, which in high summer might be at daybreak, is musically also one of the three most important Offices. It includes the canticle Beata es Maria. l Magdalen College Chapel: the Academical Clerks of Magdalen Choir (the men but not the boys; polyphony) and the men of Westminster Cathedral Choir (chant). l Keble College Chapel: The Tallis Scholars (polyphony) and Sospiri (chant).

Prime, 6.30am

A short service, the first of the ‘Little Hours’, we have timed this so that the congregations enter the chapels before dawn and leave in daylight. l Keble College Chapel: The Tallis Scholars (polyphony) and Sospiri (chant). l Magdalen College Chapel: the men of the Westminster Cathedral Choir (chant and polyphony).

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The Divine Office

Oxford 2012

Lectures F

Terce and Mass, 9.15am

our lectures are part of the package, all by leading experts on subjects central to the festival. They are given in lecture halls at Magdalen and Oriel.

The second of the ‘Little Hours’ is followed immediately by Morning Mass, the principal service of the Catholic Church.

New College Chapel has the capacity to accommodate the whole audience so there is only one performance of this pair of services.

Christopher Page on plainchant

l New College Chapel: The Tallis Scholars (polyphony) and the men of Westminster Cathedral Choir (chant).

Professor of Medieval Music and Literature at the University of Cambridge, he is the author of many scholarly works, founded and directed the vocal ensemble Gothic Voices (now with 25 cds) and has presented BBC Radio 3’s Early Music Programme.

Sext, 12 noon

Peter Phillips on polyphony

l Magdalen College Chapel: Magdalen College Choir (with boys; polyphony) and the complete Westminster Cathedral Choir, including the choristers (chant).

Revd Dr Simon Jones on liturgy

As well as Director of Music at Merton College and Director of The Tallis Scholars, the festival’s Artistic Director is a leading scholar of Renaissance music. He teaches the subject worldwide, and is a columnist about music matters for The Spectator.

The third of the ‘Little Hours’ is at the hour which is the sixth, according to the system by which twelve hours are counted from dawn to sundown.

The chaplain of Merton College teaches liturgy and worship to theology students at Oxford University. He is a member of the Church of England Liturgical Commission and chairs the Oxford Diocesan Liturgical Committee.

l Christ Church Cathedral: The Tallis Scholars (polyphony) and Sospiri (chant).

Diarmaid MacCulloch on the English Reformation

None, 3.30pm

Three books by Oxford’s Professor of the History of the Church have won major prizes: Thomas Cranmer: A Life, Reformation: Europe’s House Divided 1490–1700 and A History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years. This last was also an acclaimed sixpart television series, first broadcast in 2009.

The last of the ‘Little Hours’, with a duration of about half an hour. l Merton College Chapel: The Tallis Scholars (polyphony) and Sospiri (chant). l Magdalen College Chapel: Magdalen College Choir (polyphony) and the men of Westminster Cathedral Choir (chant).

Vespers, 6.45pm

Vespers is musically the most significant of the Offices, being the first to admit polyphony and progressing to become the arena for some of the greatest music ever written. The Magnificat is the principal canticle. The boys again join the men of Westminster Cathedral Choir. l New College Chapel: The Tallis Scholars and Westminster Cathedral Choir (including choristers).

Supper follows in either Trinity or Magdalen College Hall.

Compline, 9.15pm

The last Office of the day features the singing of the votive antiphon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. l New College Chapel: Stile Antico (polyphony) and the men of Westminster Cathedral Choir (chant). l Magdalen College Chapel: The Tallis Scholars (polyphony) and Sospiri (chant).

Illustrations. Opposite: Christ Church Cathedral, wood engraving in Old England Volume I 1845. Right: Merton College Chapel, steel engraving 1833. m a rt in r a nda l l t r av e l

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Accommodation, Meals A

ccommodation for four nights is included in the festival package. We have selected four hotels and two colleges for you to choose from.

The choice of hotel or college is the main determinant of variations in the package price. Prices are listed on page 16.

College accommodation: Magdalen College New College

These are student rooms, so most are for single occupancy and all are fairly basic and institutional. On the other hand, they have to be smart and comfortable enough to be let during vacations for conferences and events (an essential source of revenue), and all have en-suite bathrooms (with showers, not baths). Some rooms, especially at Magdalen, are fairly large.

But what you sacrifice in comfort you gain in historic and scenic setting within the cloistered confines of ancient colleges.

