Choir of Clare College

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

Led by its Director of Music Timothy Brown, the choir has toured widely, including in Europe, the United States of America, Japan, China, Russia, and the Middle East. In 2000 it became the first Oxbridge mixed choir to perform at the BBC Proms, singing Bach's St John Passion. At Easter 2002 the choir took part in a sell-out tour to Spain, Belgium, the UK and the USA, performing Handel's oratorio Jephtha with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, directed by René Jacobs. The New York Times wrote about the 'brilliant execution' and 'distinctive sense of character' of the choir's contribution.

In July 2008, the choir further collaborated with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in a performance of Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito under the direction of Edward Gardner, earning praise for 'thrillingly fresh and feisty singing.' In March and April 2009 the choir sang two highly-acclaimed performances of Bach's St Matthew Passion; in Cambridge, with a baroque orchestra led by Margaret Faultless and conducted by Timothy Brown and in The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, with the Manchester Camerata conducted by Nicholas Kraemer and a solo line-up including James Gilchrist as the Evangelist.

In recent years there have been many performances at international festivals, including, in 2007, concerts at the Potsdam Sanssouci Music Festival, the Munich Opera Festival where they were invited to return in 2008), and the Early Music Weekend at theQueen Elizabeth Hall, London. In a review of the QEH Encounters concert, The Observer praised Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu nostri, ‘so ravishingly sensuous… especially in the throats of the choir of Clare College, Cambridge.’

In addition to live performances, the choir has produced an impressive catalogue of recordings. In 1994, it began a major series of CD and video recordings for the Columns Classics label, several of which continue to be broadcast internationally and are now available on DVD; these include a DVD of Poulenc's Stabat Mater, made with St John's and Caius College Choirs. Illumina, an exploration of the theme of light, was runner-up for a Gramophone Award in 2000, earning such comments as 'breath-taking panache', 'the most fervent rendering I have ever heard of Rachmaninov's Nunc Dimittis', and 'one of the most accomplished choral discs of the year'. In April 2003 the choir released a recording of Rutter's Requiem. Produced by the composer on the Naxos label, the recording was Editor's Choice for the May 2003 edition of The Gramophone, CD of the week on Classic FM, gave Naxos its first Number 1 in the classical charts, and in 2005 was nominated for a Classical BRIT Award. In 2008, the choir recorded Harvey Brough’s Requiem in Blue as well as Ex Maria Virgine, a new Christmas sequence commissioned for the choir from John Tavener, which has recently been released on the Naxos Label, and quickly became one of Naxos' best-selling CDs.

The choir is committed to the performance of new music and has commissioned and premiered works by John Tavener, Christopher Brown, Andrew Carter, Jonathan Dove, Herbert Howells, Julian Phillips, Tarik O'Regan, John Rutter, Giles Swayne, and James Whitbourn.

The choir regularly contributes to the Choral Evensong broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 and recently performed a service for Remembrance Sunday live on air on 11 November 2007. On 28 December, 2008, they broadcast the première of John Tavener's Ex Maria Virgine in a Christmas Service on BBC Radio 3.

Many former members of the Choir now enjoy distinguished professional solo careers. Others sing in leading vocal ensembles, such as the Monteverdi Choir, The Sixteen and the Tallis Scholars. Both Sir Roger Norrington (conductor) and Richard Stilgoe (musical entertainer) are former choral exhibitioners. Former organ scholars include the present organist of Norwich Cathedral, while others, including Ivor Bolton, Richard Egarr and Dominic Wheeler, are conductors with an international reputation.

Choir of Clare College 2008-9

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"Singing with Clare Choir will bring you skills, friends and memories which will last a lifetime!"

(a third year choral scholar)

The Director of Music

Timothy Brown has been Director of Music at Clare College since 1979. For thirty years he has been Director of Studies in Music at Clare.

Tim Brown received his initial musical training as a chorister at Westminster Abbey, and later as a member of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. For many years he conducted the Cambridge University Chamber Choir and is now the director of the London-based professional chamber choir, English Voices. He has been guest chorus-master at the Berlin Staatsoper and at the Flanders Opera, and is a popular conductor at singing weeks, including Europa Cantat and the Berwang Holiday Music Course. In November 2002 he directed a project with the Berlin-based RIAS radio choir, and in April 2005 conducted a series of concerts with RAM, the National Male Voice Choir of Estonia. He has edited a number of choral volumes for Faber Music and is a contributing editor to the complete edition of music by William Walton, published by Oxford University Press.

The choir rehearses in Innsbruck