


Collection Description
Collection Title
Oxford Chamber Orchestra (1936-43)
Unique Identifier
MS.Top.Oxon.d.777/2
Description
A miscellaneous collection of handbills and programmes for performances given by the Oxford Chamber Orchestra at various venues in Oxford and Oxfordshire between 1936 and 1943.
This material is arranged chronologically and pasted into an exercise/scrapbook. Many of the programmes are accompanied by press cuttings and/or correspondence.
The majority of the concerts were led by Mary Gotch. For information about the conductors, see below.
The programmes have been listed here by venue:
1. College venues
- Balliol College
- Exeter College
- Keble College
- Queen's College
- Regent's Park College
- St. Peter's Hall
- University College
- Worcester College
2. Town Hall
3. Miscellaneous Oxford venues
4. Oxfordshire venues
1. College venues
- Balliol College/Balliol College Musical Society
29 November 1936 and 3 December 1939: Concert nos. 989 and 1022, conducted by Bernard Naylor/Iris Lemare (handbills).
28 November 1937: Concert no. 1000, with Ernest Walker, William H. Harris, Victor Hely-Hutchinson, Sydney Watson and Balliol College Choral Society (with words).
- Exeter College/Exeter College Musical Society
26 May 1936 and 25 May 1937: Eights Week Concerts, conducted by John Gardner (with words and notes).
25 February 1937: Recital, with Jean Hamilton (piano), conducted Bernard Naylor (handbill).
18 July [1942]: Austrian Serenade Concert, conducted by Herbert Withers (handbill).
- Keble College/Keble College Musical Society
25 May 1938 and 24 May 1939: Eights Week Concert, conducted by George H. Brough (with wordbook and a list of the choral ensemble).
- Queen's College
25 November 1937, 10 March, 26 May and 1 December 1938, 25 May and 7 December 1939, 13 June 1940, 3 December 1942: Eglesfield Musical Society, conducted by Bernard Naylor (to May 1939), Bernard Rose (December 1939 and 1940) and Thomas Armstrong (1942) (with list of the orchestral ensemble for May 1939).
Sunday 18 June [1939]: Serenade Concert with Pompilia Legge (viola), conducted by Bernard Naylor (handbill).
- Regent's Park College, Helwys Hall
Thursday 18 December [1941]: conducted by Herbert Withers (with list of the orchestral ensemble).
- St. Peter's Hall/St. Peter's Hall Music Club
Hilary Term 1937: Arthur Cranmer (baritone) and the St. Peter's Male Voice Choir, conducted by Bernard Naylor.
[1938]: Eights Week Concert with George A. Thewlis (baritone), the St. Peter's Male Voice Singers and St. Hilary's Madrigal Society, conducted by Bernard Naylor (with words).
- University College/University College Musial Society
23 February 1936: Choral-Orchestral Concert with Victor Evans (baritone), conducted by Trevor Harvey (with words).
28 February 1937: Barbara Smyth, Jean Hamilton and Phyllis Brown (piano), conducted by John Webster (handbill).
2 March 1941: Bach Concert, conducted by John Webster.
- Worcester College, Provosts' Lodgings
29 May 1937: Serenade with Valentine Vishnevsky (soprano), conducted by Denis Mulgan (handbill).
2. Town Hall
21 February 1936 and 9 February 1938: Grand Concert in aid of the University and College Servants' Cricket and Rowing Team, conducted by Reginald Jacques/Bernard Naylor.
7 March 1937: West Oxford Choral Society Thirtieth Anniversary Concert with Mabel Ritchie, Horace Allen and Charles Draper (vocal), conducted by Hugh Allen and Frederick Burton (with words and lists of the choral ensemble).
1 May 1938, 25 August 1940 and 17 November 1940: Oxford Madrigal Society, conducted by Bernard Naylor/Denis Mulgan/Reginald Jacques.
22 March 1940: Handel, The Messiah given by Malvern College with the West Oxford Choral Society and May Bartlett, Kathleen Whitlock, Frederick Burton and Howard Fry (vocal), conducted by John A. Davison.
19 November 1941 and 11 November 1942: Oxford Wartime Concerts, conducted by Thomas Armstrong and Sophie Wyss (1942 only) (handbills)
14 March 1943: Handel, Messiah with Joan Taylor, Eileen Pilcher, Edward Reach and Victor Harding (vocal) and the Oxford Harmonic Society, conducted by George A. Thewlis (with notes).
