Crime & Safety
World-famous Oxford University choir makes historic decision
Founded in 1480, the choir has become one of the most highly regarded ensembles in the UK and is best known for singing to welcome the dawn from the Great Tower of Magdalen College each year on May Morning.
The choir has appeared at the BBC Proms and toured the USA, France, Sweden, Holland, Portugal, and Spain in recent years.
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The choir’s 16 young choristers are from Magdalen College School, originally founded as the Song School for the college, which last month announced its plans to become co-educational from 2027.
The college has now decided to offer choristerships on an equal basis to both girls and boys aged between eight and 13.
To assist in the integration of girls into the choir, the college is to expand the number of chorister places to 18.
The college will continue to pay two thirds of the school fees of all choristers and will, in addition, establish a new top-up bursary fund to pay up to 100 per cent of fees for choristers whose families need additional financial support.
“The college is immensely proud of its musical tradition, and we are delighted to reaffirm and expand our commitment to the Choral Foundation as we approach the 550th anniversary of the statutes establishing the Choir,” said president of the college, Dinah Rose.
“From 2027, Magdalen College Choir will be open to all talented young singers, regardless of their sex or the financial means of their family.”
Mark Williams, musical director and organist, said: “Standing in the college’s beautiful 15th-century chapel on a daily basis, it’s impossible not to feel the weight of history.
“Ours is a living tradition, and this represents a tremendously exciting development as we strive to maintain and nourish that tradition.”
Mr Williams said girls will join the choir in Year 4 in September 2027, leading to a fully mixed cohort by 2031.
He added: “The college has been particularly impressed by the highly successful introduction of girl choristers at similar institutions, including St John’s College, Cambridge, St George’s Chapel, Windsor, and the Temple Church, London, and I have been very grateful to colleagues across the choral world, former choir members and organists, and alumni of the college for their advice and support during our deliberations.
“Our first female organ scholar, Anna Lapwood, came to Magdalen in 2013 and has gone on to a highly successful career.
“The introduction of women altos as academical clerks a few years ago brought a new and valuable element to both our sound and our community, and I am confident that girl choristers will enhance and enrich our choir family in many ways.”
Cherwell District Council is working alongside Banbury Town Council and the Quays Consortium to prepare a formal expression of interest for the new national competition, which aims to celebrate the cultural and heritage contributions of towns across the country.
David Hingley, leader of Cherwell District Council, said: “I’m proud to confirm that alongside our partners we will be submitting an expression of interest for Banbury to be recognised as the UK Town of Culture 2028.
“This competition is our opportunity to show the rich, diverse and historic heritage that makes Banbury so special and unique, and to leave a lasting legacy for the future.
“From our outdoor market, thriving community initiatives, popular festivals, grassroots arts and wellbeing projects, to youth sporting programmes, culture is already at the heart of Banbury, and this bid will help us shine a spotlight on the town, its people and its stories.”
The UK Town of Culture 2028 winner will receive £3 million to deliver a six-month programme of cultural events and activities.
Banbury’s expression of interest will showcase its distinct identity and outline how the programme could broaden resident engagement, increase access to arts and heritage, and involve communities in shaping the design and legacy of the programme.
The council is engaging with partners such as Banbury Museum, The Mill Arts Centre, cultural organisations, businesses, and community groups to strengthen the bid and realise the town’s cultural ambitions.
Helen & Douglas House, which cares for terminally ill children and their families, launched its revamped clothing store on March 12.
The updated shop was opened by BBC Radio Oxford presenter Adam Ball and joins the charity’s refurbished homeware shop, which reopened last September and occupies the other half of the unit.
Baljit Dhindsa, head of retail at Helen & Douglas House, said: “We are delighted to unveil the refurbished space, which has been thoughtfully redesigned to create a brighter, more modern shopping environment while continuing our commitment to sustainability.
“The new layout allows us to showcase an even wider selection of clothing and accessories, with improved displays and more space on the shop floor.
“We have also enhanced accessibility within the shop, including adding an additional accessible fitting room to ensure a comfortable experience for all our customers.”
The reimagined boutique-style shop features a contemporary, urban-inspired design with vintage touches and improved backroom facilities, allowing for increased donations and more efficient sorting.
Proceeds from the store directly support Helen & Douglas House’s hospice care in Oxford and in people’s homes.
Ms Dhindsa said: “When you buy something from our shop for £5, this could pay for arts and crafts materials for local terminally ill children to make Mother’s Day cards whilst staying at the hospice in Oxford.
“Our spring collection is now in store so do pop in to checkout our great range of clothing and accessories and take a look at the wonderful transformation of our shop.”
Cotswold Wildlife Park was established by John Heyworth on the Bradwell Grove Estate and opened on Good Friday, March 27, 1970.
It began with 341 animals and has since grown to house more than 1,500 animals across 250 species.
A spokesperson for Cotswold Wildlife Park said: “We hope you’ll join us in celebrating 56 wonderful years of Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens and we’d like to thank our visitors for their loyal support over the years.
“We must thank them for all their support for more than half a century.”
From its early days on a shoestring budget, the park has expanded to include giraffes, which arrived in 2010 for its 40th anniversary, and rhinos such as D’ora, named during its golden jubilee year in 2020.
George the Aldabra giant tortoise is the park’s oldest and only original resident.
To mark the 50th anniversary, keepers made him a special cake during the lockdown.
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