Chapel Choir Report

By Stanley Godfrey, Allen Senior Organ Scholar

After two long years of disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a certain jubilation at the Choir’s first rehearsal this year; at long last, we were able to make music together without the need for social distancing, mask-wearing, or other precautions. The Choir was, in a way, back together as if nothing had happened.

This sense of relief – however long into the rehearsal it might have lasted – set the tone for the rest of the year. As the end of 2021 drew closer throughout Michaelmas Term, the Choir tackled a repertoire by composers such as Whitacre, Dyson, and Ireland. Attention, of course, then quickly turned towards the two Carol Services, with the Choir singing an ambitious repertoire by Mathias, Macmillan, and Weir. Throughout this year, there has been a concerted effort to feature works by composers representing groups who do not receive equal representation in the realms of classical music and, more specifically, church music; this has led to the choir experiencing some breathtakingly beautiful music by Judith Weir, Undine Smith Moore, and Imogen Holst – just to name a few – and we are all incredibly excited to discover more over the coming years.

Hilary Term brought the return of large-scale music-making in College with a performance of the Requiem by Gabriel Fauré by the Choir and the St Peter’s College Chamber Orchestra, formed this year by Beth Fitzpatrick; whilst I was personally unable to take my place in the concert – a rather poorly timed bout of COVID-19 taking me out of the picture – I have been assured by many, from both inside and outside College, that it was a tremendous success. Particular credit must be given to Sian Sulke and Joshua Bamford for their especially gorgeous solos.

The term also brought a particularly special performance in one of our Sunday Evensongs, in which the Choir gave the live premiere of the House Canticles by St Peter’s alumnus, Piers Connor Kennedy. Together with Vinaya Roehrl on the piano and myself on the organ, this was a particularly moving service – the voices of the choir and the controlled anarchy of the instrumental parts coming together in perfect harmony. The Choir is delighted that Piers will be joining us in the 2022/23 Academic Year as our Associate Composer, and we are all especially excited for the potential musical delights such a partnership will bring.

Trinity Term brought a yet more expanded repertoire for the Choir in anticipation of its tour to Liverpool and the surrounding area in June and July, including works by Palestrina, Helen Williams, and Finzi. The Choir’s tour to Liverpool featured a Vigil Mass at the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral; an organ recital given by the College’s Organ Scholars; an Evensong for St Peter and St Paul’s Day in the Anglican Cathedral; and a concert as part of the Prescot Festival. The Choir is incredibly grateful to our Director of Music, Quintin Beer, for organising this trip, and we look forward to another year of full-throated music-making.

The Sporting Year

This year at St Peter’s sport came back in full force, and what a year we’ve had! This year saw the launch of the SPC sport Instagram, @s.p.c.sport, university wide boat club history being made, badminton setting college records and the return of the rugby cuppers plate to St Peter’s! St Peter’s have vigorously shaken up the leader boards this year, sending a clear message that we’re coming back with a vengeance! I cannot wait to see what’s to come next year for us under the leadership of next JCR sports rep, Milly Troup.

Rowing

This year, the SPC Boat Club has gone from strength to strength. We started off in Michaelmas, with a record number of novices signing up for trial sessions and successfully battling through the cold, dark mornings to make it to Christchurch Regatta. We entered 4 crews, 2 men’s and 2 women’s, and all made it to the final day of racing – a huge achievement for everyone involved. The festive season came and went and before we knew it, we were in Hilary! We started the term off with high hopes and good spirits, excited for the Bumps on their way. Little did we know what was to come – Storm Eunice, river flooding and a final round of Covid isolating all did their best to add a little bit of excitement to the frosty days of the Oxford winter. Hilary soon became known as the term of ergs, with the majority of the club

Maddie West-Nelson (JCR Sports Rep)

stuck inside on rowing machines instead of out on the river. We didn’t let this deter us though, with a solid 4 crews qualifying for Torpids in Week 7. All boats fought their way through some pretty tricky division placements to survive the week net positive. The highlight, however, has to be our M2 who bumped every day, going on to achieve blades. And if you thought that was good, just wait til you hear about Trinity…

