Unearthed

In 1824, the geologist and palaeontologist William Buckland published a description of a fossil recently excavated from the village of Stonesfield in Oxfordshire. The Megalosaurus, as he officially named it, would be the first named dinosaur, even predating the term dinosaur itself. To celebrate 200 years of this discovery, the City of Oxford choir in collaboration with the Oxford University Museum of Natural History invite you to explore the Breaking Ground exhibition, with choral interludes on the same theme.

The City of Oxford choir, directed by Duncan Aspden, is a chamber choir of keen singers from all walks of life in and around Oxford. We’re delighted to perform Monster, a new commission by our competition winner Chris Hutchings, alongside works by runners up Mel McIntyre and George Parris, with additional contributions from Whitacre, Schumann, Weelkes, Pearsall and Nystedt to accompany you through the exhibition.

William Buckland, when presented with these fossils, commissioned a series of illustrations from the naturalist Mary Morland, to bring the scientific discovery to life. Join us on Friday 28 March at 7pm as we follow in her footsteps tracing the history of this magnificent creature through our dedicated programme of choral music.

The evening includes a chance to see some of William Buckland and Mary Morland’s original archives, Megalosaurus material from our collections, talk to Museum experts and have a drink at our bar.