The Oboe Band was formed in 2005 to revive this once hugely popular ensemble of Baroque oboes and bassoons.
As the only professional ensemble of its kind in the UK, The Oboe Band are committed to researching and presenting the rich and varied repertoire which includes theatre music by Purcell and his contemporaries, Musique de Table written for Louis XIV and chamber sonatas and ceremonial music from many European composers.
From 2006 — 2008 The Oboe Band were given the prestigious position of Ensemble in Residence at the Royal College of Music. Their role there combined performances, pedagogic duties and research.
The Oboe Band give lecture recitals and concerts throughout the UK and Europe. Each performance is given an exciting twist as they provide historical insights, academic demonstration and collaborate with actors and dancers.
Our members all play with World Class period instrument orchestras and as The Oboe Band they are dedicated to bringing excellent Baroque chamber music to the concert platform.
To date, two pieces of music have been specially composed for them; Oboes by Blai Soler and Orlando Furioso by Graham Sheen.
“The Band has abundant vitality and freshness”
Early Music Today, Volume 14 no. 6
Jeremy Barlow
“I’m personally thrilled to have these four excellent ambassadors to promote the riches of historical performance”
Muso Magazine, October / November 2006
Colin Lawson
“Their concerts are packed with insight and historical detail, giving audiences a glimpse into a long-neglected musical world”
UpBeat Magazine, Autumn 2006
James Murphy
Our CD “War & Peace” was released in December 2009 to great critical acclaim. Here is what they have said so far:
Early Music Today:
One of the nicest aspects of this reviewing lark is watching and, if possible, encouraging young musicians as they make their first steps into the complex world of professional music-making — and then following them as their careers develop. I often first hear them in student concerts or dusty basements, or in competitions like the former Early Music Network International Young Artists’ Competition (now run by National Centre for Early Music in York). So it is always a thrill when I hear of their successes or, as in the case of The Oboe Band, they send me their first CD. The Oboe Band (who are exactly what they say on the tin) were formed in 2005, were finalists in the 2007 competition, and were Ensemble in Residence at the Royal College of Music from 2006–8. War & Peace is an appropriate tile for their CD, as the early history of the oboe covered both eventualities. The attractively presented programme reflects the history of the instrument and its music during the 17th and early 18th centuries. The inevitable transcriptions work well, particularly the two Purcell suites. The playing is excellent throughout, with some impressive use of articulation and dynamics in their insightful interpretations. I can assure any readers who might think that an entire CD of oboes is the sort of thing designed to annoy the neighbours that this is far more likely to delight. Andrew Benson-Wilson
The Musician Magazine:
“Evocative Woodwind”
This extremely talented quartet — oboists Frances Norbury, Joel Raymond and Sarah Humphrys, and bassoonist Rebecca Stockwell — offer 42 tracks of considerable breadth and imagination. These range from suites destined to provide a backdrop for outdoor events, through items written specifically for court occasions, to a number of dramatic, stage-orientated pieces. Their playing demonstrates the intricacy and warmth of the oboe portfolio. Purcell’s Suite from The Fairy Queen instantly captures the instrument’s evocative essence with its dancing cascades of notes. Superb.
4 out of 5 stars by Early Music Magazine:
“War and Peace is the debut recording from the Oboe Band, a quartet of early music specialists formed in 2005 “to revive the once hugely popular ensemble of baroque oboes and bassoon from the time of the Restoration”. Consisting of intimate chamber music, music for the table, theatre music and pieces for outdoor entertainment, this CD gives the listener a chance to hear examples of repertoire from the oboe band’s many and varied roles, clearly demonstrating the many facets of the oboes’ character from the “pure and plangent” to the “brave and sprightly”. MB”