Trinity truly was the star of the show. From the off, commitment levels were at an all-time high. Rowers were back 2 weeks before term began and on the river almost every day putting in the hours. When they weren’t in a boat, they were on an erg and when they weren’t on an erg, they were bumping into people on the street muttering “concede!”, in preparation for Summer VIIIs. And it all paid off. A record 6 crews qualified for VIIIs, a clean sweep of all those we entered, and the most Peter’s has ever had. A singular historic achievement, however, was apparently not enough for us, and we went on to collect 4 sets of blades and go +16 overall, making us the most successful club on the river, and making college boat club history. Short of Headship (we’re working on it…), we really couldn’t have done any better. A phenomenal end to a phenomenal year.

Mika Alvarez Nishio (President)

Women’s Football

The Peter’s women’s football team once more combined with St Hilda’s this season, creating a formula that proved near-unstoppable. Evidence was immediately provided by the team’s first ever game together, a highlight of the season that resulted in a huge 17-0 score line and their first victory of many! The team went on to finish second in Division 2 after winning all their games bar one, a huge feat in such a competitive league. Although the team was knocked out in the second round of cuppers by Worcester, the eventual semi-finalists, they went on to win the plate final 3-1 against a very strong combined St Anne’s/St John’s team. The team also showed huge amounts of spirit and camaraderie throughout the season. SPC MCR president Niamh Fearon was a crucial part of the team, featuring in almost every game and usually sneaking a couple of goals each time. Other SPC players who made key contributions to the joint Peter’s/Hilda’s glory were Julieta Macome, Kim Lopez and Tara Alisha. Jules was one of our top goal scorers; Tara’s pace terrified every opposition; and Kim’s versatility was essential to the team, happy to cover any position with equal success. SPC captain Iona Ffrench-Adam was also a stalwart at the back, with some plucky saves and strong leadership throughout the year. The culmination of this season of successes was the team winning the futsal cuppers competition on the last day of Trinity term: here they convincingly beat Hertford/Keble with a 6-1 victory in the semi-finals, before storming to a 2-1 win against Foxes in the final. Overall it has been a stellar year for women’s football at St Peter’s, and we look forward to seeing what the next season brings.

Men’s football

SPC men’s football had a truly exciting season this year, complete with a hair-raising conclusion in which the team saved themselves from relegation on the very last day. Unfortunately, after an incredible underdog victory over Hertford in the first round of football cuppers, they were unable to extend their cuppers run further. However, the team’s proudest moment would probably have to be ‘doing the double’ over Teddy Hall, a prime example of the Peter’s chant come true. This year saw many brilliant and varied players donning their SPC shirt with pride. However, special commendation has to

Cricket

I knew it was going to be a strong season for St Peter’s College cricket when only five players showed up for the first game. It’s hard to know what to do at the toss when you only have a fivea-side team for an eleven-aside game, but in the go to Iván Mahoney and Gabe McCall, who put in stellar performances a mere 12 hours after completing the crosskeys challenge – truly the stuff of folklore. A deserving mention also goes to Freddy Wood, who excelled as a wind-up merchant; as well as Rio Mitani, who will be sorely missed after proving himself a truly positive and committed member in his one and only year at the club. Finally, Patrick Clarke and Harry Crichton-Miller both provided veteranlevel college football experience, making a huge contribution in what may be their final season. Their service to SPCFC is one which has solidified their status as club legends.

Ben Webb (Captain)

end, in an undoubtedly alpha move, we informed Hertford that we would have a bat. It soon became clear that despite the aggregate quality of our team being low (due to our sheer lack of players), the average quality was sky high. Ultimately Hertford scrambled past our score of 120 in the 20th over, but I couldn’t’ have been prouder of the eight Peterites – three more turned up halfway through – and was certain, should we ever reach the heights of a full eleven, that we would be a force to be reckoned with. Indeed, from that moment onwards we went from strength to strength comfortably beating Univ in the first round of Cuppers and sweeping Keble aside in a friendly in week 9. In between, we were unfortunate to lose narrowly to New in Cuppers, despite an admirable effort from Doug Shaw, our college bursar, who top scored despite his most recent college game being in 1986.

