Choral & Organ Scholarships

Choral & Organ Scholarships

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eing the recipient of a Choral or Organ Scholarship at Clare College offers an unrivalled musical education for the three years of your undergraduate degree. In addition to the primary focus of providing the music for the liturgy in the College Chapel, the Choir of Clare College has an extensive external schedule, with concerts, broadcasts, recordings and international tours all contributing to a wealth of opportunities made available to our students.

This brochure gives information about the Choir’s activities, and details of how to apply for a Scholarship alongside your application to the University. Each year, new members of the Choir of Clare College contribute to a long and distinguished lineage of musicians who have been part of the College’s impressive musical history. We hope that the information provided here encourages you to consider being part of that history.

Graham Ross Director of Music

“Very much the best of the English choral tradition”

Seen & Heard International

“Here was clarity, precision and dramatic sweep”

The Australian

“Thrilling... a tribute to the superb ensemble singing under the direction of Graham Ross”

Gramophone

“These performances are immaculate”

BBC Music Magazine

About the Choir Since the founding of a mixed voice choir in 1971, the Choir of Clare College has gained an international reputation as one of the leading university choral groups in the world.

In addition to its primary function of leading services three times a week in the College Chapel, the Choir keeps an active schedule of recording, broadcasting, and performing throughout the UK and the world throughout the academic year.

Many former members of the Choir now enjoy distinguished professional solo careers, whilst others sing in leading vocal ensembles such as the Monteverdi Choir, The Sixteen, Tenebrae, Polyphony and the Tallis Scholars.

Recent Organ Scholars have taken up positions at Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Many former Organ and Choral Scholars have established international reputations, including Sir Roger Norrington, Ivor Bolton, Richard Egarr, John Rutter, Elin Manahan Thomas, Robin Ticciati, Nicholas Collon and the current Director of Music, Graham Ross.

“Such a friendly, family atmosphere with such talented and varied characters” David Dunnett, Organ Scholar (1993-96)

Chapel Services The Choir sings three liturgical services a week in the College Chapel throughout Full Term (Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday), augmented by special services such as Compline, Vigils, Commemoration and Memorial Services.

The Choir prides itself on the huge variety of repertoire it sings for these services, stretching from the Renaissance era to the present day. The College has its own Composer-in-Residence, and has as great a commitment to contemporary music as it does to the music of the Great English Choral Tradition.

Composers that the Choir has commissioned works from in the past have included John Rutter, John Tavener, Tarik O’Regan, Nico Muhly and Giles Swayne.

In addition to services within the College Chapel, the Choir is frequently invited to perform services across the country, recently visiting Ely Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.

“No part of my College life gave me more enjoyment than belonging to the Choir ” Mark Dobell, tenor (1993-96)

Concerts & Broadcasts Concerts are given by the Choir throughout the year in a wide range of venues and locations, from Festival appearances to orchestral residencies.

Outside of Cambridge, the Choir frequently performs in London, in recent years performing two sell-out performances with the Aurora Orchestra of Bach’s St. John Passion and B Minor Mass, in addition to regular appearances at St John’s, Smith Square and the Spitalfields Festival.

Collaborations with professional ensembles have included the Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, the Academy of Ancient Music, and the Schubert Ensemble. In 2000, it became the first Oxbridge mixed choir to perform at the BBC Proms. Conductors the choir has worked with have included Sir Mark Elder, Sir Roger Norrington and Richard Tognetti.

The Choir regularly broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 and 4, performing Choral Evensong services and appearing live in the studio for Radio 3’s In Tune programme.

“The perfect springboard to a future in the musical world” Abigail Gostick , alto (2009-2012)

International Tours The Choir undertakes at least one international tour every year, and has performed extensively across Europe, the United States of America, Japan, China, Russia, Australia and the Middle East.

Some of our past tours have seen collaborations with orchestras of world-renown, including the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment across Spain, Belgium, the UK and the USA under the direction of René Jacobs, Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito under Edward Gardner, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 across Australia with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, including performances at The Sydney Opera House, and has toured programmes of Handel across Europe with the European Union Baroque Orchestra under Lars Ulrik Mortensen.

Tours usually occur in the Christmas and Summer vacations, for up to a total of three weeks.

“It was inspiring to be able to work alongside leading conductors ” James McVinnie, Organ Scholar (2003-06)

Recordings The Choir regularly produces commercial recordings, and has produced an impressive catalogue over the years.

