St John’s College Choir
Choir Association
Welcome
Newsletter: Michaelmas Term 2014
Greetings from the Choir Association. We are delighted to welcome you to the Michaelmas Term edition of our new termly Newsletter which will update you with the latest Members’ and Choir news.
Award-winning alumni Congratulations to Iestyn Davies (Chorister 1987-1993 and Choral Scholar 1999-2002) and Allan Clayton (Choral Scholar 2000-2004) who have both won Gramophone Classical Music Awards. Iestyn won the ‘Recital’ category for his performance at Wigmore Hall in February last year that has since been released on the ‘Wigmore Hall Live’ label (‘Arise, my muse’). Allan was cast in George Benjamin’s opera Written on Skin, which won the ‘Contemporary’ award.
Summer Tour 2014 After a week’s rest following a demanding recording of French sacred choral works, the Choir set off on a fleeting, yet intense tour to Switzerland and Germany. Our first stop was Lausanne, a beautiful city in French-speaking Romandy and our holding area for the first concert at the prestigious Verbier Festival on Friday 25 July, which was broadcast live in nine countries. Since its launch in 1994, the Verbier Festival has attracted some of the biggest names in classical music, including Lang Lang, Joshua Bell, and Martha Argerich. It was a privilege to participate in the festival, and we were extremely fortunate to perform to a packed-out Eglise de Verbier; a standing ovation at the end prompted a spontaneous encore of ‘Blue Moon’.
The Choristers rehearsing in Eglise de Verbier
The Choir performing in St Blasien
The Choir rehearsing in Eglise de Verbier
We then ventured north for a concert at the Dom St Blasien in the Black Forest region of Germany. The Cathedral’s incredible dome encouraged Andrew Nethsingha to stand some distance from the Choir, indulging in the building’s rich acoustics. Finally, we drove the entire length of the country to the lakeside city of Lugano. This Italian-speaking city was even drenched in Italianate sunshine; the grey clouds of St Blasien seemed like another world. Our extremely well-attended and well-received concert at the Chiesa del Sacro Cuore marked an elegant ending to the tour and a successful year together.
Choir Association Bursaries The annual subscription fee contributed by members of the Choral Association goes towards funding the means-tested Choir Association Bursaries. Choral Scholars, Lay Clerks, Volunteers and Organ Scholars are all eligible to apply for Choir Association Bursaries, which make a real difference to their future careers in the music industry. Each year the Choir Association Committee, which consists of former Choir members and supporting staff, review the bursary applications and allocate the funds dependent on the proposed destination of the money awarded. Applications are invited from those wishing to pursue a career in music. The Applicants generally request money towards music lessons and for the purchase of music scores.
Bursary Thanks
Henry Neill It has been another busy year, both of study at the Royal Academy of Music and of performances across the UK. I have had the great opportunity to perform at venues such as St John’s Smith Square, the Wigmore Hall, Colston Hall in Bristol and have even returned to the Cambridge Music Faculty at West Road. A personal triumph this year has been a huge variety of moustaches worn on stage, the most brilliant of which was a French Handlebar worn during my role as Friquet in Offenbach’s Opera Vert Vert with Garsington Opera. As I begin my studies at the Royal Academy Opera
School, I would like to thank the Choir Association for their continued support. This is the third year that they have supported me and so I feel that the Choir Association has been a constant source of help for me at all stages of my early career, for which they have my sincere gratitude.
Tom Verney My final year on the Guildhall Opera Course has been an invaluable experience and I would like to thank the Choir Association for helping to make it all possible. The second year on the course is an opportunity to put what one has learnt so far into practice and I was lucky enough to be involved in three productions over the year – covering Unulfo in Scottish Opera’s Rodelinda, playing a Fox and a fairly evil-looking coachman in Dove’s Pinocchio, and finally playing St John (the other one) in San Giovanni Battista by Stradella at the Guildhall’s new Milton Court Theatre. I was looking forward to starting my post-college life with some good serious work, but instead I’ve had a very enjoyable month playing with a colourful puppet in the British Youth Production of Dove’s Little Green Swallow. Without funding bodies like the Choir Association, these sorts of courses and opportunities would not be an option for people such as myself, so thank you again.
