The Odeion Choir was founded by Lance Phillip (Lecturer in Choral Directing, Music Theory, Composition and Musicology) as the New College Academic Choir in October 2009, but has been known by its present title since February 2010. 

The choir is the training ensemble for the OCC-modules and Honours course at the University of the Free State. At present, the choir consists mainly of enrolled music students, with a few ad hoc members; all choristers have some previous choral experience. 

From 2010-2012, the Odeion Choir has performed works such as Mozart’s Missa brevis in D and Fauré’s Requiem, besides joining forces with other ensembles to perform Haydn’s Nelson Mass, all under Lance Phillip. 

In 2010, the choir sang Mozart’s Spatzenmesse, directed by Werner Stander. Smaller works included excerpts from Palestrina’s Requiem (1591) and Sicut cervus, Lotti’s Missa brevis in D minor, Rheinberger’s Abendlied, Stanford’s Blue Bird, Harris’ Behold the tabernacle and Dyson’s Canticles in C minor. The choristers are especially fond of the music of Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, and so this composer’s Magnificat & Nunc dimittis settings in B-flat and C, as well as the Te Deum in B-flat, as well as the anthems Ye choirs of new Jerusalem and Beati quorum via.

The Odeion Choir has performed with Baroque2000 on six occasions; the repertoire in these performances (Monastery Church in Marianhill, KZ Natal)  includes music by Buxtehude, Purcell, Charpentier, Bach & Handel.

Apart from formal concert performances, the choir regularly performed at Evensong services in Bloemfontein Anglican Cathedral. This provided an opportunity for students to learn to cope with the demands of regular choral performances. Because of the nature of these services, the music is overwhelmingly English, but the general repertoire of the Choir includes those of European and other important composers.

In 2016, it was decided that the diversified roles of the choir (concert & liturgical) would be better served by two separate ensembles. Thus the Odeion Choir continues, but as a consort of solo voices (a core of five singers, augmented when necessary). The Odeion Choir principally performs music from the middle & late baroque eras, usually in concert. The liturgical singing continues, but as the Cathedral Singers of St Andrew & St Michael, Bloemfontein – this chamber choir is now administered by Bloemfontein Anglican Cathedral, under the direction of Lance Phillip in his capacity of Director of Music.