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College choirs premiere new work with text by Archbishop of Canterbury
12 November 2009
A newly-commissioned setting of poetry by Archbishop Rowan Williams, set to music by the renowned composer Christopher Brown, is one of the highlights of a concert taking place this Friday (13 November) at Trinity College Chapel.
The University at 800: A Choral Celebration, will feature the choirs of Clare and Trinity Colleges along with Collegium
Musicum, the University's Baroque orchestra. The concert is part of the triennial Cambridge Music Festival, which runs until
29 November.
Brown's setting of A Five-Gated Well, a collection of poetry by former Clare Dean Archbishop Rowan Williams, has been funded
by the University's 2009 Fund. Former King's College choral scholar Christopher Brown is known for his skill in writing for
choirs. His new composition is, according to Clare's Director of Music Tim Brown, who will conduct the concert, "a
masterpiece of word-setting, evocatively complimenting the words of Rowan Williams."
Also featured on Friday's concert are Handel's Ode for St Cecilia's Day and Purcell's Latin anthem Jehova, quam multi sunt.
Both composers mark significant anniversaries this year. 2009 marks the 250th anniversary of Handel's birth, as well as the
350th anniversary of Purcell's birth.
The Cambridge Music Festival last took place in 2006. The theme of this year's festival is Music and Evolution, in
commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the
Origin of Species. Events throughout the festival will explore how music has evolved, find out how young children learn
music, and mirror the voyage of HMS Beagle with an exploration of South American music, tangos from Argentina, and piano
music and jazz from Brazil.
There are multiple events taking place each day throughout the festival, ranging from superb classical concerts in King's, Trinity, St John's and other Cambridge venues, to free events for families in less conventional settings such as the Grafton, Parker's Piece, Park and Ride stops, and the Judge Business School.
The festival continues until 29 November. Tickets are available through the Cambridge Corn Exchange Box Office on 01223 357851 or online at www.cornex.co.uk.
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