This is the annual concert dedicated to the exciting music making that is going on in Lower School. The larger ensembles include a complete Lower School Choir (120 boys) singing Beatles, The Lower School Band, Junior Strings and many smaller ensembles and solos. It is always so rewarding to see the youngsters at the beginning of their musical journeys at the school. Do join us. Admission free with a retiring charity collection.

Please note: there is a revised meeting time of 6.30pm for this event.

Please join the Abingdon School Music Society on a musical cruise along the river Thames on Friday 22nd June to mark midsummer and the end of term.  It will also be the last social musical occasion for those leaving this year.

We’ll be casting off on a Salter’s Steamer from Abingdon at 6.30pm, returning 3 hours later.

Bring your own picnics and enjoy a trip along the river whilst being entertained by the boys playing music appropriate to the occasion.  Salter’s will be running a cash bar for beer, wine and spirits; however please feel free to bring your own soft drinks.

Whilst we are sure (!) it will be a beautiful summer’s evening; the boat is equipped with awnings just in case the odd raindrop should dare to fall.

If you have any questions please contact Gillian Powter, Chair of ASMS.

Tickets are £20 for adults and £12 for boys and siblings, towards the cost of the boat hire.

Family Tickets are also available:

Family of 3        £50

Family of 4        £60

Family of 5        £70

Family of 6        £80

Please note: boys who are involved as musicians will need a complimentary ticket. Please contact the Box Office to arrange this.

A final event of their school careers for our Upper Sixth musicians, this concert will again feature our senior ensembles in a wide variety music. With music ranging from Tchaikovsky to La La Land, there will be something for everyone and parents can enjoy some refreshments in the summer sunshine, English weather permitting. We look forward to seeing you there!

An evening of sensational songs from the West End, Broadway and the silver screen. Brought to you by the award-winning Musical Youth Company of Oxford.

Tickets £12 (£8 concessions) via the MYCO website or by calling 01865 686481.

Marsh Tompsett School of Dance proudly presents two contrasting performances featuring it's Junior and Senior students:-

ACT 1 "THE FARAWAY TREE"

Three children discover an intriguing tree in an enchanted wood, climb to the top and encounter a series of bizarre and magical lands. With "Moonface" and "Silky the Fairy" as their guides, they experience night that the they will never forget...

Will they ever be able to return to the place that they have come to love? Childhood imaginings and secret dreams come to life in this tale of adventure and friendship.

ACT TWO "ELEMENTAL"

"Elemental" is an exploration of the concepts of Fire, Water, Air and Earth. The four elements are represented in their purest differing forms as well as in the way that communities around the world respond to them. The haunting, ritualistic symbol of candlelight is contrasted against a celebratory tribal fire dance. The comfort of an ethereal moonlit beach is followed by an unnerving and powerful storm. Chemical elements combine to pollute the air we breathe but there is hope for mankind if we can use the skies to "fly together", and though we battle to conquer the natural earth, we are reminded that the perpetual growth of a luscious forest is far stronger than we can ever hope to be.                                                

The Arts Society is celebrating its Golden Jubilee with a lecture ‘Who Says? Can We Trust the Experts on Good and Bad Art?’ given by David Phillips. The lecture will be preceded by a Reception in the Jekyll Garden with drinks and canapés. A programme of music – from Baroque to Jazz – will be performed during the Reception by celebrated harpist Pervin Shahin. All are welcome.

Art critics and experts are often hilariously lampooned. David Phillips considers the bafflingly mysterious Polish Rider in the Frick Collection, New York, and the scrupulous scholarship involved over decades to settle just which paintings are genuine Rembrandts. World Leonardo authority, Martin Kemp, is utterly convinced he has discovered a new work by the master (but many specialists beg to differ) and a blazing dispute is underway (with millions of dollars at stake) about what is authentic, and what is not, in the work of  Andy Warhol. Sometimes experts may not have been acting in good faith – or are just plain bent.  Finally, Phillips asks, who is to say that Picasso is a greater artist than Edward Seago?

18.30 – 19.30 - Reception in the Jekyll Garden

19.30 – 20.30 - Lecture in the Amey Theatre

Tickets are £12.50 available from info@theartssocietyabingdon.org.uk

Kiss Me, Kate is a musical written by Samuel and Bella Spewack with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and the conflict on and off-stage between Fred Graham, the show's director, producer, and star, and his leading lady, his ex-wife Lilli Vanessi. A secondary romance concerns Lois Lane, the actress playing Bianca, and her gambler boyfriend, Bill, who runs afoul of some gangsters. Includes show-stopping songs such as Always True To You In My Fashion, So In Love and Too Darn Hot.

