The Choir Of St John'S College, Cambridge
About The Choir Of St John'S College, Cambridge
‘There is musicianship here of a rare and moving kind. ’
Choir & Organ May /June 2010
The Choir Of St John'S College, Cambridge Description
The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge is one of the finest collegiate choirs in the world: known and loved by millions from its broadcasts, concert tours and over 90 recordings. Founded in the 1670s, the Choir is known for its rich, warm and distinctive sound, its expressive interpretations and its ability to sing in a variety of styles. Alongside this discipline, the Choir is particularly proud of its happy, relaxed and mutually supportive atmosphere. The Choir is directed by Andrew Nethsingha following in a long line of eminent Directors of Music, recently Dr George Guest, Dr Christopher Robinson and Dr David Hill.
The Choir is made up of 20 Choristers and Probationers from St John’s College School, and 15 Choral Scholars who are members of St John’s College, and its primary purpose is to enhance the liturgy and worship at daily services in the College Chapel. The Choir has a diverse repertoire spanning over 500 years of music. It is also renowned for championing contemporary music in its commissioning of new works, including recent compositions by the College’s first Composer in Residence Michael Finnissy, Nico Muhly and James Burton. The Choir also performs a Bach Cantata Evensong once a term with St John's Sinfonia, our period instrument ensemble.
The Choir brings the 'St John's Sound' to listeners around the world through its weekly webcasts. In addition to regular broadcasts in this country and abroad, the Choir usually makes two recordings each year. In May 2016 the College launched its new St John’s recording label (in conjunction with Signum Records) on which the Choir has released the critically acclaimed and BBC Music Magazine Award winning recording of Jonathan Harvey’s music, ‘Deo’, and in October 2016 ‘Christmas with St John’s’.
The Choir also maintains a busy schedule of concerts and events. The Choir tours internationally twice a year, with recent destinations including Denmark, Germany and France, the USA, the Far East and the Netherlands. It also performs regularly in the UK, with venues including Symphony Hall, Birmingham and Royal Festival Hall, London.
Reviews
Our Director Andrew Nethsingha features as ‘Artist of the Month’ in Classical Music Magazine, where he reflects on his career as well as our latest release ‘Advent Live’, available here: hyperurl.co/AdventLIVE
The album has received critical acclaim in recent weeks, including the following:
”Under Andrew Nethsingha’s inspired direction, the choir has retained its renowned clarity, flamboyance and readiness to take risks“ Gramophone: bit.ly/2zWx0lK
... “It offers a veritable feast that will still have you pondering anew on Advent themes“ Disc of the Month, Europadisc: bit.ly/2QQJJ2U
“The intensity of live broadcast gives this music an edge and vibrancy that can disappear in the normal recording process“ The Guardian: bit.ly/2PwBSTw
“Sung with typical St John’s verve and character” BBC Music Magazine
See More
Tune in to BBC Radio 3 now to hear our Advent Carol Service, featuring this year’s commission ‘A Prayer to St John the Baptist’ by Cecilia McDowall.
You can follow the Order of Service as you listen here: bit.ly/2riJj74
This weekend, tune in to BBC Radio 3 to hear this year’s Advent Carol Service (Sunday 3pm) as well as our most recent release ’Advent Live’ on ‘Record Review‘ with Jeremy Summerly (today at around 10:50am)
Three days left to apply for the position of Marketing and Communications Officer with us!
Applications should be sent to recruitment@joh.cam.ac.uk by the closing date of 12 noon Monday 3rd December
This Saturday, hear our sister choir St John's Voices and the Cambridge Baroque Camerata perform Handel’s Messiah in St John's College Chapel
Our latest album 'Advent Live' is available now!
The disc includes a selection of live recordings from four of our Advent Carol Services, broadcast every year by BBC Radio 3 since 1981. Included in this album are many familiar favourites, as well as recent compositions written for the Choir and music and words by members of St John's College. It was a pleasure to be joined in our performances by Johnian violinists Stephanie Childress and Julia Hwang as well as Anne Denholm: H...arpist. The organists who were playing for the services were Glen Dempsey and Joseph Wicks.
'Advent Live' is available here: hyperurl.co/AdventLIVE or at Heffers Sound in Cambridge, where there is a 25% discount. We do hope you enjoy it!