3. Miscellaneous venues
13 March 1936, [Gunfield, Norham Drive]: Oxford Ladies' Musical Society 457th Concert, conducted by Reginald Jacques (with list of the orchestral ensemble).
21 May 1936, [Carfax Assembly Rooms]: Oxford University Opera Club Summer Concert, conducted by Sydney Watson (with words).
27 July 1937 and 2 and 3 August 1938, [Old Playhouse]: Oxford Summer Diversions, conducted by Bernard Naylor.
30 November-4 December 1937, Playhouse: Dido and Aeneas/Master Peter's Puppet Show, presented by the Oxford University Opera Club (with notes, including biographical notes with photographs and detailed lists of the cast, including of the orchestral ensemble).
27 February 1940, Holywell Music Room: Oxford Wartime Music Club, conducted by Iris Lemare (handbill with list of the orchestral ensemble).
8 June 1940, Rhodes House: Serenade Concert with Joy Boughton (oboe), conducted by Iris Lemare (with notes).
Monday 18 November [1940], Taylor Institution: Concert in aid of local Y.M.C.A. R.A.F. Canteens, with Leonard Gowings (vocal), conducted by Reginald Jacques (A4 poster).
May 1941, Playhouse: The Imbroglio, Opera in Two Acts by Vere Somerset, conducted by Charles Rankl (with plot synopsis, a list of the orchestral ensemble and photographs).
Thursday 8 January [1942], Taylor Institution: Holiday Concert for Children, conducted by Herbert Withers, including Carols conducted by Thomas Armstrong (with words).
Friday 9 January [1942], Rhodes House: Second Week-End of Music, conducted by Herbert Withers (handbill with list of the orchestral ensemble).
5 May 1942, [no venue]: conducted by Herbert Withers (with list of the orchestral ensemble).
14 February 1943, Sheldonian Theatre: Bach Concert with James Ching, Thomas Armstrong and Betty Reeves (piano), conducted by John Webster (with notes).
28 March 1943, Sheldonian Theatre: James Ching and Betty Reeves (piano), E. Bryan Gipps (violin), Eric Ashcroft (flute) and Herman Simberg (tenor), conducted by John Webster (with notes)
4. Oxfordshire venues
[no date] [no venue]: Headington Musical Society, including Edward German, Tom Jones (concert version), conducted by Frederick Wade.
Sunday 7 June [1942], Banbury County School: Girls' Service Corps, conducted by Herbert Withers (handbill).
18 May 1943, St. Mary's Church, Banbury: Mozart, Requiem, with Banbury County School and Fulham County School, conducted by Mr C. R. Palmer (with words).
29 July 1943, St. Helen's Church, Abingdon: Handel, The Messiah given by St. Helen's Musical Society with Dora Ainley, Mary Lilburn, Leonard Gowings and George Thewlis (vocal).
This material is arranged chronologically and pasted into an exercise/scrapbook. Many of the programmes are accompanied by press cuttings and/or correspondence.
The majority of the concerts were led by Mary Gotch. For information about the conductors, see below.
The programmes have been listed here by venue:
1. College venues
- Balliol College
- Exeter College
- Keble College
- Queen's College
- Regent's Park College
- St. Peter's Hall
- University College
- Worcester College
2. Town Hall
3. Miscellaneous Oxford venues
4. Oxfordshire venues
1. College venues
- Balliol College/Balliol College Musical Society
29 November 1936 and 3 December 1939: Concert nos. 989 and 1022, conducted by Bernard Naylor/Iris Lemare (handbills).
28 November 1937: Concert no. 1000, with Ernest Walker, William H. Harris, Victor Hely-Hutchinson, Sydney Watson and Balliol College Choral Society (with words).
- Exeter College/Exeter College Musical Society
26 May 1936 and 25 May 1937: Eights Week Concerts, conducted by John Gardner (with words and notes).
25 February 1937: Recital, with Jean Hamilton (piano), conducted Bernard Naylor (handbill).
18 July [1942]: Austrian Serenade Concert, conducted by Herbert Withers (handbill).
- Keble College/Keble College Musical Society
25 May 1938 and 24 May 1939: Eights Week Concert, conducted by George H. Brough (with wordbook and a list of the choral ensemble).
- Queen's College
25 November 1937, 10 March, 26 May and 1 December 1938, 25 May and 7 December 1939, 13 June 1940, 3 December 1942: Eglesfield Musical Society, conducted by Bernard Naylor (to May 1939), Bernard Rose (December 1939 and 1940) and Thomas Armstrong (1942) (with list of the orchestral ensemble for May 1939).
