St John’sCollege Choir

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Deo: First CD on the College recording label

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Forthcoming eventsNews in brief

Choir’s successful

USA tour

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College recordlabel launchedFirst release Choir’s CD of music by Jonathan HarveyAfter Evensong on 20 May, the College will be launching its brand new St John’s recording label in association with Signum. This should be a project which grows and grows, and we’re pleased to be hitting the ground running with a very exciting first disc – Deo, a programme of sacred works by Jonathan Harvey. As he was a Johnian (as well as studying at John’s he was later awarded an Honorary

Fellowship) it’s particularly appropriate to be able to celebrate his work in this way. You may remember our ‘Sponsor a Minute of Music’ campaign last year to fund the CD’s production, and we are pleased to tell you that this was very successful, with every minute of the recording sponsored (contributors’ names are listed in the CD booklet). The Harvey recording has already been enthusiastically received, with The Observer giving it a five star review!

At the Evensong on 20 May you will be able to hear two pieces which feature on the new album; the anthem Come, Holy Ghost, and, for organ, Laus Deo, played by former organ scholar Edward Picton-Turbervill. After Evensong there will be the chance, over drinks, to hear a bit more about the recording project and to purchase the CD –it will be available at Amazon at £13.09, but we intend to sell in College at £12.00. However on the Friday, it will be available at the special price of £10. Our plan is to try and get the CD firmly into the classical charts for the following week.

After Deo, the next recording on the new College label will be the Choir’s new festive CD Christmas with St Johns, including some old seasonal favourites as well as a few new works. The label will not just be recording the Choir, 2017 will see an exciting disc by current St John’s student, virtuoso violinist Julia Hwang. Already a veteran of the concert platform, Julia’s

Welcome to the Spring 2016 edition of the Choir Association Newsletter

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interpretation of Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending was selected by the BBC to illustrate a documentary on the work. Later next year the Choir will release two central works of the 20th century repertoire, Masses by Poulenc and the Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaly.

There will be many opportunities financially to support the new label. Please do get in touch if you might be interested.

Please let us know if you are planning to attendthe launch event at on 20 May by emailingchoir@joh.cam.ac.uk.

Choir to undertake tourof Germany and Francein December Before the Choir had even touched down on its return from the US, preparations were already underway for the next tour in December, this time to Germany. The Choir will visit four German cities, Wittenberg, Stuttgart and Weingarten before travelling to Aix en Provence.

Before departure the Choir will perform two concerts in the UK, in the College Chapel on Friday 9 December and at London’s Cadogan Hall on Monday 12 December.

RCO Limpus Prize awarded to current Organ ScholarCongratulations to current Herbert Howells Organ Scholar

Joseph Wicks who achieved his Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists in February and was awarded the coveted Limpus Prize for his exam. The prize is awarded to an outstanding candidate for the FRCO and is considered one of the highest achievements in the organ world.

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The Harvey recording has already been enthusiastically received, with The Observer giving it a five star review!

www.sjcchoir.co.uk

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Choir’s USA tour The Choir has recently returned from a majortwo-week tour of the US – the Choir’s first visit in five years.

The fifteen day tour saw the Choir travel across the country, appearing in concert in six cities and to excellent audiences. The programme, intended to showcase the richness of the Anglican choral tradition, mainly comprised music by English composers from Byrd and Purcell, up to more modern repertoire, including some recent commissions by Jonathan Dove and James Burton. The programme also included The Annunciation, written for the Choir by College alumnus, Jonathan Harvey just months before his death in 2012, previewing the imminent release of the Choir’s Harvey recording – of which more on the previous page of this newsletter. The tour began in California, where the Choir was a guest of Stanford University for the first time, presenting two concerts as part of University’s ‘Stanford Live’ series. Robert Huw Morgan (Organ Scholar 1985-88) is now University Organist at Stanford and it was at the University’s Memorial Church that the Choir performed its tour programme to a large and appreciative audience. The following evening saw the Choir join with the Stanford University Chorale and Orchestra to sing to a capacity audience in a programme including Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, at the University’s 800-seat Bing Hall.

