OMS Latest:

 FLETCHER

Three young OMs are starting to make a name for themselves on the Rock scene. Charlie Martin (2001-09; Edgarley and Orchards), drums, Freddie Vernon (2006-09; Day), vocals, and Alex Thomas (2005-10; Edgarley and Rookery), guitar, together with former Wells Cathedral School pupil, Harry Johnson, bass guitar, have just produced their latest video, featuring a number composed by Charlie.

Check them out for yourselves, by clicking here

Alistair Dixon and Chapelle du Roi

Chapelle du Roi once again appeared in the Christmas Festival at St John’s Smith Square in December, when they presented 'Meet the Tudors', a programme of Christmas music from England’s golden age of music, encompassing  the hundred years from Henry VII’s victory at the Battle of Bosworth until the death of Elizabeth I in 1603.

The programme included some of the greatest gems from the Tudor age including Thomas Tallis’ sumptuous seven part motet Suscipe Quaeso and Alistair Dixon’s reconstruction of the motet Beati Immaculati.

For more information on Chapelle du Roiclick here

Venetia's London exhibition  

Venetia Norris (1991-99; Edgarley & Southfield) has been talking about herself and her new exhibition of mixed-media drawings at the Church of St Martins-in-the-Field in Trafalgar Square.

The exhibition, entitled 'Pen and Paper' opened on 20th September and continued until 2nd October.
 

Sara flying

Sara Kempe (2000-08; Edgarley & Kernick), has been hitting the musical headlines with her first album 'Let Me Fly', which has just been released on the EMI label. There are predictions in the world of music that her voice will inspire strong admiration from classical crossover enthusiasts. 

Judge for yourself by going to Sara's website here

Sara, who entertained the guests at Millfield's 75th celebrations in November at the London Hilton, is the daughter of Philip Kempe (1966-71; Edgarley & Kingweston).

David's great Example

David Stewart (2003-07; Walton), son of veteran Scots entertainer Allan Stewart, is making a name for himself as a guitarist with chart sensation, Example, having supported both singer Lily Allen and grime star Tinchy Stryder.

Brit award forTed and the Mumfords

Ted Dwane (Joan’s Kitchen; 1997-2002) is enjoying fame and very possibly fortune as the bass player of the folk group Mumford and Sons, who are causing quite a stir in the popular music world at the moment with their country-inspired sound ‘that marries the magic of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young with the might of Kings Of Leon'.

Formed in 2007, Mumford and Sons released their debut album ‘Sigh No More’ in October 2009, which has been in the UK charts for 33 weeks, having sold 750,000 copies worldwide and it was no surprise that it won the group won the Best British Album award at the Brit Awards recently.

Since the album was released in October 2009 the album has climbed to number 3 in the charts and has made it into the US Top 10.

The band were at Glastonbury and are constantly on the road, playing to full audiences everywhere.

Find out more by going to www.mumfordandsons.com
 

Alex and the Gargoyles

The Oxford Gargoyles, the 12-strong Oxford University jazz a cappella group, which was originally formed in 1998 and which includes OM Alex Hunt (2007-09; Millfield), has had a particularly successful year.

They have featured at many classy balls around Oxford and London, where they supported the world famous Swingle Singers at the Kings Place Theatre, and also made a three week tour to the east coast of America over Easter.

The highlight of their year came when they won the Voice Festival UK - the national competition for collegiate a cappella - and as a result were invited to compete at the finals of the world championships in New York, which they were sadly prevented from getting to by the ash cloud from Iceland!

Nevertheless, all the hard work culminated in a very successful, two-week run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where their show received a handful of five star reviews.

Alex  has now become the president of The Oxford Gargoyles, who are available for hire throughout the year.

To find out more about them, visit www.theoxfordgargoyles.co.uk
 

Hannah Miller and The Moulettes

Hannah Miller’s (Day; 1998-2003) band; ‘The Moulettes’, which also includes Ruth Skipper (Edgarley and Acacia; 1991-2002) on vocals and bassoon, have recorded their first 11-track studio CD, which was released in August, and for which they have received much critical acclaim.

Their first music video, directed by Thomas Goldser, is  viewable on YouTube:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmJkEJw4jEU

The band are establishing themselves on the UK summer festival scene (including an appearance at the Glastonbury Festival in the Green Futures Field - Small World Stage), and have been to Bosnia - supporting workshops and festival events to help young people traumatised by the civil war.

They also performed splendidly at Millfield's 75th Anniversary Gala in London in September.

For more news go to:-
http://www.myspace.com/moulettes

Hares on YouTube

Robert Skipper (Edgarley and Walton; 1996-2002) and Suzie Austin (Abbey; 2000-2005) are lead performers in the group Hares who have just released their first single, now viewable on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVinVYwTY4I

Find out more on their website:

http://hares.bandcamp.com