Sunday 18 June [1939]: Serenade Concert with Pompilia Legge (viola), conducted by Bernard Naylor (handbill).
- Regent's Park College, Helwys Hall
Thursday 18 December [1941]: conducted by Herbert Withers (with list of the orchestral ensemble).
- St. Peter's Hall/St. Peter's Hall Music Club
Hilary Term 1937: Arthur Cranmer (baritone) and the St. Peter's Male Voice Choir, conducted by Bernard Naylor.
[1938]: Eights Week Concert with George A. Thewlis (baritone), the St. Peter's Male Voice Singers and St. Hilary's Madrigal Society, conducted by Bernard Naylor (with words).
- University College/University College Musial Society
23 February 1936: Choral-Orchestral Concert with Victor Evans (baritone), conducted by Trevor Harvey (with words).
28 February 1937: Barbara Smyth, Jean Hamilton and Phyllis Brown (piano), conducted by John Webster (handbill).
2 March 1941: Bach Concert, conducted by John Webster.
- Worcester College, Provosts' Lodgings
29 May 1937: Serenade with Valentine Vishnevsky (soprano), conducted by Denis Mulgan (handbill).
2. Town Hall
21 February 1936 and 9 February 1938: Grand Concert in aid of the University and College Servants' Cricket and Rowing Team, conducted by Reginald Jacques/Bernard Naylor.
7 March 1937: West Oxford Choral Society Thirtieth Anniversary Concert with Mabel Ritchie, Horace Allen and Charles Draper (vocal), conducted by Hugh Allen and Frederick Burton (with words and lists of the choral ensemble).
1 May 1938, 25 August 1940 and 17 November 1940: Oxford Madrigal Society, conducted by Bernard Naylor/Denis Mulgan/Reginald Jacques.
22 March 1940: Handel, The Messiah given by Malvern College with the West Oxford Choral Society and May Bartlett, Kathleen Whitlock, Frederick Burton and Howard Fry (vocal), conducted by John A. Davison.
19 November 1941 and 11 November 1942: Oxford Wartime Concerts, conducted by Thomas Armstrong and Sophie Wyss (1942 only) (handbills)
14 March 1943: Handel, Messiah with Joan Taylor, Eileen Pilcher, Edward Reach and Victor Harding (vocal) and the Oxford Harmonic Society, conducted by George A. Thewlis (with notes).
3. Miscellaneous venues
13 March 1936, [Gunfield, Norham Drive]: Oxford Ladies' Musical Society 457th Concert, conducted by Reginald Jacques (with list of the orchestral ensemble).
21 May 1936, [Carfax Assembly Rooms]: Oxford University Opera Club Summer Concert, conducted by Sydney Watson (with words).
27 July 1937 and 2 and 3 August 1938, [Old Playhouse]: Oxford Summer Diversions, conducted by Bernard Naylor.
30 November-4 December 1937, Playhouse: Dido and Aeneas/Master Peter's Puppet Show, presented by the Oxford University Opera Club (with notes, including biographical notes with photographs and detailed lists of the cast, including of the orchestral ensemble).
27 February 1940, Holywell Music Room: Oxford Wartime Music Club, conducted by Iris Lemare (handbill with list of the orchestral ensemble).
8 June 1940, Rhodes House: Serenade Concert with Joy Boughton (oboe), conducted by Iris Lemare (with notes).
Monday 18 November [1940], Taylor Institution: Concert in aid of local Y.M.C.A. R.A.F. Canteens, with Leonard Gowings (vocal), conducted by Reginald Jacques (A4 poster).
May 1941, Playhouse: The Imbroglio, Opera in Two Acts by Vere Somerset, conducted by Charles Rankl (with plot synopsis, a list of the orchestral ensemble and photographs).
Thursday 8 January [1942], Taylor Institution: Holiday Concert for Children, conducted by Herbert Withers, including Carols conducted by Thomas Armstrong (with words).
Friday 9 January [1942], Rhodes House: Second Week-End of Music, conducted by Herbert Withers (handbill with list of the orchestral ensemble).
5 May 1942, [no venue]: conducted by Herbert Withers (with list of the orchestral ensemble).
14 February 1943, Sheldonian Theatre: Bach Concert with James Ching, Thomas Armstrong and Betty Reeves (piano), conducted by John Webster (with notes).