At Magdalen rooms overlook the Deer Park. (Note there is no access to indoor common areas except the hall and chapel for breakfasts, dinners and concerts.)

Old Parsonage Hotel 4-star

This is a very attractive hotel. Its core is a lovely 17th-century rectory and the public areas in this part are delightful – colourful, comfortable and idiosyncratic.

A remarkable collection of 20th-century paintings covers the walls. The restaurant is good. After all this charm and warmth, the bedrooms in the new block to the rear are disappointingly ordinary, though they are equipped with all the usual mod cons.

The significant issue is location. The walk to Keble should be under ten minutes, but to Christ Church and Magdalen it would take over thirty minutes at a leisurely pace (the fit and fast could do it in around twenty). Transport by private coach will be arranged for some of the concerts, but our recommendation is that you consider this hotel only if your walking capability is not below three miles an hour for up to half an hour.

There is very limited parking at The Old Parsonage and they cannot guarantee spaces for guests. www.oldparsonage-hotel.co.uk

The Old Bank Hotel 4-star

Housed in a former bank built in the 19th century, this boutique hotel is comfortable and stylish and very well run. It was winner of a Good Hotel Guide César award in 2011. Rooms have modern décor and many have views of spires and rooftops. Rooms at the front of the hotel look out over the busy High Street though noise-proof glazing is effective. All the college venues are within 10 or 12 minutes on foot except Keble, for which 20 should be allowed.

Parking at The Old Bank Hotel is available at no charge and there is no need to pre-book. www.oldbank-hotel.co.uk

Randolph Hotel 5-star

The most famous hotel in Oxford, the venerable Randolph is housed in an austere Gothic Revival building in Magdalen Street. The bedrooms, of which there are several categories, are well decorated in a fairly traditional way and are very comfortable. The suites are particularly

There are a very few twin rooms in both colleges, and in Magdalen some rooms share a private lobby. Otherwise adjacent rooms could be reserved for couples where that is possible. www.magd.ox.ac.uk www.new.ox.ac.uk

Mercure Eastgate Hotel 3-star

Built on the site of a former coaching inn, the Mercure Oxford Eastgate is excellently located for most of the concerts and lectures. Bedrooms have little character but are comfortable with all mod cons. Public rooms are agreeable though, again, are somewhat lacking in character.

Its location in narrow Merton Street makes it probably the quietest of our selection of hotels though some rooms overlook the High Street.

There is a car park which costs c. £15 per night; there is no need to pre-book.

Website: google ‘mercure oxford’. m a rt in r a nda l l t r av e l

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Miscellaneous Practicalities desirable. Public rooms include a ‘Morse’ bar, a bright and airy lounge and a fine restaurant. Rooms with a street view may hear some traffic noise.

Most venues are 15–20 minutes away on foot (despite the address, Magdalen College is the furthest away).

Parking at the hotel costs c. £27 per night and must be pre-booked with the concierge. www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk

Notes on accommodation

Rooms vary. As is inevitable in historic buildings, which most of these are, rooms vary in size and outlook.

Quiet? Those staying in hotels may be affected by some traffic noise.

Accommodation in colleges is quieter.

Suites. Some hotels have suites and deluxe rooms. All are subject to availability at the time of booking.

Prices are given on page 16.

Meals T

hree dinners and one lunch are provided in the package.

On the first night you dine in the hotel or college in which you are staying. On the second evening everyone has dinner in New College Hall.

For the fourth evening dinner is provided between Vespers and Compline in either Trinity or Magdalen College Hall.

Lunch is provided at Magdalen College on either the first or second day, depending on your arrival time (which depends on your chosen accommodation).

Please note: the food provided in college halls is of high quality and such as one might expect of a good restaurant. It is of a standard provided for high table on special occasions and not for students. But note also that in hall you sit on benches, so you will have to swing your legs over them or slide in from the end.

Above: New College, wood engraging 1902. m a rt in r a nda l l t r av e l

Starting and finishing

12 noon: those staying at the Old Parsonage, the Old Bank and the Randolph begin on Monday, 24th September with a lecture at 12 midday at Magdalen College. Note that you are unlikely to be able to occupy your rooms before this time but luggage can be stored at the hotel.

3.45pm: those staying at the Eastgate Hotel or in the Colleges start with a lecture at Magdalen College at 3.45pm.

The last event, the concert in the Sheldonian Theatre, finishes (for everybody) at c. 4.30pm on Friday, 28th September.

