About Friends of Clare Choir

Singing members of the Choir Association between rehearsals at St John's, Smith Square

The Friends of Clare Choir has been set up in response to the wish expressed by many former members of Clare Choir, that they should from time to time come together to sing, to share their common experience of making music in Clare Chapel, and in so doing support the current and future activities of the Choir.

The first time former choristers came together was in 1994, when a choir of over a hundred performed Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Bach’s Singet dem Herrn. This was followed in 1998 by a concert to mark the launch of the College Development Campaign, when Sir Roger Norrington conducted Bach’s Magnificat in St John’s, Smith Square. Such was the musical success of these two occasions that there has been a clamour ever since for another event along the same lines.

The prime activity of the Friends will therefore be to arrange for former Choir members to meet on a regular basis, usually in Clare Chapel, to sing Evensong or to perform a concert. From time to time, the Association will aim to organise a larger-scale event, perhaps in London or another regional centre. In addition, it is to be hoped that members of the Friends, singing, non-singing and supporting alike, will wish to help in promoting the well-being of the current Chapel Choir, in order to preserve and maintain this integral part of College life.

I hope that as many people as possible will join the Friends of Clare Choir. Offers of practical help will be most welcome. I look forward to meeting you at future Friends events.

Tim Brown

Director of Music

Report on the Choir's Austria Tour 2006

supported by a grant from the Friends of Clare Choir

In August 2006 Clare Choir undertook a tour of the Austrian Tirol. The trip centred around a concert in the prestigious Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alte Musik, which was the only fee-paying concert. This meant that the Choir had to raise funds through other means (as it could not rely on concert takings from the three other concerts, given in beautiful churches in Tirolean villages). The Choir was delighted to receive a substantial grant from the Friends, without which the tour would not have been possible. In Austria funds were also raised through donations from the Gemeinde Sautens, the Landesrat Tirol, and a number of other local businesses.

The Choir spent six days in Tirol, based in the village of Sautens. Choir members lodged with friends and family of the Choir Administrator, Elisabeth Fleming, whose family catered for the whole Choir.

The tour began on the Monday evening with a very well-received concert in a spectacular monastery church, Stift Stams. It featured the superb theorbo player, Shizuko Noiri, who joined James McVinnie (Senior Organ Scholar) on the continuo line for the central work of the programme, Carissimi’s Jephte. On Tuesday the Choir travelled to Innsbruck and sang a successful concert in the Dom zu St Jakob, recorded for radio broadcast. The next two concerts, on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, were given in Sautens and Wenns, respectively. All concerts were well-attended, and the reception extremely warm. On the Friday the Choir had time to see some of the local sights, in the evening singing a short slot at a local exhibition.

The tour was a wonderful combination of excellent music-making and relaxation. The Choir had had little opportunity for relaxation over the course of a very busy and successful year, and relished the opportunity to spend some time with each other. The Choir records once again its gratitude to the Friends for the generous grant that made this tour possible.