A Short Review of Archie Inns’ The Spell of the Rose

Walking into the New College chapel, one cannot help but be struck by the beauty of its architectural splendour. It is the perfect setting for lunchtime musical recitals and on Friday 3rd March was filled with the echoes of Archie Inns’ incredible voice. These recitals provide students with a venue in which to perform a short presentation, as it were, and are an excellent escape from what can be a gruelling Oxford schedule. Just a glance over Archie’s accomplishments and training promises that any performance of his that you are able to see will be well worth your time. Having begun his training as a chorister at Durham Cathedral, he is now a second year Philosophy and Theology student and choral scholar at Christ Church. While I had seen the acting talent and teaching ability that Archie possesses, this was my first experience of watching him sing. Being assured of an amazing experience, I ducked into New College in my short break between commitments and was not in any way disappointed. From the moment that he and pianist Jake Sternberg stepped into the chapel, there was nothing other than pure professionalism (a testament to their training as performers given the familiar faces lining the front row). Amongst the ecclesiastical majesty was simply a piano and and music stand, the singer standing close to the audience dressed purely in black, with an aptly chosen rose in his lapel – the scene was set. Silence fell and was soon filled with the incredible voice telling the story of love. I am not expert when it comes to music, so all that I can truly say is that the skill and raw talent on display here was breath-taking. Unfortunately, in my case that breath-taking experience included a pretty horrific coughing fit. Thankfully, neither artist faltered as I quickly left and spent the next few minutes standing beneath an archway continuing to listen to Archie’s voice and watching people stop outside or go into the chapel to discover the source of the performance that they could hear. This in itself is testament to the skill on display here – and not just from Archie, as Jake’s piano skills were equally impressive as he smoothly transitioned from one song to the next without a moment of silence. These transitions enabled a story to be told, as the collection of songs performed were carefully chosen for their narratives. I do wish that I could have heard the entire story; however, from what I did hear it is clear that we were all witnessing true talent and I look forward to seeing what great things both artists progress to next.

While a lunchtime recital is an intimate and accessible way to experience the skill of those at the university, the short space of time and the intensity of some schedules does not enable watchers to truly experience all that a performer has to offer. There is no denying the awe inspiring talent of many artists in Oxford and amongst them without any doubt are Archie Inns and Jake Sternberg.