A youth production of this fabulous musical complete with a 25piece orchestra playing Cole Porter's fantastic score!!

Known to millions as ‘The King of Waltz’, André Rieu is one of the world’s most popular music artists. His legendary annual Maastricht concert is the most eagerly anticipated cinema event of the year, last year setting new box office records in several countries.

Set against the stunning medieval backdrop of the town square in André’s Dutch hometown, the spectacular Maastricht concert features the maestro in his element, along with his 60-piece Johann Strauss Orchestra, sopranos, tenors and very special guests. André delivers an unforgettable musical experience full of humor, fun and emotion for all ages. This presentation of André Rieu’s 2018 Maastricht Concert in Cinemas features host Charlotte Hawkins, who conducts an interview with André Rieu the moment he steps off stage, exclusively for cinema audiences.

This summer it will be all about the world of love! Amore, my tribute to love is André’s tribute to love, the love for music and for both of his families : the small one, his wife and children - and the big one, the Johann Strauss Orchestra.

Take a front row seat and experience this spectacular musical event on the big screen. Enjoy backstage access, interviews with André and his special guests, musical favourites and much, much more, exclusive to cinema.

Set in a world very like our own, this Romeo and Juliet is about a generation of young people born into by the bitter divisions of their parents.

The most famous story of love at first sight explodes with intense passion and an irresistible desire for change, but leads all too quickly to heartbreaking consequences.

For more information about the performance, please go to the RSC website.

Please note that this is an Encore Screening of the Live Performance on 18 July.

This production contains strobe lighting effects.

Vanessa Kirby (The Crown, NT Live: A Streetcar Named Desire) and Eric Kofi Abrefa (The Amen Corner) feature in the cast of this brand new production, directed by Carrie Cracknell (NT Live: The Deep Blue Sea) and broadcast live from the National Theatre to cinemas.

Wild and newly single, Julie throws a late night party. In the kitchen, Jean and Kristina clean up as the celebration heaves above them. Crossing the threshold, Julie initiates a power game with Jean – which rapidly descends into a savage fight for survival.

This new version of August Strinberg’s play Miss Julie, written by Polly Stenham, remains shocking and fiercely relevant in its new setting of contemporary London.

For more information about the performance, please go to the NT Live website.

Down on his luck in the suburbs, John Falstaff plans to hustle his way to a comfortable retirement by seducing the wives of two wealthy men. Unknown to him, it’s the women of Windsor who really pull the strings, orchestrating Falstaff’s comeuppance amidst a theatrical smorgasbord of petty rivalries, jealousies and over-inflated egos.

For more information about the performance, please go to the RSC website.

Inspired  by  a  true  story,  Everybody’s  Talking  About  Jamie  is  the  new  award-winning  five-star  hit  musical  for  today.  Jamie  New  is  sixteen  and  lives  on  a  council  estate  in  Sheffield.  Jamie  doesn͛t  quite  fit  in.  Jamie  is  terrified  about  the  future.  He  is  going  to  be  a  sensation.Supported  by  his  brilliant  loving  mum  and  surrounded  by  his  friends,  Jamie  overcomes  prejudice,  beats  the  bullies  and  steps  out  of  the  darkness,  into  the  spotlight.  Winner  of  3  WhatsOnStage  Awards  including  Best  New  Musical  and  nominated  for  5  Olivier  Awards,  Everybody’s  Talking  About  Jamie  was  filmed  live  at  the  Apollo  Theatre  in  London͛s  Shaftesbury  Avenue  especially  for  cinemas.

Calling all ocean lovers! The annual Ocean Film Festival is sweeping towards Abingdon with a brand new selection of the world’s most amazing ocean films, from both above and below the surface.

Brought to you by the team behind the Banff Film Festival UK Tour, this collection of short films celebrates divers, paddlers, surfers and oceanographers who live for the sea’s salt spray. Be wowed at the mind blowing marine life; exhilarated by the power of the waves, and inspired by the characters who dedicate their lives to answering the call of the ocean.

To book tickets, please visit the Ocean Film Festival website.

Broadcast live from London’s West End, see Ian McKellen’s ‘extraordinarily moving portrayal’ (Independent) of King Lear in cinemas.

Chichester Festival Theatre’s production received five-star reviews for its sell-out run, and transfers to the West End for a limited season. Jonathan Munby directs this ‘nuanced and powerful’ (The Times) contemporary retelling of Shakespeare’s tender, violent, moving and shocking play.

