Oxford Sings: Carmina Burana

Few pieces of classical music make an entrance quite like Carmina Burana.

From the thunderous opening of O Fortuna, a movement that’s become iconic in film, television, and popular culture, Carl Orff’s cantata grabs hold and doesn’t let go. 
 
Based on medieval poems that celebrate the fortune, fate and unpredictability of life, Carmina Burana is both ancient and modern, and irresistibly theatrical. This performance with Merton College Choir, Oxford Bach Choir and Conductor Benjamin Nicholas features the version for two pianos and percussion, offering a fresh take on Orff’s powerful score. 
 
This is music that captures life’s extremes: its pleasures, its chaos, and the ever-turning wheel of fortune. Merton College Choir perform with director of Music, Benjamin Nicholas. 

Part of Oxford Sings, a day-long celebration of singing in its many forms.

Online booking for this event opens at 10:00 on 14 Oct 2025