Many of the Choir’s 30+ recordings have garnered significant plaudits, such as the choir’s recording of Rutter’s Requiem, which was awarded Editor’s Choice by Gramophone, CD of the Week on Classic FM and was nominated for a Classical BRIT Award. Since 2011 the Choir has recorded exclusively for Harmonia Mundi USA under Graham Ross’s direction. The Choir’s recording of Imogen Holst’s choral works was awarded a Diapason d’Or and Le Choix de France Music Award, and also nominated for a coveted Gramophone Award.

In 2012 the Choir began a major recording series of works for the church year, with its debut disc Veni Emmanuel: Music for Advent reaching the heights of the Specialist Classical Charts.

The Choir’s recording sessions are often produced by John Rutter, Honorary Fellow and former of Director of Music.

“A unique College, with a unique Choir, supported by an unrivalled thriving musical scene ” Nicholas Collon, Organ Scholar (2001-04)

Opportunities • Participating in the singing of liturgical music at the highest level • Performing an extremely broad range of music, including contemporary and specially commissioned works • Free singing lessons from one of the College’s respected singing teachers • Free tuition in masterclasses given by visiting professors and singers such as Ann Murray DBE, Michael Chance, Roderick Williams and Joan Rodgers CBE. • Frequent overseas travels, all costs covered e.g. USA, Europe, Australia, Israel • Working with highly renowned conductors and orchestras • Being part of a friendly, sociable choir community

Commitment • Choral and Organ Scholarships last for the duration of your undergraduate degree • Three services a week in Full Term, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays • Three Compline services per term, late on Wednesday evenings • Extra services such as Advent Carol Services, All Souls & Ash Wednesday Vigils and Memorial Services • 5-6 hours of rehearsals each week on average, with additional rehearsals for special services and concerts • Concerts, recordings and tours take place regularly throughout the year, for which Choir members will need to make themselves available for, including those in the summer

Organ Scholarships The two Organ Scholars at Clare play vital roles in maintaining the excellence of the Choir, primarily through the accompanying of services, organ voluntaries and recitals. In addition, they have the opportunity to conduct the Choir under the guidance of the Director of Music, and work closely with the chapel community in planning repertoire for the liturgical year.

Scholars receive free organ and harpsichord tuition, as well as free singing lessons from one of the College’s singing teachers. The Chapel has two organs, a von Beckerath two-manual tracker instrument (fully restored in 2003), and an historic Snetzler chamber organ. Many Clare Organ Scholars have gone on to distinguished careers as cathedral organists, conductors or solo performers.

“An environment dedicated to making music of all varieties at a very high level �

Nicholas Mulroy, tenor (1995-99)

Graham Ross - Director Graham Ross is Director of Music and Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge. Responsible for all practical music-making in the College, he builds on and seeks to enhance the continued excellence of musicianship of Clare’s instrumentalists, composers, conductors, and the internationally-renowned Chapel Choir.

He studied music at Clare College, Cambridge and conducting at the Royal College of Music, London. He held a conducting scholarship with the London Symphony Chorus, and guest conducts ensembles and orchestras across the UK and beyond, with recent performances with Tallis, Haydn, Hertfordshire, East Anglia, Kensington, Covent Garden, Salomon and RCM Symphony Orchestras, at such Festivals as BBC Proms, Glyndebourne and Aldeburgh.

A composer and conductor of a wide range of repertoire, he has had works performed throughout Europe and beyond, and given numerous first performances of newly-penned works as both a pianist and conductor. Recent performances have been given by, amongst others, the Aurora Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra and BBC Concert Orchestra.

Auditions Auditions for Choral Scholarships take place after candidates have received an academic offer to study at the University. Academic interviews normally take place in December and auditions for Choral Awards between the end of January and the end of March. Occasionally the Choir will appoint Choral Volunteers closer to the start of the academic year to fill any remaining vacancies in the Choir. At auditions, technical as well as musical skills will be tested, including vocal range and colour, diction, sight-reading, and general musicality. In addition to the formal audition, candidates for Clare will be offered a further audition at the College, when you will have the opportunity to perform a second piece (though this is not a requirement).

Contact us Graham Ross is always willing to meet with prospective music students and Choral Scholars interested in applying to Clare College at any point throughout the year. There will be an opportunity to offer advice, informally sing a piece of your choice and to discuss the choral admissions process.

Mr Graham Ross Director of Music gr267@cam.ac.uk +44 (0)1223 333264 Mrs Kate Littlechild Chapel Administrator krl22@cam.ac.uk +44 (0)1223 333206 Links www.clarecollegechoir.com www.clare.cam.ac.uk Follow us on Social Media

“A college so rich in musical talent �

Timothy Brown, former Director of Music (1979-2010)