'Scratch choir' to join band at hometown concert

An indie folk band are planning to perform with what would be the largest impromptu choir assembled in Oxford for their album launch.

Stornoway will launch their fifth album Beyonder when they return to the Sheldonian Theatre concert hall in September.

A "scratch choir" of volunteers will undergo a workshop hours ahead of the gig to learn how to sing alongside the Oxford trio in four-part harmony.

Bassist Oli Steadman told the BBC the band wanted to "make something truly unique about the experience for the fans".

Stornoway were backed by the Syrinx Choir at their 20th anniversary concert at the Royal Albert Hall in March, arranged by choir leader Ben See.

See will run a two-hour workshop open to singers of all abilities in preparation for the show on 27 September at the Christopher Wren-designed Sheldonian.

There is no requirement for volunteers to have had choir experience before, or to be able to read music.

There is also no limit to the size of the choir on the night, as long as it fits among the 750-capacity audience.

Steadman said it would give fans " that experience of being part of the band".

"I'm just tremendously excited about that because the more we think about it, and the more years we've been together, the more we realise choral tradition and choir music is at the heart of what Stornoway has always done."

Anyone interested in being in the choir can sign up on the band's website.

The band is playing the University of Oxford-owned venue for the fourth time, through its community engagement scheme, which enables the hall to be hired for events open to the public.

Stornoway formed in 2005 and had their first radio play on BBC Radio Oxford the following year.

They released their debut album Beachcomber's Windowsill in 2009, which is when they also played the Sheldonian for the first time.

"Until we played it, no pop band, no folk band, no amplified music really had ever taken place in there," Steadman explained.

"So we wanted to be a bit punk on Oxford's behalf."

Two more albums followed before a six-year hiatus and 2023's comeback album Dig The Mountain!

Beyonder is released on 25 September and a 14-date UK tour begins in October.

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