About Us

welcome

… to our classical musical recitals - with elements of the unexpected ranging from gypsy to folk, and an astonishing range of musicians and musical instruments.

Who we are

Annabel Molyneaux, our Chairman, divides her musical time between singing and organising not only Witney Lunchtime Recitals but also a new venue: The Church of St Peter and St Paul in Broadwell (GL7 3QS). [In fact, for people who find it difficult to get to the Witney High Street recitals, they are being repeated in Broadwell - Sunday evenings, 5.00 - 6.00pm, do contact me on 07919 192377 for further information.] Having taken over as church warden in Broadwell, Annabel's next pursuit is continuing the building works in St Peter and St Paul (along with Paul, see below). We've moved on from phase 1 of the project - the result of which is a fantastic peal of eight bells which has attracted ringers from as far afield as Derby and Exeter - to phase 2, installing a loo and kitchen. Annabel's third avenue is converting a 400-acre farm to regenerative farming, an exciting though rather uncharted, venture.

Peter Cowdrey, our Musical Director, is a composer, pianist and ornithologist. Peter is the founder of Planet Birdsong, a global charitable initiative which uses birdsong to create education tools and computer games. In June and July Peter will lead a series of birdsong walks at Asthall Manor.

To watch a short BBC documentary about Peter, click here.

Paul Molyneaux (poetry, bass): our Disability and Inclusivity Officer has supported Annabel in her work at our church including carrying two tonnes of birds' nest twigs down the spiral stairs and cutting large holes in the tower to support the new bell frame.
He is an offshore sailing instructor and examiner for amongst others, Royal Navy cadets in Portsmouth and (land!) Scouts in Ipswich. This summer he plans to sail to the Orkney and Shetland Islands.

Tom Jones represents the church on the Lunchtime Recitals committee. He has been a member of High St. Methodist Church for the whole of the 52 years he has lived in Witney, where he was at one time a GP.
Where music is concerned he regards himself as ‘an enthusiastic non-performer’, although he did sing tenor with the Burford Singers for many years until recently.
He was Chairman for over 40 years of the Witney Music Society, which arranges six evening concerts a year given by professional chamber musicians.
In 2020 he was promoted to the much easier position of President.

Nick Goodenough is our Website and Social Media guru.

She hides quietly behind this screen, keeping an eye on the website as required.

Since hitting a few "oldies" ailments, she's concentrating more on crafting ~ like knitting and crocheting ~ and spending a lot of time following world affairs.