Considered by many to be the greatest tragedy ever written, King Lear sees two ageing fathers – one a King, one his courtier – reject the children who truly love them. Their blindness unleashes a tornado of pitiless ambition and treachery, as family and state are plunged into a violent power

struggle with bitter ends.

For more information about the performance, please go to the NT Live website.

Mayerling is a classic of the Royal Ballet repertory, with its emotional depth, haunting imagery, and one of the most demanding roles ever created for a male dancer. Kenneth MacMillan choreographed a complex work around the psychologically tormented heir to the Habsburg Empire, Crown Prince Rudolf. From the ballet’s start, the glamour of the Austro-Hungarian court is contrasted with undercurrents of sexual and political intrigue that drive the story to its violent climax in a double suicide. The large cast allows for impressive ensembles in addition to the ballet’s many solos of distinctive character and pas de deux of disturbing eroticism. This ballet, bursting with intensity, madness and passion, proves that sometimes the truth is more scandalous than fiction.

For more information about this performance, please visit the Royal Opera House Live website.

Wagner’s  Ring  cycle  is  one  of  the  greatest  works  of  all  opera.  Keith  Warner’s  production  is  conducted  by  Antonio  Pappano,  Music  Director  of  The  Royal  Opera,  and  this  final  revival  is  cast  with  an  outstanding  international  array  of  Wagnerian  specialist  singers.  The  full  cycle's  four  operas  journey  from  the  beginning  of  a  world  to  its  destruction,  with  gods,  heroes  and  monsters.  This  epic  myth  portrays  every  type  of  human  emotion  in  music  and  ideas  of  extraordinary  power.  The  Ring  is  always  a  special  event  in  the  operatic  calendar:  once  experienced,  never  forgotten.Die  Walküre  (The  Valkyrie)  is  the  second  opera  in  the  cycle,  and  features  several  of  the  Ring’s  musical  highlights  –  the  sparkling  Magic  Fire  Music  and  the  electrifying  Ride  of  the  Valkyries.  But  among  the  musical  fireworks  and  Norse  mythology,  at  the  centre  of  this  opera  are  the  unforgettable  characters  and  the  complex  entanglements  between  them,  including  twins  Siegmund  and  Sieglinde,  and  Wotan  and  his  Valkyrie  daughter,  Brünnhilde.

For more information about this performance, please visit the Royal Opera House Live website.

Saturday 3 November 2018 - Save the date

Tickets on sale from early September!

Details for this event can be found here.

The story of the apocalyptic final year of the Great War, as the British and German armies are tested like never before. A lecture by BBC historical advisor Gareth Howell, accompanied by a comprehensive ordnance display by collector Rick Stevens.

No age restriction, but recommended for ages 10+.

Marius  Petipa’s  fantasy,  set  in  legendary  India,  tells  the  tale  of  a  temple  dancer  and  the  prince  who  loves  her  but  marries  another.  The  famous,  moonlit  ‘white  act’  –  The  Kingdom  of  the  Shades  –  is  a  corps  de  ballet  highlight,  as  multiple  images  of  the  prince’s  lost  love  haunt  his  mind.  The  choreography  allows  two  opposing  ballerinas  to  shine,  while  a  bronze  idol  comes  vividly  to  life  in  a  stunning  solo.  Throughout,  the  melody  and  moods  of  Minkus’s  music  perfectly  match  the  fluidity  and  precision  of  the  classical  choreography  and  the  drama  of  the  storytelling.

For more information about this performance, please visit the Royal Opera House website.

"Lechery, lechery, still wars and lechery: nothing else holds fashion"

Troilus and Cressida swear they will always be true to one another. But in the seventh year of the siege of Troy their innocence is tested, and exposed to the savage corrupting influence of war, with tragic consequences.

Virtuoso percussionist Evelyn Glennie collaborates with RSC Artistic Director Gregory Doran to create a satirical futuristic vision of a world resounding with the rhythm of battle.

The Greek army is encamped under the walls of Troy and, at the point at which the play begins, the war has reached stalemate. The Greeks are quarrelling amongst themselves. Achilles, their greatest champion, refuses to fight and has withdrawn to his tent with his lover, Patroclus. Equally at odds with themselves, the Trojans are debating the value of continuing the war merely for the sake of keeping Helen.