Divided audience

Participants will be divided into two audiences for those concerts and lectures in venues that are too small to accommodate everyone. Hence the different starting times given above; these groupings by hotel and college remain constant throughout the week.

Fitness for the festival

There is a lot of walking involved in this festival, and halls are reached via flights of stairs. Participants will need to be able to walk unaided for up to 30 minutes. This is the time it will take slow walkers to get to the furthest event (though most walks are shorter). Traffic restrictions and congestion render coach transport impractical for all but a few occasions.

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Wheelchair users can be accommodated but please discuss your needs with us in advance.

There is no age limit.

Arriving a day early

There may be rooms available in your chosen hotel or college for the night of Sunday, 23rd September. Please make your request as soon as possible as we are holding only a limited number. However, it is often the case that you will find a better rate for additional nights by booking directly with the hotel rather than through us, particularly close to departure.

Getting to Oxford

All Oxford authorities discourage the use of cars. There are five ‘Park and Ride’ car parks surrounding the city. Parking is free in these and the bus costs £2.50 per person. Parking is available at some hotels; see the hotel descriptions. There is no parking at colleges.

There are regular direct trains from London, Southampton, Manchester, York and various other places, and there are frequent coach services from London.

Festival staff will be at the railway station between 10.30am and 3.00pm on 24th September to despatch you in taxis, for which there will be no charge on this day.

Immediately after the last concert, coaches will be available to take you to the railway and coach stations and Thornhill Park and Ride.

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Pre-Festival Tour Walking the Thames Valley 17–24 September 2012 (mz 379) 8 days, £2,380 Lecturer: Dr Paul Atterbury ‘The Thames is no ordinary waterway. It is the golden thread of our nation’s history.’ It is not to disparage Churchill’s irresistibly orotund metaphor to assert nevertheless that, by comparison with the other great rivers of the world, the Thames is puny. But therein lies its enchantment.

While in its lower reaches the river passed through what was for a couple of centuries the largest city in the world and host to its largest port, above the tidal limit at Teddington it was too narrow, too shallow and too meandering to contribute much to the industrial or commercial might of Britain after the Middle Ages. A vital channel of communication when oars and poles were the locomotive forces – not least to transport rulers and courtiers to their country retreats – for much of its length the Thames is now a bucolic backwater, and as a consequence is utterly charming.

This tour selects the most attractive stretches to walk along, but it does not follow a linear journey from one end to the other. While resorting regularly to the towpath (now a designated long-distance

trail, the Thames Path), it also ranges through varied countryside and gentle hills up to a dozen miles away.

It includes a representative spread of the best of the buildings, artefacts and art in the region. As much as anything, this tour is an exploration of the English village. The numerous examples are as well-preserved as they are various. Parish churches and Iron Age forts, manor houses and major mansions, rapturous gardens and leafy churchyards, mediaeval, classical and railway-era bridges, associations with artists and writers, and of course quintessential riverine landscapes: these are chief among the attractions of the tour.

It begins at the edge of London but thereafter omits the larger towns and the more frequented sights. As a travel writer put it in 1910, ‘You cannot rusticate at Reading’. Even Oxford is by-passed, but the timing of this tour allows participants to segue into The Divine Office.

lunch (we do not enter; you’ve probably been before). Then there is a riverside walk from Ham to Richmond, stopping at Ham House to see some wonderfully preserved 17th-century interiors. Cross Petersham Meadows and walk up through an oak wood to the top of Richmond Hill and look back on the famous view of the Thames, inspiration for countless poets and painters.

Total walk: c. 3 miles. First of four nights at Danesfield House Hotel.

Itinerary

Day 3. Marlow, Cookham, Windsor. Walk from the hotel into beech woods on an escarpment of the Chiltern Hills, through farmland and down to Marlow, a pretty little town with a rare early suspension bridge (William Adam 1838). By coach to Cookham, life-long home of painter Stanley Spencer (1891–1959); there is a gallery of his work and a fine parish church. In the afternoon walk through Windsor Great Park and attend evensong with choristers of the Chapel Royal at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. Total walk: c. 4 miles. Overnight Danesfield.

Day 1: Hampton, Ham, Richmond. Leave central London by coach at 11.00am for Kingston and walk from here through the park and gardens to Hampton Court for

Petersham from the Middlesex shore by C.G. Harper, in Thames Valley Villages, 1910.