— Products shown: Advent Live.
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Today we welcome our new choir members as we begin rehearsals for the start of term!
Our Service List (link below) is now available; we do hope you can join us. This term's highlights include:
OCT 13: Cantata Evensong October 2018
... OCT 14: Evensong with electronics (Installation of the new Dean, Canon Mark Oakley, will take place at Sung Eucharist)
OCT 19: Release of 'Advent Live' album
OCT 20: Evensong with Michael Finnissy Premieres
OCT 28: Sung Eucharist with Strings
NOV 18: Evensong with saxophone
NOV 30: Festal Evensong with cello
DEC 1: Christmas Concert at St Peter & St Paul Church, Eye
Dec 14: Christmas Concert at St John's College Chapel
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Our next summer webcast includes Poulenc's 'Mass in G', which we recently recorded for our album 'Kyrie'. The Mass (1937) is the first major sacred work written by Poulenc in the year following the death of fellow composer and friend Pierre-Octave Ferroud, as well as the composer's visit to the Catholic shrine of Rocamadour. The two events marked the reawakening of Poulenc's faith, inspiring him to compose a wealth of sacred choral works over his lifetime.
Listen to the full webcast here: https://bit.ly/2wFL556
— Products shown: KYRIE.
Our next summer webcast features 'Sitivit anima mea', a work with electronics which was written for the Choir by recent Cambridge Music graduate David Nunn, Composer.
The composer says of the work: "My aim with this piece was to create an immersive environment. The electronics are entirely composed of water samples and pure sine waves, which are combined with freely-chanted text. My hope is that the resultant texture alludes to a God who is at once transcendent and immanent."
Listen to the full webcast here: bit.ly/2CC53Dh
Our next summer webcast features Christopher Tye's masterpiece, the 'Missa Euge bone'. The setting of the Gloria is dazzlingly complex as well as brief, lasting only for around six minutes. The Mass may date from Queen Mary's reign (1553-1558), but it is equally plausible that this was Tye's doctoral submission to Cambridge in 1545.
Listen to the entire webcast here: bit.ly/2NK92yJ
Missing us over the summer vacation? Why not listen to one of our summer webcasts, the first of which features Herbert Howells' 'Te Deum, Collegium Regale', performed at the St John's College Graduation Service.
Listen to the full webcast here: bit.ly/2PwclKi
Fantastic to hear the students of the Cambridge Choral Course rehearsing for Evensong today at St John's College, directed by Ralph Allwood. The service will be recorded for later release by BBC Radio 3.
The singers have spent the week here, and have worked with our director Andrew Nethsingha and former chorister/choral scholar Iestyn Davies MBE - Countertenor
Today our Marketing and Comms Officer ascended into the roof of St John's College Chapel to take a photograph for our 100th album cover!
Look out for the recording – which celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Chapel – in 2019, on our 'St John's Cambridge' label with Signum Records
All the booklet notes for our award-winning 'St John's Cambridge' label recordings with Signum Records are now available on our website! Visit our 'Releases' pages to read essays from our Director Andrew Nethsingha and note-writers Charlotte Gardner, Richard Bratby and Ceri Owen: bit.ly/2LGxLDe
The recording sessions are now complete for our 100th disc! The recording – to be released in 2019 – will celebrate the 150th anniversary of St John's College Chapel, featuring a piece from every decade of its existance
Tomorrow evening, we have our annual Joint Evensong with the Choir of King's College, which this year is in St John's College Chapel. The service will feature a stirring selection of English music by Blair, Parry, and Elgar.
Join us at the earlier time of 6PM. As it is likely to be busy, we would advise to arrive early. All are welcome!
Enjoy last week's Joint Evensong with The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge and director Stephen Layton as a webcast here: bit.ly/2JFXhHB
The service included Herbert Howells' 'Collegium Regale', which culminates with this magnificent setting of the Gloria, accompanied by St John's Herbert Howells Organ Scholar Glen Dempsey
Here's the majestic finale to Edward Elgar's 'Give unto the Lord', which we sang together with The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge and their director Stephen Layton at our Joint Evensong yesterday.
We were accompanied on the organ by St John’s Junior Organ Scholar, James Anderson-Besant