Tristan Hambleton I’ve now spent more years training at the Royal Academy of Music than I spent reading for my undergrad at John’s which is a peculiar thought. London isn’t “cut-out” for student life; it’s too big, it’s too expensive and if you ever want to get home past midnight, you can forget it. All of its shortcomings highlight just how special my years in Cambridge were. And while those happy memories are now a closed chapter, the people that helped forge them are never far away. Each year Johnians new and old collide with my hectic, by-and-large disorganised life and this year it was a particular privilege to work with Simon Keenlyside in a masterclass at RAM. This is now my fourth and final year at the Academy and while the prospect of finally leaving institutionalism is beyond thrilling, it also fills me with terror; term-time is the only way I know how to organise my life. I want to thank the Choir Association wholeheartedly for their support throughout my studies. Thank you. As for the future… watch this space!
Pablo Strong I am very grateful for the Choir Association’s generous support over the last couple of years. I graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 2013 and have been participating in the ENO Opera Works course this year. This has led to some exciting opportunities with the English National Opera, where in the next few months I will be singing in The Mastersingers of Nuremberg as well as sharing the stage with two fellow former Choir members in a new production of Puccini’s The Girl of the Golden West.
Dominic Kraemer Since graduating from the Royal Academy of Music a year ago, I have been carving out a career and enjoying the many varied experiences that come with the life of a freelance singer. I have had some wonderful opportunities including a contract at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich this summer and Young Artist Programmes at both Opera Holland Park and Mid Wales Opera. I have recently moved to Amsterdam to join the Dutch National Opera Academy where I will continue my operatic studies under the directorship of Rosemary Joshua. I would like to thank the Choir Association for the bursary which has enabled me to fund regular sessions with singing teachers and coaches. These continued lessons have been hugely enjoyable and have helped my continued development.
New CD Release On Monday 2 September, the Choir released a new disc of music by Thomas Tomkins, entitled ‘When David Heard’. The disc contains a number of solo instrumental pieces, including ‘A Sad Pavan for these distracted times’ which was performed on the Chamber Organ by Freddie James.
Dates for your Diary Verdi’s Requiem
Friday 24 October – 7.30pm Royal Albert Hall
Gents Recording At the beginning of September, the Gents returned to Chapel to record their new CD. They recorded some of their most frequently performed close harmony numbers and a variety of sacred music, including pieces written especially for the group such as Matthew Martin’s ‘Circumdederunt me’ and Jonathan Seers’ ‘Look Down, O Lord’.
Congratulations!
The Choir will be joined by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the choirs of Clare, Jesus and Gonville & Caius Colleges under the baton of Andrew Nethsingha. For more information and to book tickets, please click here.
Advent Carol Services
Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November Ticket application can now be made for the Advent Carol Services. Tickets
are
restricted
to
2
per
Congratulations to Jonny and Juliet Knight and to Ollie and Cara Hunt application. Completed application who were married in Chapel over the Summer. Congratulations also to forms must be received by the Chapel Clerk before Monday 3 November. Gareth and Sarah John on the birth of baby Isabel. If you would like to notify the Association of any future events or news Vivaldi’s Gloria regarding Members, please email: choir@joh.cam.ac.uk Friday 5 December – 7.30pm
About the Choir Association The Choir Association of St John’s College brings together Alumni and Friends with a shared appreciation of our rich choral tradition. Those who pay an annual subscription to the Association receive priority seating for special services in Chapel, invitations to various social events and the opportunity to keep in contact with former members of the Choir. Donations and renewal of annual Choir Association subscription fees can now be accepted online: www.sjcchoir.co.uk/choir-association/join
Royal Festival Hall Tickets now on sale.
Epiphany Carol Services
Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 January Ticket application can be made from Wednesday 3 December. Tickets are restricted to 2 per application. Completed application forms must be received by the Chapel Clerk before Monday 5 January.