This was a great success and a great opportunity for collaboration – both musical and social – with the Stanford University Chorale. As Choral Scholar Xavier Hetherington says:

“The combination of choirs seemed to work very well; it was a great pleasure for us to work with these brilliant singers. The concert was extremely good fun and got a good reception. Hamish McLaren won the college great honour with his beautiful solo in the second movement of the Bernstein. The Choir in general held its own in the face of enthusiastic percussion.

Stanford University Chorale will be returning the visit in the summer with a weekend residency at the College Chapel 17-19 June.

The Choir then flew to the East Coast to make a much-anticipated return to the Washington National Cathedral, where it last appeared with George Guest as Director and Andrew Nethsingha as Organ Scholar over twenty years ago. It was great to renew personal connections here, as it was at St Thomas, Fifth Avenue, New York City where the Choir was proud to perform on 5 April as part of a season of concerts dedicated to the memory of the life and work of John Scott (Organ Scholar 1974-78).

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Harrison Truong

More friendships were renewed in Atlanta on 7 April, as the Choir sang at the Cathedral of St Philip, where Dale Adelmann (Choral Scholar 1987-90) is now Canon for Music. Dale was the first North American to sing with the Choir of St John’s, beginning a tradition still in evidence today as this tour brought two American choristers to perform in their native US.

There were further excellently received return visits to Greenwich, Connecticut on 4 April, for a concert at Christ Church and to the Cathedral Basilica of St Louis, Missouri on 8 April before the Choir returned to the UK.

In between the singing, much fun was had by Choristers and Choral Scholars alike, with shopping, boat trips, bike rides, visits to theme parks (resulting in a log flume soaking for the Dean!) and baseball games galore. The Choristers developed an obsession with the Great American Breakfast, seeking out waffle irons and stacks of blueberry pancakes wherever they were to be found!

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Great achievementsfor choristersThree of the Choristers travelled to London on 1 March to give an organ recital in St Lawrence Jewry Church, the official church of the Lord Mayor of London and the City of London. The boys performed works by J S Bach, Boellmann, Mathias, Peeters and Walton.

Chorister David Bryson gave a solo organ recital in the College Chapel on 24 April as part of the Sunday afternoon pre-Evensong series, thought to be the first serving chorister to do so!

On 1 July the anthem at Evensong will be Come, let us all this day with holy songs, composed by Joel Branston, who is also one of our current choristers – a wonderful achievement!

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Staff changes inthe ChapelAs some of you will have heard, our Chapel Clerk, Stephen Stokes, is currently undergoing treatment for lymphoma (cancer of the blood). In good spirits, Stephen is doing remarkably well with his treatment, and has been very grateful for a steady stream of visitors while he has been in hospital – or as we have been calling it ‘Chapel Office, Addenbrooke’s Branch’!

While Stephen completes his treatment, Marcus Smith has been appointed Acting Chapel Clerk. Marcus has previously been Head Verger at the Royal Air Force’s church, St Clement Danes, in Central London. He is with us during the summer term.

We said goodbye in March to our Chaplain and Acting Dean Liz Adekunle, who has left us to become Archdeacon of Hackney. We are pleased to welcome back the Dean, Duncan Dormor, from his sabbatical, although it is feared that any refreshment he may have gained from his time off has now been obliterated by the stresses of a fortnight’s tour with the Choir! We will also soon be saying goodbye to Neil Heavisides, our Assistant Chaplain at the end of the academic year. We look forward to the arrival in September of the Rev’d Carol Barrett Ford as the new College Chaplain – more about her in our next issue.

Helen Cocks has been appointed as Marketing and Communications Officer for the Choir and started in February. Helen comes from a liturgical music background, having previously worked at St Martin-in-the-Fields and at the London Oratory School.

Finally, Director of St John’s Voices Graham Walkerhas been appointed Director of Music at Magdalenefrom September, although he will continue his role atSt John’s too.

New Head for St John’s College School

Neil Chippington has now been appointed for St John’s College School, succeeding Kevin Jones, to whom we say goodbye in July after 25 years.

Neil comes to us from St Paul’s Cathedral School, where he has been Head since 2009. Previously Head of Academic Music at Winchester College, Neil is a Cambridge Music graduate and was Organ Scholar at Caius. We look forward to his joining the school in September.

