The Oxford Trobadors

Royalties from The MUSIC of LIFE are used to support concert performances and recordings by The Oxford Trobadors in association with guest performers. The Oxford Trobadors take their inspiration from the music of the language, Occitan, in which the 12th and 13th century Troubadours composed. The language and culture are still alive today in the south of France and parts of Italy and Catalonia. ‘Troubadour’ in Occitan is written ‘Trobador’. The language resembles Italian, Spanish and Portuguese and is very close to Catalan.

Recent performances include a Soirée Occitane at the Maison Française in February 2006, and a concert performed at the launch party of The MUSIC of LIFE held before an audience of 200 in the Balliol College Hall on 10th June 2006. Guest performers have included singers from the Périgord (maternal language speakers of Occitan), the leading Philippine soloist, Marivik, soloist Helen Baczala, the leading Swiss guitarist, Christoph Denoth, pianist Ian Miles and the Balliol College Choir. The lead vocalists of The Oxford Trobadors are Ray Noble and Denis Noble. Instrumentalists in the group include Jonathan Hill (guitar, clarinet), Bryan Vaughan, Jimi Vaughan (guitars and bass), Keith Fairbairn (percussion), Min Quan (violin and Chinese violin).