Undoubtedly the most important game of the season, however, was the annual JCR vs SCR game. The SCR, having won the fixture last year for the first time in living memory, turned up at Exeter grounds with an all-star team: rumour had it that their seamers were touching speeds of 90mph in practice. Alas, due to a pitch which was literally deemed unplayable ten minutes before the game, they were tragically restricted to bowling mediumslow only. The JCR breathed a huge sigh of relief. The SCR dispensed with the toss and announced they would bat first (which apparently they are allowed to do…) and faced a fired up JCR bowling attack. In particular, George Robson, bowling like Shane Warne in his pomp, tore through the SCR middle order, before a counter attack by Shawthis time playing for the wrong team - saw the JCR reach a total of 82. After a batting wobble saw the JCR go five down, a battling 26 retired from Freddie Wright, and a quickfire 16 from Gabe McCall saw the JCR home.

Overall, it was a tremendous season for SPCCC and I look forward to more fine performances from McCall, Shaw and Fairweather in 2023!

Louis Odgers (Captain)

Rugby

Despite a tough year of college rugby across the board, SPCRFC managed to end the year with some silverware in the form of the Cupper’s plate.

The club played friendly and division 1 league fixtures, before starting our cuppers run. After receiving a bye for the first round, we ended up on the wrong end of a very tight fixture against St. Hilda’s. After this however we went on a storming run, besting Catz and Pembroke to reach the cupper’s plate final. We were fortunate enough to have the help of several excellent Wadham players who were without a club, and they all showed outstanding commitment and skill. We fielded a very strong 23 for the Plate final at Iffley road, beating Oriel 10-5 after an arm-wrestle of a contest.

Aside from inter college competitions, our Old boy’s event in 8th week of Hilary was a huge success. A wide range of alumni returned for an entertaining rugby match and an even more entertaining dinner, keeping long standing traditions alive.

Fergus Sandham (Player)

Touch Rugby

This year, the St Peter’s mixed touch rugby team met every week for a chilled and sociable session of touch. A highlight would have to be the Michaelmas taster session, which directly followed the first years’ matriculation ceremony – this resulted in several freshers playing in sub fusc, complete with celebratory prosecco instead of water breaks! The team’s primary competitive fixture was the cuppers tournament in Trinity term: the team had a great turnout, even with several players’ exams looming, and they managed to reach the semi-final of the plate competition against some very strong opposition.

Volleyball

Overall, the team really gelled despite the huge range of years, subjects, and personalities on show, evidencing the true power of the classic Peter’s spirit and camaraderie. Freshers Emma Wiggetts and Milly Troup were a vital part of the team’s success, attending nearly every training session, as well as Natalie Hytiroglou and Justin Sy Limkaichong, who both returned to the team after a successful 20/21 campaign. Honourable mentions also go to Anna Williams and Matt Barrett – despite being somewhat late to the party in joining touch, they more than made up for it with their enthusiasm, aggressive tag technique and coaching expertise.

Iona Ffrench-Adam (Captain)

St Peter’s volleyball got off to a thunderous start this year, demolishing the Reimenn team in one of the best examples of volleyball ever to grace Iffley Road. Lead on-field by Zeph and Chloe, the dominant tone was set early on with Peter’s controlling the score line and using their sub to freshen up tired legs when required. A late resurgence by the opponents saw the game tied at one set apiece before a couple of strong service games from George and Lucien brought the game home. Through to the quarter-finals the Development squad put up a greater fight. After difficulty gelling Peter’s found themselves at a long series of deuces in the first set. In the next set Peter’s volleyball started picking up but they couldn’t quite manage to convert their chances and unfortunately were knocked out. Looking to next season we are keen for nominations for captain to build on this year’s success and create a true Peterite dynasty.

