Music

Music in Deddington

by Elsa Williams and Colin Robinson

Deddington is home to many music lovers – from active and retired professionals to those who simply enjoy making and listening to music in their spare time. There's a broad spectrum in the parish.

The Parish Church, with its excellent acoustic and flexible new seating arrangements, is a first class concert venue and is used regularly by local choirs and orchestras as well as by visiting groups. In recent years these have included the Lyra Singers from St Petersburg and the African Children’s Choir. The Church Choir practises on a Friday evening and leads worship week by week, with a monthly sung Eucharist and Evensong. There is also a small music group which takes part in the First Sunday informal service.

The Warriner Choral Society (musical director: Martin Quinn) performs twice a year in Deddington, and Oxford-based chamber choir Choros (musical director: Janet Lincé) regularly uses the church as a venue, as do other local choirs – the North Cotswold Chamber Choir and Akeman Voices. Deddington Primary School stage their major productions in the Parish Church, and recently the community has enjoyed excellent performances of Oliver, Peter Pan and Annie. The church has also been host to the Banbury Symphony Orchestra and to the excellent Brass Bits, lead by local musician Graham Wallington, who also directs the Deddington Boys’ Brigade Band.

The Deddington Festival, which is held annually in June, provides the village with a huge variety of musical offerings, from classical pieces such as Benjamin Britten's, Noyes Fludde and Purcell's Dido & Aeneus to a Palm Court Trio, classical guitar, and evenings of contemporary jazz with local musician Steve Kershaw and his band Stekpanna. (photo Mike Rudge)

The 2010 Festival featured a ‘come and sing’ performance of Carmina Burana, open to all members of the village as well as to local choral societies. The Festival has also been the launching pad for the popular community concert, featuring local talent and selecting themes such as Gilbert and Sullivan, Songs of England, Europe, and the Home Front. Deddington Rocks, an open-air rock concert, has become part of the Festival too, and is providing local bands an opportunity to play and involve younger members of the community.

If it's contemporary party music you're after, then Indigo Child fits the bill; their choice of cover tunes appeals to every generation, whether you just want to listen or are raring to get up and dance. (photo Colin Robinson)

Margaret and Tony Robinson are an acoustic guitar duo. Tony writes some songs but they mostly sing up-tempo stuff, Irish folk music and contemporary well-known songs.

Essentially blues based, the repertoire of Pete Boss and the Bluehearts is a mixture of classic and contemporary blues, R&B and their own songs.

Then there's Joe Newman, a graduate classical guitarist who is available to perform at weddings and corporate events. (photo Julian Elkan)

Music plays a key role, too, in the popular January Pantomimes from the Deddington Players, performed in the Windmill Centre and featuring increasing numbers of children. And the bell ringers, who practise on Monday evenings, make a delightful contribution to the musical life and atmosphere of the village. There is something for everybody to enjoy and get involved in, and newcomers to the village are welcome to make themselves known and join in.

 
Here are some helpful contacts:

Bell Ringing: Colin Cox: Tel: 01869 337486
Brass Bits: Graham Wallington: Tel: 01869 338088
Church Choir and Warriner Choral Society: Elsa Williams: Tel: 01869 337238
Classical instrumental music: Donald Lane: Tel: 01869 337199
Deddington Festival: Eileen Anderson: 01869 338325
Gilbert and Sullivan: Wendy Burrows: Tel: 01869 338082