Making a heavenly noise

Christ Church Cathedral Choir has sung in England’s Oxford University cathedral since the founding of the college in 1526. The choir will sing as part of WSU’s Rie Bloomfield Organ Series at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 13, in Wiedemann Recital Hall.

The present choir consists of 16 boy choristers and 12 men. The boys are selected between the ages of 7 and 9 by auditions and tests designed to determine their musical and academic ability. Half of the men are professional lay clerks, and the rest are Christ Church undergraduates. Since 1985, Stephen Darlington, a former Christ Church Oxford Organ Scholar and current organist and tutor in music at Christ Church, has been the choir conductor.

The Kansas City Star called the Christ Church Choir performance “an experience to be treasured. The chorus of men and boys sang with an exquisite tuning, a bright, transparent sound and consistently clean execution. In other words, the chorus made perfection a standard instead of a goal.”

The choir is recognized throughout the world for excellence, appearing in London at the Proms, The Queen Elizabeth Hall and St. John’s Smith Square. There have been extensive tours throughout Europe, United States and Australia. The choir has appeared in concert with the famous tenors Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras.

The choir has recorded with orchestras such as the English Chamber Orchestra, London Sinfonietta and the English String Orchestra. Darlington’s recording of Vaughan Williams’ “Oxford Elegy” and “Flos Campi” with the English String Orchestra was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1990.

Tickets are $20 with discounts for faculty and staff. Call ext. 3233 to reserve tickets, which are expected to sell quickly.