The Choir of St. John s College, Cambridge, UK

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1 The Choir of St. John s College, Cambridge, UK Founded in the 1670s to sing daily services in the College Chapel during the University term, the Choir of St. John s College Cambridge is one of the finest choirs in the world, known and loved by millions from its recordings, broadcasts and concert tours. The all-male Choir consists of 14 Choristers, appointed at voice trials and educated at St John s College School, and 15 Choral Scholars admitted as undergraduates in the University of Cambridge. The Choral Scholars often go on to become professional singers; many have been awarded scholarships by the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music. The Choir s repertoire stretches from the 15 th century to the present day. They have an extensive discography including many classic recordings under George Guest dating back to the 1950s, as well as the very successful English Choral Music series on the Naxos label under Christopher Robinson. Featuring the music of Howells, Britten, Tavener (nominated for a Classical Brit Award) and Rubbra (Gramophone Editor s Choice April 2001), it has sold more than 200,000 copies. More recently, the Choir has recorded with Hyperion Records, releasing Christmas at St. John s (a collection of music for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany) as well as recordings of the music of Bairstow and Mendelssohn. Annual highlights for the Choir include the Advent Carol Service, the Lent Meditation, and the Ash Wednesday Evensong (when Allegri s Miserere is sung), all of which are broadcast by BBC Radio 3. Many composers have written for the Choir, including Tippett, Howells and Langlais. The consistency and particular quality of the Choir has led to many invitations to perform throughout the world. In recent years the Choir has performed in Japan, South Africa, New York, Paris, and at the Bregenz Festival in Austria. Renowned for its continental sound, which

2 Choir of St. John s College, Cambridge History, page 2 sets it apart from most other English cathedral choirs, there is brilliance and vigor to the singing of St. John s, as well as control and discipline. The Choir s distinctive sound is underpinned by the strong belief that a focus on good vocal technique produces a vibrant and naturally blending sound. It is perhaps no surprise, therefore, that the College has many notable vocalist alumni, including Andrew Carwood and Simon Keenlyside. Andrew Nethsingha took up his position as Director of Music in September He is a former Organ Scholar at St. John s and joined St. John s College from Gloucester Cathedral. He continues an extraordinarily distinguished line of Directors which has included George Guest, Christopher Robinson and David Hill. St. John s College Founded in 1511 by Lady Margaret Beaufort, the mother of King Henry VII, St. John s College is one of largest of the constituent Colleges of the University of Cambridge, with just under 900 students. Famous for its Choir and the Bridge of Sighs, it is also a centre of academic excellence with eight Nobel prizes having been awarded to members of St. John s. Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc Seneca Drive Cleveland, OH TOLL FREE (866) FAX (440)

3 The Choir of St. John s College, Cambridge, UK Biographies Andrew Nethsingha, Director of Music Andrew Nethsingha is Director of Music at St. John s College, Cambridge, as well as President of the Cathedral Organists Association in the UK. He has performed in the UK, North America, South Africa, China and many European countries, most recently in Germany, Hungary and Holland. Andrew s early musical training was as a chorister in Exeter Cathedral, where his father was Organist for over quarter of a century. He later studied at the Royal College of Music, where he won seven prizes, at St. John s College, Cambridge, and has held Organ Scholarships under Dr. Christopher Robinson and Dr. George Guest. He worked at Wells, Truro and Gloucester Cathedrals before taking up his present post in September Other recent positions have been as Artistic Director of the Gloucester Three Choirs Festival and Musical Director of Gloucester Choral Society. Andrew has worked regularly with some of the UK s leading orchestras. Performances with the Philharmonia have included Britten s War Requiem, Mahler Symphony no. 8 and Elgar s The Kingdom, as well as a program of Vaughan Williams and Finzi broadcast on BBC Radio 3. His most recent performances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra have included Gershwin s An American in Paris and Elgar s Sea Pictures. He has also worked with the City of Birmingham Symphony and BBC Concert Orchestras, and conducted a performance of Handel s Messiah in Beijing.

