Chapel Music

Richard Pinel, Director of Music

Whilst the spectre of COVID-19 hasn ’t quite left us, we were able to begin the year very much in the spirit of ‘business as usual’ . The choristers resumed rehearsals in early September and were joined by the adults towards the end of September ready for services in the Chapel to begin.

It has been such a pleasure to sing to an in-person congregation again and, in particular, to welcome back our Chapel regulars from the city now that Chapel is once again open to all. The numbers are back to pre-pandemic levels and, if anything, are even larger than before. We have also continued to live-stream our Sunday Evensong and have maintained our regular viewers from around the world.

We welcomed some twelve new adults to the choir at the beginning of the academic year – a mixture of new undergraduates and graduates and one or two more experienced singers. I think that this might be the third year in a row that I have been able to comment that this was the strongest intake to date; long may this trend continue!

In addition to our regular round of Michaelmas Term services, it was important to the Choir to be able to lead the memorial service for Professor Waring, to whom the Choir and Chapel meant so much. The Choir of Clare College joined us for a joint evensong and some bonhomie and, before COVID-19 reared its head and caused the cancellation of our Christmas Carol Services and Christmas Concert, we managed to give the world premiere of O Lord support us by Isaac Adnii (runner up in our composition competition). Following this slight bump in the road, the College Choir were suitably recovered to accompany Britten Sinfonia for their annual tour of Handel’ s Messiah. This included singing to a packed Barbican Centre in London, alongside concerts in Norwich and Saffron Hall. The final engagement of the term saw us return to Epworth Court, to sing Christmas Carols to the residents there. In contrast to our previous visit, we were even able to enjoy some mulled wine and mince pies with them after we had sung!

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Lent Term kicked off with a bang, in the form of a week of services sung jointly with students from the University of Delaware and their director Duane Cottrell. This was a musical and social treat for us all, and I hope signifies the beginning of a lasting collaboration with Duane and his students. Later in the term we gave the world premiere of I will hearken by Philip Moore and our boy choristers were hosted by the girls ’ choir of St Catherine ’ s College for a joint service, joyfully resuming this long-standing partnership.

The choirs stayed in residence for just over a week following the end of Lent Term. We performed Fauré’ s Requiem in concert and were then joined by the outside broadcast team from BBC Radio 3 for two services of evensong – one broadcast live and one recorded for broadcast in July. Sadly, the projected concert tour of The Netherlands had to be cancelled due to the pandemic situation on the other side of the channel, however the College Choir were able to spend a weekend in Devon singing at Ottery St Mary ’ s and a joint evensong with Exeter Cathedral Choir.

Returning refreshed from the Easter Vacation, we enjoyed an exciting term of music-making in the Chapel. The Choristers premiered Oculi Omnium by celebrity composer Nico Muhly (written for them during the pandemic) and the College Choir gave the first performance of The Living Fire, written by two choral scholars: Ella Curry (text) and Mary Offer (music). We were pleased to sing joint services with the boy choristers of Coventry Cathedral and the choirs from Godolphin and Latymer School and Langley Primary Academy. The choristers also spent an enjoyable Sunday in Ely Cathedral, singing evensong together with the Cathedral Choir followed by a game of rounders.

After exams and May Week were over, we gave a concert performance of and subsequently video recorded Vaughn Williams ’ Five Mystical Songs with CantiaQuorum! (strings) and Andrew Thompson (baritone soloist). The Chapel Choir rounded off the year with a weekend singing in Paris, as guests of St George ’ s Anglican Church and Église St-Eustache (with some welcome down-time spent at Disneyland Paris!). This marked the final bits of music making for me with the choirs before I move on to pastures new – a bittersweet few weeks.

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Aside from the Choir ’ s core activities, we were pleased to be able to restart The Cambridge Chapels Youth Choir which meets each half term and gives former boy choristers from Jesus College and former girl choristers from St Catherine ’ s and Pembroke Colleges and Great St Mary ’ s Church the opportunity to meet and sing services in the Chapels of Jesus and St Catherine ’ s Colleges. I also spent Easter Term making weekly visits to Park Street Primary School to do some singing with the children there.

Future plans will be largely in the hands of my successor; however, I leave having arranged an outreach project jointly with our choristers, the children of Sancton Wood Preparatory School and The Galfrid School. This will be delivered jointly by our choristers and former Hadfield-Rawlinson Graduate Choral Scholar, Hannah Grigg.

This year Jesus College Music Society (JCMS) has bounced back from COVID-19 stronger than ever. Under the leadership of Megan Robinson and Mary Offer it was a real joy to see the larger-scale orchestral concerts return to Jesus Chapel. They leave the Society in fine fettle and George Monro-Davies takes over the mantle of JCMS President in the autumn.

After ten years of very loyal and devoted service as Choir Administrator, Alice Kane has moved on from Jesus College. She is much missed, and our heartfelt thanks go out to her. We also say farewell to Christopher Too, our Senior Organ Scholar. Alongside them, I would like to thank James Crockford, Owen Elsley and Eleanor Lancelot for all their support. In addition to her sterling work as Assistant Chaplain, Eleanor has also taken over from Alice Kane and has been invaluable in the Choir Office.

Finally, I must thank everybody at Jesus College for their friendship and support these last five and a half years. I’ll spend next term on sabbatical and then will be moving on. It has been an honour to continue the strong musical tradition in Jesus Chapel, which is the envy of many in the City of Cambridge and beyond. n