The world famous choir of Christ Church Cathedral from Oxford presented their final encore at the National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing, China. As the Choir began to sing a folk song in Chinese, the audience was pleasantly surprised, and greeted their performance with a burst of applause.
This happened on the night of August 8th. The program includes classical selections such as Past Time With Good Company by Henry VIII, and popular songs of Michael Kemp Tippett. Double Trouble from Harry Potter was also on the list. The choir presented some Christian songs as well. Never Weather-beaten Sail, for example, describes how a painful soul longs for God. This song was written by Thomas Compion, a devoted Christian who composed over 20 poems during the turbulent Renaissance.
Choir of Christ Church Cathedral was established in 1526. It is justly famous for the youthfulness of its sound and its daring and adventurous musical programming. There are 15 men and 16 boys in the Choir along with 2 Organists. The boys, ranging from 9-13 years old, have won the hearts of their audience with their angel-like voice and their cute looks on the stage.
Stephen Darlington has been Director at Christ Church since 1985. He is one of the country's leading choral conductors. He emphasizes respect for individuality, and he encourages each singer to create his own musical line. As well as their daily services in the Cathedral, the Choir's reputation inevitably leads to a busy annual program of concerts and overseas tours. The Choir has many award-winning recordings to its credit and works with several international orchestras and soloists.
