Musica Beata was established in early 1994 by two undergraduates of Magdalen College, Oxford -
Nicholas Brown and David Mumford. Their intention was to provide an opportunity for singers of a high standard to rehearse and perform music at a professional level in concert format. They hoped to encourage the singing of quality chamber music in a serious but relaxed atmosphere.
Originally Beata specialised in the field of English music throughout the ages. Early concerts featured the works of Tallis, Byrd, Purcell, Vaughan Williams and Britten. The choir then diversified, looking to the work of lesser known European and American composers such as Zdenek, Kverno and Pinkham, and has performed a very wide range of both sacred and secular music, as well as new music, and pieces written specially for the choir.
More recently it has been closely involved in an ongoing project with the Danish conductor, Peter Hanke, doing workshops that use the concept of choral conducting as an analogue for business leadership. We have recently become the ensemble in residence at the
Said Business School in Oxford, and are involved now with all of their major executive education programmes.
The Choir are pleased to return to the festival this year after the very successful choral conducting masterclasses in Gloucester in 2010.