Troilus is much distracted from these military concerns by his love for Cressida, the daughter of a Trojan who has defected to the Greek camp. The young lovers are eagerly assisted by Cressida's uncle Pandarus, who acts as their go-between. However, after only one night together they are parted when Cressida is sent to join her father in the Greek camp. Almost immediately she betrays Troilus with the Greek Diomedes and, discovering this, Troilus is plunged into despair. With the fall of Troy certain, Troilus vows revenge on Achilles.

For more information about the performance, please go to the RSC website.

Multi-award- winning drama The Madness of George III will be broadcast live to cinemas, in National Theatre Live’s first ever broadcast from Nottingham Playhouse.

Written by one of Britain’s best-loved playwrights Alan Bennett (The History Boys, The Lady in the Van), this epic play was also adapted into a BAFTA Award-winning film following its

premiere on stage in 1991. The cast of this new production includes Olivier Award-winners Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, Wolf Hall, NT Live Coriolanus) in the title role, and Adrian Scarborough (Gavin and Stacey, Upstairs Downstairs, After the Dance).

It’s 1786 and King George III is the most powerful man in the world. But his behaviour is becoming increasingly erratic as he succumbs to fits of lunacy. With the King’s mind

unravelling at a dramatic pace, ambitious politicians and the scheming Prince of Wales threaten to undermine the power of the Crown, and expose the fine line between a King and a man.

For more information about the performance, please go to the NT Live website.

The  Nutcracker  has  long  been  one  of  the  most  delightful  ways  to  discover  the  enchantment  of  ballet  –  and  makes  for  a  delicious  seasonal  treat  for  all  the  family.Tchaikovsky’s  much-loved  music  is  matched  to  a  magical  adventure  on  Christmas  Eve  for  Clara  and  her  Nutcracker  doll.  Their  journey  to  the  Land  of  Sweets  brings  with  it  some  of  the  most  familiar  of  all  ballet  moments,  such  as  the  Dance  of  the  Sugar  Plum  Fairy  and  the  Waltz  of  the  Flowers.  Peter  Wright’s  production  for  The  Royal  Ballet  keeps  true  to  the  spirit  of  this  Russian  ballet  classic,  with  period  details  and  dancing  snowflakes.  The  many  solo  roles  and  ensembles  put  the  world-class  skills  of  the  Company  to  the  fore  in  this  Christmas  classic.

For more information about this performance, please visit the Royal Opera House Live website.

In  Tchaikovsky’s  intense  opera  of  obsession  and  the  supernatural,  Gherman  is  caught  between  the  woman  he  loves  and  a  destructive  fixation.  The  Queen  of  Spades is  based  on  a  short  story  by  Pushkin,  and  comes  to  the  Royal  Opera  House  in  a  new  production  that  has  already  garnered  five-star  reviews  in  Amsterdam.  The  production  is  set  in  1890,  the  year  of  the  opera’s  premiere.  In  his  study,  Tchaikovsky  imagines  the  opera  into  life  as  his  own  story,  its  characters  giving  voice  to  his  unfulfilled  desires.  Aleksandrs  Antonenko  and  Eva-Maria  Westbroek  head  the  cast  and  Royal  Opera  Chorus,  conducted  by  Antonio  Pappano,  Music  Director  of  The  Royal  Opera.  This  is  an  engrossing  portrayal  of  a  tortured  creative  artist  and  a  gripping  piece  of  gothic  storytelling.

For more information about this performance, please visit the Royal Opera House Live website.

From  the  thrill  of  unexpected  romance  to  a  heartbreaking  reconciliation  that  comes  too  late  –  Verdi’s  La  traviata  is  one  of  the  most  popular  of  all  operas.  Alfredo  falls  in  love  in  with  the  courtesan  Violetta  in  glamorous  Paris  society,  but  underneath  the  surface  run  darker  undercurrents,  leading  to  a  tragic  ending.  The  opera’s  wealth  of  melodies  includes  the  famous  Brindisi  and  the  exuberant  ‘Sempre  libera’  –  both  showing  the  lyricism  of  Italian  opera  at  its  most  immediately  appealing.  Richard  Eyre’s  production  for  The  Royal  Opera  brings  out  all  the  emotional  colour,  from  the  giddy  discovery  of  love,  through  painful  confrontation  to  the  inevitable  conclusion.  Lavish  period  sets  and  costumes  enhance  the  reality  of  a  moving  story  based  on  true  life.

For more information about this performance, please visit the Royal Opera House Live website.