Day 2: Maidenhead, Eton, Henley. Walk c. 6 miles from Maidenhead to Eton. Pass Brunel’s amazing railway bridge of 1838 and salubrious suburban mansions and into open countryside, shaded by trees. The impressive profile of Windsor, largest and oldest inhabited castle in Europe, looms ever larger. Tour the buildings of Eton College (founded 1440) before driving to Henley-on-Thames to see the River and Rowing Museum. Overnight Danesfield House.

Day 4: Shillingford, Wittenham Clumps, Dorchester, Ewelme. Begin at the river at Shillingford and then walk up to Wittenham Clumps, a pair of hillocks with views over a particularly attractive stretch of the Thames Valley. Descend through woods and cross farmland, passing an Iron Age fort, to Dorchester-on-Thames.

Total walk: c.4.5miles. Visit the abbey church here, one of the finest mediaeval buildings in Oxfordshire, and Ewelme, a unique complex of 15th-century church, almshouses and school, all still functioning.

Overnight Danesfield.

Day 5: Steventon, Sutton Courtenay, m a rt in r a nda l l t r av e l

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Related Events Tours for combining Buscot Park. Steventon has a milelong raised path of mediaeval origin and a number of early half-timber houses. Sutton Courtenay has many fine buildings, and Herbert Asquith and George Orwell are buried here. A 1.5 mile walk passes a stone bridge, a canalised stretch of the Thames and a series of little wooded islands. Drive to Buscot Park, a Palladian mansion with paintings by Burne Jones and outstanding gardens.

First of three nights at the Bibury Court Hotel.

Day 6: Buscot, Kelmscott, Bibury. Begin the walk at Buscot, whose church has a Burne Jones window, and continue c. 2.5 miles beside the Thames, which is now curvy and very rural. Visit Kelmscott Manor, the Tudor house acquired by William Morris, founder of the Arts and Crafts movement. In the afternoon drive back to Bibury for free time there, or an optional 3 mile walk through the Coln Valley finishing at the hotel. Overnight Bibury.

Day 7: Great Coxwell, Uffington, Lechlade. The 13th-century monastic barn at Great Coxwell is a marvel of mediaeval carpentry. The morning walk (c. 3.5 miles) is along a stretch of the Ridgeway Path, a route of prehistoric origins along the North Wessex Downs with panoramic views. See the monumental Uffington White Horse, the only genuinely ancient chalk image in Britain. Lechlade-on-Thames is a vibrant small town with a fine Gothic church and a handsome bridge. Walk c. 3 miles along the river and to Inglesham church, a favourite of William Morris. Overnight Bibury.

Day 8: Thames Head, Kingston Bagpuize.

At last, the source. A soaring rockface, a majestic spurt: an awesome spectacle.

Actually, no. A damp patch, the trickle varying with yesterday’s weather, reached by walking across three fields. Drive to Kingston Bagpuize for a private visit and lunch at this delightful little Baroque mansion. Drive via Oxford (arriving by 3.00pm) to London, arriving by 4.30pm.

m a rt in r a nda l l t r av e l

These small-group tours are within two or three days of The Divine Office and could be considered for adding to the festival.

Practicalities Price: £2,380 (deposit £250). This includes: accommodation as described below; breakfasts, 3 lunches and 5 dinners with wine, water, coffee; transport by private coach; all admissions; all tips for waiters and drivers; the services of the lecturer and tour manager. Single supplement £380.

Dr Paul Atterbury. Lecturer, writer, curator and broadcaster specialising in the art, architecture and design of the 19th and 20th centuries. He has published many books on pottery, porcelain, silver and antiques, also on canals and railways, and two books on the Thames. Apart from childhood boating, his introduction to the river came with the writing of Nicholson’s Guide to the Thames, the research for which included exploring the river from source to sea. He is a long-standing expert on BBC television’s Antiques Roadshow.

Hotels. Between Marlow and Henley (4 nights): Danesfield House Hotel, a Tudor-style country house of 1899 on a hill with fine views over the Thames.

Now a luxurious hotel secluded in fine gardens, the bedrooms are well designed, the common areas impressive and the two restaurants good. Service is excellent. At Bibury (3 nights): Bibury Court Hotel, a beautiful 16th-century country house on the edge of an exceptionally lovely village.

Again, the lounge, bar and restaurant are lovely, and the bedrooms (which vary in size) have been recently refurbished.