Basketball

SPC basketball had a relaxed start to the year, playing in friendlies in Michaelmas and Hilary, in which anyone who wanted to try out Basketball at college level could give it a go. This continued into a more competitive term in Trinity where they played in the cuppers tournament in which they got to the quarter finals! Cuppers consisted of a group stage followed by an elimination bracket and again,

Badminton

Zéphyr Goriely (Player)

anyone was welcome to play, regardless of their experience. In the ground stage they won 2 out of their 3 games and managed to stay in the game till the quarter finals in the bracket. We are very proud of their success this year in such an inviting team sport welcoming all experience levels. The key players this season were: Lucien Mulberg, Josh Hayward, Timothy Schiller, Justin Limkaichong, Marcus Spiegel, Sophie Taylor, and captain Shivani Abensour.

Shivani

This season saw SPC Badminton team win their first Men’s Cuppers on record! With our two blues players leading the team to 4 impressive victories in the knockout competition. In the league we finished mid table with many different players getting a chance to play.

Professor Randy Bruno

As of January 2022, Randy Bruno joined St Peter’s as a Tutorial Fellow and the Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics as a Professor of Neuroscience. Prof Bruno is originally from New Jersey, just outside of New York City. He earned a BS in Cognitive Science at Carnegie Mellon University and then a PhD in Neurobiology from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine under the supervision of Prof Daniel J Simons. He performed postdoctoral research with the Nobel laureate Prof Bert Sakmann at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, Germany. His research during these periods was on the pattern of connections from sensory organs to various cell types of the cerebral cortex.

Brett de Gaynesford

Brett de Gaynesford joined St Peter’s College as the Director of Development and Alumni Relations in January 2022. A native of Virginia, she read English at William and Mary and began her career in development working for GuideStar, a non-profit organisation collecting financial information on all US-based NPOs and promoting transparency in the sector. She worked briefly in political fundraising before moving to the UK (now more than 15 years ago), and settling into a career in development and fundraising for education. She has held posts at University College, Oxford, Magdalen College School, and most recently served as Deputy Development Director at Somerville College, Oxford.

The St Peter’s Development and Alumni Relations team aspires to enrich the long-term relationships between College

Dr Cora Gilroy-Ware

As a scholar, I enjoy making unexpected connections between artworks made in different times and places. My publications include an article exploring the continuity between the work of the photographer Cindy Sherman and the 18th century portrait painter Joshua Reynolds. Another teases out a relationship between the sculpture of Antonio Canova—the most famous artist in 19th century Europe— and contemporary fashion advertising. Currently, I am working on a late 18th century British print—The Voyage of the Sable Venus by William Grainger after a painting by Thomas Stothard—and the various reinterpretations of its imagery by contemporary artists, including Kara Walker. For me, scholarship is a fundamentally creative practice. I am also an artist and express many of the same art historical interests in my non-academic work.

In 2007 he returned to the New York City area to take up a faculty post at Columbia University, where he led a research group of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. During this time, he rose from Assistant Professor to a tenured Associate Professor. His work as a faculty member garnered several honours, including the Society for Neuroscience’s Young Investigator Award. Shortly after his arrival in Oxford, he was awarded a Professorship with the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Prof Bruno will be conducting tutorials in medicine at St Peter’s as well as continuing to lead a research group, which will investigate how microcircuits of the cerebral cortex enable our behaviour, including perception, learning, and decision making.

and its wider community, to deliver an ambitious alumni relations programme, and to continue connecting people who want to make a difference with the worthy projects and priorities that ensure future generations can benefit from a world-class St Peter’s education.

Outside of the office Brett is a keen tennis player with a determination to cultivate an interest in gardening despite a lack of natural talent. She lives with her partner, Camille, and her daughter Elisabeth. They are currently expecting a new addition to their family to arrive in Hilary, and after a period of leave, she will return to College in Michaelmas 2023.

Brett is very grateful to have received a wonderfully warm welcome to St Peter’s this year, and has thoroughly enjoyed getting to know many alumni. You can find her and the Team in the Development Office in Staircase 1 - do pop in when passing by and say hello!