Cervantes’s  story  of  the  bumbling  knight  Don  Quixote  has  inspired  countless  artistic  interpretations.  Marius  Petipa  choreographed  this  sparkling  ballet  about  the  encounters  of  the  man  from  La  Mancha  and  his  faithful  squire  Sancho  Panza.  At  its  heart  are  virtuoso  roles  for  the  lovers  Basilio  and  Kitri.  Carlos  Acosta  chose  this  joyful  classic  for  his  first  production  for  The  Royal  Ballet.  His  vibrant  staging  brings  together  the  whole  Company  in  such  roles  as  exuberant  villagers,  passionate  gypsies  and  even  fantasy  flowers.  The  story  follows  Don  Quixote’s  picaresque  journey  to  do  deeds  in  honour  of  his  imaginary  noble  lady,  Dulcinea.  Sunny,  charming,  funny  and  touching  –  Don  Quixote  is  a  ballet  as  full  of  uplifting  emotion  as  it  is  of  astonishing  ballet  technique.

For more information about this performance, please visit the Royal Opera House Live website.

Leonora  falls  in  love  with  Don  Alvaro,  but  when  her  father  forbids  their  marriage,  a  fatal  accident  triggers  a  drama  of  obsession,  vengeance  and  tragedy.  Jonas  Kaufmannand  Anna  Netrebko  star  in  Verdi’s  epic  La  forza  del  destino  (The  Force  of  Destiny)  an  opera  which  demands  the  very  best  of  singers  for  its  powerful  music  and  the  fullest  theatrical  treatment  for  its  story  of  bitter  revenge  pursued  across  miles  and  years.  The  production  comes  to  The  Royal  Opera  in  a  sensational  staging  from  Amsterdam  packed  with  colour  and  action.  It  is  directed  by  Christof  Loy  and  conducted  by  Antonio  Pappano,  Music  Director  of  The  Royal  Opera.  

For more information about this performance, please visit the Royal Opera House Live website.

There  are  many  versions  of  the  story  of  Faust,  who  trades  his  soul  with  the  Devil  for  youth  and  power,  but  Gounod’s  opera  remains  one  of  the  most  constantly  enthralling.  Michael  Fabiano  stars  as  Faust,  with  Diana  Damrau  as  his  beloved  Marguerite  and  Erwin  Schrott  as  the  diabolical  Méphistophélès.  Virtuoso  leading  roles,  a  large  chorus,  sensational  sets,  ballet  and  an  ecstatic  finale  make  this  the  epitome  of  theatrical  spectacle  –  the  lavish  scale  of  French  grand  opera  is  wonderfully  in  evidence  in  this  production  by  David  McVicar,  set  in  1870s  Paris.  Above  all,  the  music  includes  several  of  popular  opera’s  most  recognizable  numbers,  performed  by  a  cast  of  great  international  singers  and  the  Royal  Opera  Chorus.

For more information about this performance, please visit the Royal Opera House Live website.

The  contemporary  face  of  The  Royal  Ballet  is  shown  in  works  from  three  of  today’s  leading  choreographers.  Christopher  Wheeldon’s  Within  the  Golden  Hour  is  based  around  seven  couples  separating  and  intermingling,  to  music  by  Vivaldi  and  Bosso  and  lit  with  rich  colours  suggested  by  sunset.  Crystal  Pite’s  Flight  Pattern,  revived  for  the  first  time,  uses  a  large  dance  ensemble  and  Górecki’s  familiar  music  from  his  Symphony  of  Sorrowful  Songsfor  a  poignant  and  passionate  reflection  on  migration.  Between  them,  a  new  work  by  Sidi  Larbi  Cherkaoui,  created  on  The  Royal  Ballet  has  its  premiere  to  bring  the  contemporary  truly  up-to-date.

For more information about this performance, please visit the Royal Opera House Live website.

Shakespeare's enduring  love  story  is  known  the  world  over. Since  its  1965  premiere  with  The  Royal  Ballet,  Kenneth  MacMillan’s  Romeo  and  Juliet  has  become  a  modern  ballet  classic.  The  choreography  captures  the  emotions  of  the  young  couple  as  they  fall  in  love,  despite  the  barriers  that  finally  bring  about  the  story’s  tragic  end.  Each  revival  gives  opportunities  for  new  dancers  to  interpret  the  doomed  lovers.  The  whole  Company  brings  the  colour  and  action  of  Renaissance  Verona,  where  a  busy  market  all  too  quickly  bursts  into  sword  fighting,  and  a  family  feud  leads  to  tragedy  for  both  the  Montagues  and  Capulets.

For more information about this performance, please visit the Royal Opera House Live website.