4 Timothy Ravalde, Senior Organ Scholar Choir of St. John s College, Cambridge Biographies, page 2 Timothy Ravalde was educated at the Nelson Thomlinson School, Wigton. While in sixth form he was Organ Scholar at Carlisle Cathedral and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists. In September 2006 he took up the post of Organ Scholar at Salisbury Cathedral where his duties included accompanying and conducting both the boys and girls choirs. He is now in his second year of reading for a degree in music. In addition to his responsibilities in Chapel he is also the Director of the St. John s Singers, the College s mixedvoice choir. He studies with David Sanger. John Challenger, Junior Organ Scholar John Challenger began his musical education as a Chorister at Hereford Cathedral, during which time he pursued studies in organ, piano and oboe; while at school, he obtained diplomas from the Royal College of Organists and Trinity College, London. From 2006 to 2008 he was Organ Scholar at St. George s Chapel, Windsor Castle before he took up the Junior Organ Scholarship at St. John s College, Cambridge in October Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc Seneca Drive Cleveland, OH TOLL FREE (866) FAX (440)

5 The Choir of St. John s College Press Notices EDITOR S CHOICE, THE GRAMOPHONE JANUARY, 2005 Here is a desert-island disc A new music director and a new label. The hugely experienced David Hill has made this glorious disc for the college s own label. It is a tribute to the John s tradition, but also the current health of the choir and offers a far-from-obvious program. The Gramophone NEW YORK CITY One of the finest concerts given in New York this year took place not in any of the concert halls but in St. Thomas Episcopal Church... The New York Times WASHINGTON, DC The large audience heard chaste, pure choral music as they have practiced it for centuries at its best. Washington Post SAN FRANCISCO ST. JOHN S CHOIR PROVES IT REPUTATION... The Choir of St. John s College, Cambridge, long has been one of the most admired and heavily recorded in the world the choir presented a beautifully musical, balanced choral program. The whole event soared so far above the ordinary San Francisco Chronicle KANSAS CITY With articulate, luminous singing, and more important, a splendid program, the evening s success was ensured. It was an experience deeply musical and vocally impressive. The Kansas City Star CLEVELAND In its thrilling performance... the venerable choir bore the weight of tradition with lightness and buoyancy. The Plain Dealer MINNEAPOLIS... the Requiem (Howells) received a beautiful performance that conveyed its nobility and sorrow in equal measure. There was a confidence in the singing of the Howells, with its intricately divided lines, that spoke eloquently of the thoroughness of its preparation. St. Paul Pioneer Press & Dispatch WORCESTER The choir was most capable of exploiting various shades of meaning and mood relative to the texts, and maintained a marvelous sense of polish and elegance... Worcester Telegram

6 Choir of St. John s College, Cambridge Press Notices, page 2 BUFFALO... one of the world s most celebrated choral ensembles of any type and arguably the finest in the tradition of the English liturgy... Buffalo News MONTREAL The cathedral was filled to capacity and then some. Folding chairs were brought out from store rooms to accommodate the possibly 2,000 people who came to share a very special musical event. And it was an event that fulfilled its promise. Montreal Gazette TORONTO Roy Thomson Hall has been relatively privileged as a host of visiting soloists, and, intermittently, orchestras. Perhaps the fact that the visiting choir is a rarer bird is what made Saturday's performance by the all-male Choir of St. John s College, Cambridge, come across as something between extraordinary and miraculous. Toronto Globe and Mail LONDON The beautifully coordinated choir of St. John s College, Cambridge, made a harmony which probably deserves the word celestial rather than precious. The choir throughout came out finely. The Guardian SYDNEY (Sydney Opera House) The choir s attack, unanimity and security of pitch confirmed its reputation for excellence. The St. John s boys reached ringing heights of glory in Bruckner and in three inspired motets by Poulenc... Sydney Morning Herald DUBLIN The St. John s College Choir have claims to be the premier Anglican cathedral-type choir of the world today. Certainly all that they did was sung superbly. Irish Times OXFORD St. John s performance... with its distinctive, ready and yet homogeneous tone, must rank as one of the outstanding concerts of the year in terms of musicality and precision; a stunning, virtuosic concert. Oxford Times CAMBRIDGE To hear this renowned choir on top form is a privilege; to hear it in that condition perform four works that show its repertory perfectly in the glorious acoustics of its own chapel, is a flesh-creeping experience. Cambridge News Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc Seneca Drive Cleveland, OH TOLL FREE (866) FAX (440)