About us |
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Founded in 1976 as a madrigal choir, The Arcadian Singers are Oxford’s premier independent chamber choir, providing a platform for young singers and excellent music-making. The choir consists mainly of students and staff from the various universities in Oxford. We perform at least one concert a term in Oxford and regularly participate in a wide range of other musical ventures both in and outside the city. Our programming is both innovative and eclectic, ranging from early to contemporary choral music, and has included commissioned works by both young and established composers. Please have a look at our past concerts for an appreciation of recent repertoire.
Over the years we have recorded three successful CDs, premiered several contemporary works, broadcast on BBC Radio 3, performed with professionals such as Katherine Jenkins, and organised regular tours abroad. As well as performing in the many churches and college chapels in Oxfordshire, we have sung services at St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, and since 1995 have been invited to act as the ‘choir in residence’ during the Easter Triduum at Ampleforth Abbey. |
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Director of Music: Gerard Lim
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Choral Conductor and Baritone Gerard Lim is a strong advocate of dynamic performances of choral music, through the idiomatic presentation of texts and vibrant singing. He recently obtained
an MMus in choral conducting at the Royal Academy of Music, under Patrick Russill, graduating with distinction, and a DipRAM in the final recital. Gerard was the Alec Robertson conducting scholar at Westminster Cathedral in his final year at the Academy. In 2024, he placed 3rd at the first ‘Magister Inside’ International Choral Conducting Competition (Arezzo, Italy), and received the Georghe Dima Special Prize in the final of the 20th ‘Gheorghe Dima’ International Conducting Competition (Cluj-Napoca, Romania). In 2022, he graduated with highest distinction, attaining BMus in vocal performance from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory (Singapore). He directed several digital productions while at Yong Siew Toh, during the Covid-19 lockdown. He also prepared the conservatory chorus’ for their performance of J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion. Gerard was director of music for St. Joseph Church (Bukit Timah) for nine years, prior to moving to the UK, conducting for several masses for the Archdiocese of Singapore. He is co-founder and co-artistic director Chroma, which is a collective of singers who seek to present thematic choral programmes, based in Singapore. Gerard currently works for the Westminster Schools Singing programme, and is the Music Director of the Arcadian Singers of Oxford. He was recently appointed as Director of Music at Holy Ghost Catholic Church Balham, and will also take on the role as Music Director of the London Concord Singers and the Parenthesis Choir in January. In his solo singing career, he has performed the baritone solo in Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, conducted by Masaaki Suzuki, and was praised for the ‘great expressiveness and characterisation’ in his singing by The Straits Times. Gerard has also sung the part of Adam in Haydn’s The Creation, the baritone solo in Schubert’s Mass No. 2 in G Major, and in the role of Christus for the St. John Passion. |
