ROCK and pop concerts could become a more frequent occurrence at the Sheldonian Theatre following Stornoway’s third performance at the venue on Thursday.

The Oxford group are the only electric pop band ever to have performed at the venue.

They first appeared in 2009 shortly after being the first unsigned band to play on BBC TV programme Later... with Jools Holland.

Senior event marketing manager Kay Hogg said: “We want to expand our music events, although we are surrounded by neighbours so we have to be careful about noise. You won’t see Black Sabbath any time soon but we are looking to expand the range of music we have.”

Our top stories

Thursday’s performance by Stornoway was to mark the venue’s 350th anniversary.

Tickets sold so quickly an additional show was held the week before on November 5 to meet demand from fans.

Stornoway, who are based in Cowley, are no strangers to unusual venues, having launched albums at the diminutive A1 Pool Hall in Cowley Road, the intimate Holywell Music Room, and at the somewhat grander Oxford Town Hall.

They have also played the Radio 1 Big Weekend and festivals around the country – including Glastonbury – where they won the coveted Emerging Talent competition.

Frontman Brian Briggs; keyboard player Jon Ouin, bassist Oli Steadman and his brother, drummer Rob, were joined for the anniversary shows by the Oxford Millennium Orchestra – which includes musicians from town and gown – and West African Kora player Jali Fily Cissokho, who lives in Witney.

The show’s highlight was an unplugged section of acoustic tunes.

Brian Briggs said: “It was such an honour to be able to play that place again and to have been backed up by an orchestra was very special.

Oxford Mail:

  • Local band Stornoway play the theatre, as part of the event     Picture: Tim Hughes

“It went very well. It’s such a big place, but at the same time is surprisingly intimate as no one is that far away. As a place to play, there’s nothing that beats the Sheldonian. Last time we played we were a bit more wide-eyed, but this time we could appreciate it more as we weren’t as scared.

“And the amazing reception we get from an Oxford crowd is the best reward you can get. It makes it all worthwhile. They are our most loyal and supportive fans, which is why we like to keep things special for them.”

Sunday night saw an additional concert to mark the anniversary of the venue’s foundation stone being laid. It featured a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony Number Nine by the Sheldonian Anniversary Orchestra and Chorus, an amateur group formed specially for the occasion.

Ms Hogg said: “It was a very successful event and people seemed to really enjoy it. It is a very difficult piece to play and it is very challenging, especially for a group just formed in the summer.

“It was a full house and went really well.”

 

  • Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.