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Recent CommissionsThe Choir has continued its commitment to new music by commissioning a number of works recently.

Alex Woolf, a current undergraduate of the College, composed O Vos Omnes for the Choir, was given its first performance at Evensong on 2 March, while a joint commission by the Choir and the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers from James Burton O Thoma! was first heard on Friday 15 January and subsequently performed on the US tour at Easter.

Upcoming first performances include a new set of Canticles by Nico Muhly on 29 May, an anthem by Benjamin Comeau (8 June) and an organ work by Tarik O’Regan which will be performed in recital by Organ Scholar Joseph Wicks on 3 July. Grateful acknowledgements are given to Michael McLaren QC and Caroline McLaren, Paul & Joanna Lindsell and Jeremy Podger for their generous support of these choral commissions. The O’Regan organ piece forms part of the Orgelbüchlein Project, commissioned by the Master and Fellows with the generous support of the Herbert Howells Organ Music Fund.

Member newsCongratulations on the recent arrival of new babies to Jonny Knight and Peter Morton (both Choral Scholars 2004-7 while Peter was also a Chorister 1993-8).

Best wishes also to Leon Charles and James Diggle, Organ Scholar and Choral Scholar respectively of the 2005-8 cohort, who have both recently been married.

Robert Houssart (Organ Scholar 1997-2000) is now staff conductor at the Royal Danish Opera, where he conducts a new production of Thomas Adès’ Powder Her Face, Kurt Weill’s Mahagonny and Mozart Le nozze di Figaro in the coming months, as well as a new production of Figaro for the Longborough Festival 2016.

Iestyn Davies (Chorister 1987-1993; Choral Scholar 1999-2002) was recently nominated for an Olivier Award for his performance in Farinelli and the King at the Duke of York Theatre.

Henry Neill (Choral Scholar 2008-11) was the winner of the Royal Over-seas League competition singers’ final in February.

And finally the two Cantoris Altos of 1963-64 happened to meet in Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, on Saturday 7 May 2016 for a Haydn “Nelson” Mass with The Stour Singers and The Cherwell Orchestra.

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Upcoming first performances include a new set of Canticles by Nico Muhly on 29 May

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Michael Pearce, bass-baritone solo; Martin Roberts, viola

DATES FOR YOUR DIARYFriday 20 May 6:30 Evensong and launch of the new Choir CD & College recording label

Saturday 4 June 4:00 Garden Party, Master’s Lodge Garden

Saturday 22 October 6.30 Termly Cantata Evensong with St John’s Sinfonia

Friday & Saturday 29-30 October Choral Scholars to sing in premiere of new opera Kepler’s Trial, written by Tim Watts for performance in the College Chapel – more details in the next issue

Friday 9 December Pre-tour concert in Chapel

Monday 12 December Concert at Cadogan Hall, London

Chorister Voice TrialsDo you know a boy who loves to sing? We currently have vacancies for entry as a Chorister in September 2016. Andrew would be very pleased to hear from the parents of boys aged six to nine years old, and meet with them informally to offer advice prior to attending a formal voice trial.

The next voice trial will take place on Saturday 21 May.

Please contact Caroline Marks, Choir Administrator, on 01223 338718 or email choir@joh.cam.ac.uk for further information.

Birthday Evensong for Christopher RobinsonChoir Association members celebrated with former Director of Music Christopher Robinson on 7 May as he conducted a special evensong for his 80th birthday.

Former members of the Choir at St John’s, as well as singers from Christopher’s other positions at Clare College, Worcester Cathedral and St George’s Windsor joined the current College Choir to sing Evensong under Christopher’s direction, before a reception in the College hall. Repertoire included Howells St Paul’s Service and Elgar Give unto the Lord and the service is available as a webcast on the Choir website.

Christopher Robinson’s introit Jesu, grant me this, I pray was also included on the Choir’s broadcastof Choral Evensong for BBC Radio 3 on Wednesday27 April. The service is still available to hear onBBC iplayer.

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Christopher Robinson conducts the massed Choir at his 80th birthday Evensong