Like Music Camp, and sharing many of he same musicians, this was a wholly amateur outfit, set up originally by friends of Colin Davis to give him a platform. It put on concerts initially of Mozart operas in concert format, under his charismatic leadership, in Oxford and Cambridge. I started off in the chorus, graduated to 2nd Violin, Committee member, then Chorus Master, and finally, after Colin had left for Scotland, to one of the Group’s conductors. I gave Mozart’s Figaro and idomeneo, Stravinsky’s Rake’s Progress, Berlioz Enfance and Benvenuto Cellini, and finally both “parts” of The Trojans. A lively experience.

A corner-turning moment with the COG  for me had been one of Colin’s last concerts, Berlioz’ Romeo and Juliet, in 1961. I had been off work for a month or two with a duodenal ulcer, at home in Trinity Oxford, out of the music scene completely. My first week out of purdah was to sing (still as an amateur) the small part of Mercutio. To hear this amazing masterpiece for the first time was like an earthquake. I suddenly realised that I really had to become a professional musician, making music in the daytime, not just spare time. Almost at once I was sent to Africa by my company, but on my return I resigned and joined the blessed ranks of the unemployed…

Since I was already trying whenever possible to be true to each score, I determined in Idomeneo to have a Mezzo Soprano in the male role of Idamante, instead of the then customary tenor. We found a promising young singer, just out of music college. She was a little coltish at first, but looked good in the trouser suit that I prescribed (another first for the QEH?). The resultant ensembles sounds so much better following Mozart’s expectation. The young singer’s name was Kiri te Kanawa.