Since finishing my first book, Romantic Britain, I have published an array of articles for scholarly and broader audiences including, most recently, a catalogue essay on William Hogarth’s print Discovery, co-authored with Dr Temi Odumosu for Tate Britain’s 2021 exhibition Hogarth and Europe into this striking 1743 depiction of racialised female figure placed in a reclining Venus-like position has helped to develop my second book project. Provisionally titled Ornament Speaks, this book argues that the female artists of African descent who, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, turned to classicism (Edmonia Lewis, May Howard Jackson, Selma Burke) did so as a means of claiming subjectivity in the face of a long history of objectification in European art. In addition to my academic and artistic work, I am also currently employed by the Royal Academy on a major exhibition relating to my research.

Hannah Hempstead

Hannah Hempstead joined St Peter’s College as the College Communications Manager in November 2021.

As College Communications Manager, Hannah is responsible for external and internal communications at St Peter’s College. She runs the St Peter’s website and social media accounts, advises and leads on public relations and promotional matters and manages the visual identity of the College. Hannah also supports the Development and Alumni Relations Office with its communications efforts and other activities. She compiles the termly alumni newsletter, edits Cross Keys and is leading the development of a new biennial donor report publication.

Professor Bob Hilton

Bob Hilton joins us as the Sackler Fellow and Tutor in Earth Sciences alongside his appointment as SacklerClarendon Professor of Sedimentary Geology. Prior to joining us, Bob was Professor at Durham University. His research focuses on the carbon cycle, and how erosion and weathering processes exchange carbon between the atmosphere (as a greenhouse gas, CO2) and rocks, where it can act as a long-term store of carbon.

He has developed new geochemical methods to track carbon (or other reaction products) in soils and rivers, and applied them to modern river basins around the world. Recent research has uncovered a link between temperature and CO2 release from the weathering

Dr Alison Ray

Alison Ray joined St Peter’s as Archivist and Records Manager in January 2022. Alison grew up between New York City and Atlanta in the US and Galway, Ireland, before coming to the UK to study History and English Literature as an undergraduate at the University of Glasgow. She then completed her MA in Medieval and Renaissance Studies at University College London, which is where she also gained her PhD in Medieval History under the supervision of Prof David d’Avray. This was on the Paris pecia system of university book production in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. She recently earned her professional qualification in Archive Administration from Aberystwyth University.

Before coming to St Peter’s College, she worked at Wheaton College in Chicago on an award-winning marketing and communications team as the Graduate School Marketing Manager.

Hannah has degrees in the history of art and historical theology and manages social media for the Association of Scholars of Christianity in the History of Art, an affiliated society of the College Art Association.

A native of New York state, Hannah now lives in East Oxford where she enjoys reading, knitting, learning German and volunteering with Asylum Welcome’s communications, advocacy and Afghan resettlement efforts.

sedimentary rocks – when the rocks warm, CO2 release increases. Bob has led a number of projects funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council and the European Research Council (Starting Grant 2015 and Consolidator Grant 2020) and his research has been recognised by international awards – the 2019 Philip Leverhulme Prize, a Finalist in Chemistry for the 2018 Blavatnik Awards, the 2016 Chinese Academy Sciences International Partnership Award for Young Scientists, and the 2014 Outstanding Young Scientist Award from the European Geosciences Union.

He teaches across the year groups in Earth Sciences on themes of sedimentary processes, weathering and erosion, and biogeochemical cycles (e.g., carbon cycle). In his spare time, he enjoys exploring the outdoors with his family.

Prior to St Peter’s, Alison has held roles at Trinity College Dublin Library, Canterbury Cathedral Archives and Library, and in the British Library’s Ancient, Medieval, and Early Modern curatorial team. She is currently an honorary researcher at the Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies at the University of Kent, and is Executive Officer of the Society for the Study of Medieval Languages and Literature.

She is delighted to manage the College’s archives and records relating to the members, governance, fabric, and history of St Peter’s. She further cares for the College’s silverware and artwork, and looks forward to working with current staff, students and alumni of St Peter’s.

Alison lives in Oxford, and enjoys exploring the city’s museums, historic buildings, and beer gardens.