How strenuous? There are 7 walks of between 2 and 6 miles, usually on flat and well-trodden grassy paths or tracks through woodland, combined with some paved roads and towpaths. Some walks include ascent and descent, climbing over stiles and, on Day 4, a climb of 230 feet up to Wittenham Clumps. You should be accustomed to countryside walking and prepared for the (sometimes inclement) British weather. Average daily mileage by coach: 40 miles.

Small group: the tour will operate with between 12 and 22 participants.

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Music in the Saxon Hills

A remarkable festival in forgotten Germany 13–19 September (mz 355) 7 days, £2,120 Lecturers: Dr David Vickers, Tom Abbott

St Petersburg

Pictures and Palaces 16–22 September (mz 362) 7 days, £3,320 Lecturer: Dr Alexey Makhrov

Courts of Northern Italy

Mantua, Ferrara, Parma, Ravenna, Urbino 16–23 September (mz 360) 8 days, £1,950 Lecturer: Dr Michael Douglas-Scott

The Heart of Italy

Tuscany and Umbria 16–23 September (mz 375) 8 days, £2,100 Lecturer: Dr Helen Langdon

History of Medicine

Florence, Bologna and Padua 17–23 September (mz 361) 7 days, £2,190 Lecturer: Professor Helen King

Classical Greece

The Peloponnese, Attica and Athens 29 Sept.–8 Oct. (mz 385) 10 days, £3,360 Lecturer: Henry Hurst

Beethoven in Bonn

All the Symphonies 2–8 October (mz 414) 7 days, £2,460 Lecturer: Professor Barry Cooper

Other MRT music festivals in 2012

The other festivals of our own devising, offering outstanding performances of great music in appropriate historic buildings.

The Rhine Valley Music Festival 31 May–7 June 2012

The Danube Music Festival In association with Wigmore Hall 17–24 August 2012

A Festival of Music in Rome 4–9 November 2012

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The Divine Office

Oxford 2012

Prices What the price includes

Concerts. The package includes access to all seventeen concerts including the eight offices of the Divine Office. A few tickets for individual events may be available after 3rd September 2012.

Lectures. There are four talks by leading academics. See page 11.

Accommodation. Four or five nights are spent either in hotels or in college rooms.

See pages 12–13 for details. The choice of

ARRIVING 24 SEPTEMBER Prices are per person

accommodation is the sole determinant of variations in the prices.

Meals. Included in the package are breakfasts, one lunch and three dinners.

Transport. Coaches are provided for some of the events for those staying at the Old Parsonage Hotel and, on the last day, for anyone who wants to be taken to the railway station, bus station or Thornhill ‘park and ride’ car park.

Extras. Tips for restaurant and hotel staff and all taxes and obligatory charges are included.

Festival staff. A team comprising staff from the MRT office and experienced event managers will be present to assist.

Programme book. A publication containing a timetable, practical information, programme notes and much else is issued to all participants.

Single room

Double room for single occupancy

Standard double or twin room

Superior double or twin room

Suite

Magdalen College

£1,820

-

£1,820

-

-

New College

£1,820

-

£1,820

-

-

£2,200

£1,980

£2,100

-

Mercure Eastgate Hotel Old Parsonage Hotel

-

£2,620

£2,300

£2,420

-

Old Bank Hotel

-

£2,620

£2,300

£2,480

-

Randolph Hotel

£2,730

-

£2,420

£2,570

£2,830

Single room

Double room for single occupancy

Standard double or twin room

Superior double or twin room

Suite

Magdalen College

£1,920

-

£1,920

-

-

New College

£1,920

-

£1,920

-

-

Mercure Eastgate Hotel

-

£2,340

£2,070

£2,210

-

Old Parsonage Hotel

-

£2,820

£2,430

£2,570

-

Old Bank Hotel

-

£2,820

£2,430

£2,640

-

Randolph Hotel

£2,900

-

£2,560

£2,720

£3,000

ARRIVING 23 SEPTEMBER Prices are per person

Martin Randall Travel

At Martin Randall Travel (MRT) we aim to provide the best planned, best led and altogether the most fulfilling and enjoyable cultural tours available. Within Europe and the Middle East we offer an unsurpassed range of events focusing primarily on art, architecture and music, and also on archaeology, history and gastronomy.

m a rt in r a nda l l t r av e l

MRT has for over two decades led the cultural tours market through incessant innovation and improvement, setting the benchmarks for itinerary planning, operational systems and service standards.