28 March 1943, Sheldonian Theatre: James Ching and Betty Reeves (piano), E. Bryan Gipps (violin), Eric Ashcroft (flute) and Herman Simberg (tenor), conducted by John Webster (with notes)
4. Oxfordshire venues
[no date] [no venue]: Headington Musical Society, including Edward German, Tom Jones (concert version), conducted by Frederick Wade.
Sunday 7 June [1942], Banbury County School: Girls' Service Corps, conducted by Herbert Withers (handbill).
18 May 1943, St. Mary's Church, Banbury: Mozart, Requiem, with Banbury County School and Fulham County School, conducted by Mr C. R. Palmer (with words).
29 July 1943, St. Helen's Church, Abingdon: Handel, The Messiah given by St. Helen's Musical Society with Dora Ainley, Mary Lilburn, Leonard Gowings and George Thewlis (vocal).
Format
Date range of collection
1936 - 1943
Accumulation Dates
-
Suggested Audience
Not Specific
Associated People or Organisations
- Wyss, Sophie -
- Withers, Herbert -
- Whitlock, Kathleen -
- West Oxford Choral Society -
- Webster, John -
- Watson, Sydney -
- Walker, Ernest -
- Wade, Frederick -
- University College Musical Society -
- Thewlis, George -
- Taylor, Joan -
- St. Peter's Hall Music Club -
- St. Helen's Musical Society (Abingdon) -
- Somerset, Vere -
- Smyth, Barbara -
- Simberg, Herman -
- Rose, Bernard -
- Ritchie, Mabel -
- Reeves, Betty -
- Reach, Edward -
- Rankl, Charles -
- Pilcher, Eileen -
- Oxford Wartime Music Club -
- Oxford war-time concerts -
- Oxford University Opera Club -
- Oxford Madrigal Society -
- Oxford Ladies Musical Society -
- Oxford Harmonic Society -
- Oxford Chamber Orchestra -
- Naylor, Bernard -
- Mulgan, Denis -
- Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus -
- Lilburn, Mary -
- Lemare, Iris -
- Keble College Musical Society -
- Jacques, Reginald -
- Hely Hutchinson, Victor -
- Headington Musical Society -
- Harvey, Trevor -
- Harris, William H. -
- Harding, Victor -
- Handel, George Frideric -
- Hamilton, Jean -
- Gowings, Leonard -
- Gotch, Mary -
- Gipps, Bryan -
- German, Edward -
- Gardner, John -
- Fry, Howard -
- Exeter College Musical Society -
- Evans, Victor -
- Eglesfield Musical Society -
- Draper, Charles 1869 - 1952
- Davison, John A. -
- Cranmer, Arthur -
- Ching, S. James -
- Burton, Frederick -
- Brown, Phyllis -
- Brough, George H. -
- Boughton, Joy -
- Boettcher, Emily -
- Bartlett, May -
- Banbury County School -
- Balliol College Musical Society -
- Bach, Johann Sebastian -
- Ashcroft, Eric -
- Armstrong, Thomas -
- Allen, Hugh -
- Allen, Horace -
- Ainley, Dora -
Associated Places
- Regent's Park College, University of Oxford: Helwys Hall
- Balliol College, University of Oxford
- Banbury County School
- Carfax Assembly Rooms, Oxford
- Exeter College, University of Oxford
- Holywell Music Room
- Keble College, University of Oxford
- Playhouse, Oxford
- Queen's College, University of Oxford
- Rhodes House
- Sheldonian Theatre
- St. Helen's Church, Abingdon
- St. Mary's Church, Banbury
- St. Peter's Hall, University of Oxford
- Town Hall, Oxford
- University College, University of Oxford
- University of Oxford: Taylorian Institute
Associated Times
This collection is about
Location Details
Bodleian Library, Music Library
Broad Street,Music Library Oxford OX1 3BG Open Map
Website
Email
Telephone
01865 277063
Fax
01865 277182
Visiting Information
Membership fee for users outside the UK academic community; charges for photocopying and inter-library loans
Collections Overview
The collection has very strong holdings of British music and related material acquired in part by legal deposit. Many collected editions and scholarly series. Very strong periodical coverage, including major 19thC European journals. Largest collection of American song material in UK.
For details of other collections held at the same location: See the location record
Additional Collection Information
Accrual Status
closed
Related Publications
Management Information (Type)
Collection Owner(s)
Collection Creator(s)
Collection Collector(s)
Collection Custodians(s)
Associated Collection(s)