Celebrating 25 years of Oxford Song
24 October 2026, 7:15pm - 9:15pm
Join us for a thrilling concert to end this 25th-anniversary Festival! An exceptional team of artists assembles for a concert that showcases what Oxford Song is all about, with a varied and uplifting take on our theme of ‘Love Songs’.
The concert begins with a new work, Marriage of…?, by our Associate Composer Emily Hazrati and librettist Nazli Tabatabai- Khatambakhsh. We find ourselves behind the scenes at a wedding reception where the chef and sommelier, beneath a surface of humour and wit, are desperately in love with each other. Following this, The Choir of the Queen’s College join with our various soloists to perform Debussy’s glorious, Wagnerian cantata La Damoiselle élue, to a poem by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, which tells of a young woman gazing down from heaven at her beloved, who is still alive, and longing for him to join her in paradise.
Songs and ensembles by Schubert, Chaminade, Bolcom and Brahms complete the programme and bring the Festival to a joyous conclusion.
Please note there will be a 20 minute interval during this event, during which the bar will be open.
The bar at the Olivier Hall will be open throughout the afternoon and evening, and all are warmly invited to join us for a celebratory drink at the end of the concert.
Programme
- Emily Hazrati (1998)
- Marriage of...?
- Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828)
- Nähe des Geliebten D162
- Liebesbotschaft D957a from Schwanengesang
- An die Laute (1827) D905
- Gesang ("Was ist Silvia, saget an") (1826) D891
- Du bist die Ruh (1823) D776
- Bei dir allein! (1828) D866 from Vier Refrainlieder
~~~ Interval ~~~
- Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918)
- La damoiselle élue
- Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828)
- Der Tanz (1828) D826
- Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897)
- Wie bist du, meine Königin (1865) Op. 32 no.9 from 9 Lieder und Gesänge
- Rede, Mädchen, allzu liebes (1869) Op. 52 no.1 from Liebeslieder-Walzer
- Am Gesteine rauscht die Flut (1869) Op. 52 no.2 from Liebeslieder-Walzer
- Junge Lieder I: Meine Liebe ist grün (1873) Op. 63 no.5
- Die grüne Hopfenranke (1869) Op. 52 no.5 from Liebeslieder-Walzer
- Wenn so lind dein Auge mir (1869) Op. 52 no.8 from Liebeslieder-Walzer
- Sieh, wie ist die Welle klar (1869) Op. 52 no.14 from Liebeslieder-Walzer
- Nachtigall, sie singt so schön (1869) Op. 52 no.15 from Liebeslieder-Walzer