There are two kinds of holiday, small-group tours and large-group events. Small-group tours, all accompanied by an expert lecturer,

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have 22 participants or fewer. There are now around two hundred a year in nearly forty countries.

Events for between 50 and 300 participants include our famous all-inclusive music festivals, of which there have been about sixty since 1994, and chamber music and literary weekends in the UK. w w w. m a r t i n r a n d a l l . c o m

The Divine Office, 24–28 September 2012 (mz 376)

Booking Form

NAME(S). As you would like them to appear on documents issued to other participants.

1.

2.

ADDRESS for correspondence.

Postcode

Tel (home) Tel (work) Mobile Fax Email Tick if you do NOT want to receive email updates on our range of cultural tours and festivals.

Tick if you do NOT want to receive any more of our brochures.

ACCOMMODATION. Tick your chosen room-type within your preferred hotel and tick if you wish to arrive a day early (23rd September).

Single room

Adjacent single rooms

Double room for single occupancy

Standard double

Standard twin

Superior double

Superior twin

Suite

Arrive a day early

Magdelen College New College Mercure Eastgate Hotel Old Parsonage Hotel Old Bank Hotel Randolph Hotel

PRE-FESTIVAL TOUR. Tick to book (see pages 14–15).

CHAPEL WALKS. Tick to book (see page 7 for details).

Participant 1

Walking the Thames Valley 17–24 September 2012 (mz 379)

New College & Magdalen (£25 per person)

Double room for single occupancy

Christ Church & Merton (£25 per person)

Twin room Double room

m a rt in r a nda l l t r av e l

Participant 2

Spaces on walks are limited to 16 participants. The additional cost will be added to your final invoice.

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The Divine Office, 24–28 September 2012 (mz 376)

Booking Form

PASSPORT DETAILS. In block capitals please. For hotels and in case of emergency during the festival.

Traveller 1

Traveller 2

Title, Surname First name(s) Date of birth (dd/mm/yy) Passport number Place of birth Place of issue Nationality Date of issue Date of expiry

FURTHER INFORMATION or special requests. Please include any dietary requirements.

NEXT OF KIN or contact in case of emergency.

Name

Address

Postcode

Telephone

Relation to you

PAYMENT

We prefer payment by cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We can also accept payment by credit card.

EITHER deposit(s) at £250 per person

£

EITHER by cheque. I enclose a cheque made payable to Martin Randall Travel Ltd. Please write the festival code MZ376 on the back.

OR full payment (due within 10 weeks of departure)

£

OR by credit/ debit card. I wish to pay by Visa debit/ Mastercard/ Amex.

Card number

I have read and agree to the Booking Conditions on behalf of all listed on this form.

Signature

Expiry date

OR by bank transfer. Please use your surname and the code ‘MZ376’ as a reference and please allow for all bank charges.

Account name: Martin Randall Travel Ltd. Royal Bank of Scotland, Drummonds, 49 Charing Cross, London SW1A 2DX Account number: 0019 6050. Sort code: 16-00-38 IBAN: GB71 RBOS 1600 3800 1960 50. Swift/BIC: RBOS GB2L

Date

I have paid by bank transfer.

Martin Randall Travel martin

Start date

From Australia and New Zealand you can contact: Martin Randall Marketing. Telephone 1300 55 95 95 From New Zealand +61 7 3377 0141 Fax 07 3377 0142 anz@martinrandall.com.au

Voysey House, Barley Mow Passage, London W4 4GF From Canada you can contact: Telephone 647 382 1644 Telephone 020 8742 3355 Fax 020 8742 7766 r a n d a l l info@martinrandall.co.uk t r av e l w w w. m a r t i n r a n d a l l . c o m 18 Fax 416 925 2670 canada@martinrandall.ca 5085 www.martinrandall.com From the USA, you can call us toll-free on: 1 800 988 6168

The Divine Office

Oxford 2012

Booking Making a Booking 1. Provisional booking

We recommend that you contact us first to ascertain that your preferred hotel or college and room type is still available.

Then you can make a provisional booking which we will hold for one week (longer if necessary) pending receipt of your completed booking form and deposit.

2. Definite booking

3. Our confirmation

for this tour, with adequate health and repatriation cover. Please register any existing medical conditions with your insurance provider. We also recommend that UK residents take out insurance which would cover losses in the event of your cancelling and the loss or theft of belongings.

The limits of our liabilities

Fill in the booking form and send it to us with the deposit (ÂŁ250 per person). It is important that you read the Booking Conditions at this stage, and that you sign the booking form. Full payment is required if you are booking within ten weeks of the festival.

Upon receipt of your booking form and deposit we shall send you confirmation of your booking. After this your deposit is non-returnable except in the special circumstances mentioned in the Booking Conditions. Further details of the festival may also be sent at this stage.

Booking Conditions Please read these

You need to sign your assent to these booking conditions on the booking form.

Our promises to you

We aim to be fair, reasonable and sympathetic in all our dealings with clients, and to act always with integrity.

We will meet all our legal and regulatory responsibilities, usually going beyond the minimum obligations.

We aim to provide full and accurate information about our tours and festivals. If there are changes, we will tell you promptly.

If something does go wrong, we will try to put it right. Our overriding aim is to ensure that every client is satisfied with our services.

All we ask of you

That you read the information we send to you.

Specific terms Our contract with you From the time we receive your signed booking form and initial payment a contract exists between you and Martin Randall Travel Ltd. Eligibility It is essential to be able to cope with the walking and stair-climbing required to get to the concert venues. See ‘Fitness for the festival’ on page 13. We reserve the right to refuse to accept a booking without giving a reason.

There is no age limit for the festival, though we cannot accept bookings on the pre-festival tours from those who would be 81 or over at the time of departure.

Insurance As a condition of booking with us overseas residents must take out travel insurance m a rt in r a nda l l t r av e l

Passports and visas Overseas clients should check visa requirements for entering the UK with the British consulate in their country of residence.

Visas are not required for nationals of EU countries, the USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. Passports should be valid for at least six months beyond the date of the festival.

If you cancel If you have to cancel your participation in the festival or one of the pre-festival tours, there would be a charge which varies according to the period of notice you give. Up to 57 days before departure the deposit only is forfeited.

Thereafter a percentage of the cost is due: from 56 to 29 days: 40% from 28 to 15 days: 60% from 14 to 3 days (inclusive): 80% within 48 hours: 100%

As principal, we accept responsibility for all ingredients of the festival or tour, except those for which the principle of force majeure prevails. Our obligations and responsibilities are also limited where international conventions apply in respect of air, sea or rail carriers.

If we make changes Circumstances might arise which prevent us from operating the festival exactly as advertised. We would try to devise a satisfactory alternative, but if the change represents a significant loss to the festival we would offer compensation. If you decide to cancel because the alternative we offer is not acceptable we would give a full refund.

English Law These conditions form part of your contract with Martin Randall Travel Ltd and are governed by English law. All proceedings shall be within the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

The day of cancellation is that on which we receive written confirmation of cancellation.

If we cancel the festival or tour We might decide to cancel the festival if at any time up to eight weeks before there were insufficient bookings for it to be viable. We would refund everything you had paid to us. We might also cancel if hostilities, civil unrest, natural disaster or other circumstances amounting to force majeure affect the region.

Consumer protection This holiday is protected by the AITO Trust which means that in the unlikely event of our insolvency you will be refunded any money you have paid to us for an advance booking.

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The Divine Office: Choral Music at Oxford, 24–28 September 2012 Choirs, ensembles and venues: Charivari Agréable Christ Church Choir Gabrieli Consort Magdalen College Choir Merton College Choir

New College Choir Phantasm Sospiri Stile Antico The Tallis Scholars Westminster Cathedral Choir

Christ Church Cathedral Keble College Chapel Magdalen College Chapel Merton College Chapel New College Chapel Sheldonian Theatre

M ARTIN RANDALL TRAVEL M U S I C • ART • AR C H ITE C T U RE • AR C H AE O L O G Y • H I S T O R Y • LITERAT U RE

Voysey House, Barley Mow Passage, London, United Kingdom W4 4GF Telephone 020 8742 3355 Fax 020 8742 7766 info@martinrandall.co.uk From Australia and New Zealand you can contact: Martin Randall Marketing, PO Box 537, Toowong, Queensland 4066 Telephone 1300 55 95 95 Fom New Zealand +61 7 3377 0141 Fax 07 3377 0142 anz@martinrandall.com.au From Canada you can contact: Telephone 647 382 1644 Fax 416 925 2670 canada@martinrandall.ca From the USA there is a toll-free telephone number: 1 800 988 6168

www.martinrandall.com