The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge is a mixed voice choir whose primary function is to lead services in the College's Chapel. In addition, the choir keeps an active schedule of recording, broadcasting, and performing. The Choir has toured throughout Europe, the United States, Japan, China, Russia, and the Middle East. The Choir also has an extensive discography and currently records for the Harmonia Mundi Label.

History

The first Chapel Choir was formed in 1866. For the next one hundred years the Choir consisted of undergraduate lower voices and a treble line provided by boys from city schools. In 1966, the use of boys was discontinued and for a brief period there was no upper line. The current mixed voice choir was established in 1971 by Peter Dennison, a music Fellow of the College. He was succeeded in 1975 by the College's first Director of Music, John Rutter. Rutter left in 1979 to focus on composing but retains a close connection with the College as an Honourary Fellow. Timothy Brown directed the choir for 31 years until 2010 when he was succeeded by the Choir's current Director of Music, Graham Ross.

Repertoire

The Choir has an extensive and diverse repertoire. Many composers have been commissioned to write for the choir, including Sir John Tavener, Jonathan Dove, Herbert Howells, Tarik O'Regan, John Rutter, Giles Swayne (the College's Composer in Residence) and James Whitbourn.

Notable former choral and organ scholars

• Ivor Bolton
  Ivor Bolton
  Ivor Bolton is an English conductor and harpsichordist. He studied at Clare College and at the Royal College of Music...
  
  
• William Denis Browne
  William Denis Browne
  William Charles Denis Browne , primarily known as Billy to family and as Denis to his friends, was a British composer, pianist, organist and music critic of the early 20th century. He and his close friend, poet Rupert Brooke, were commissioned into the Royal Naval Division together shortly after...
  
  
• Nicholas Collon
  Nicholas Collon
  Nicholas Collon is a British Conductor who holds the position of Principal Conductor of Aurora Orchestra. A viola player, pianist and organist by training, Nicholas studied at Clare College, Cambridge...
  
  
• Richard Egarr
  Richard Egarr
  Richard Egarr is a British keyboard performer and conductor. He received his musical training as a choirboy at York Minster, at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, and as organ scholar at Clare College, Cambridge...
  
  
• Stephen Farr
  Stephen Farr
  Stephen Farr is a British organist. He studied with Robert Munns and David Sanger in London and Cambridge. He also received tuition from Piet Kee in Haarlem and Hans Fagius in Copenhagen, and as a student was the recipient of grants from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust and the Worshipful...
  
  
• Martin How
  Martin How
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• Elin Manahan Thomas
  Elin Manahan Thomas
  -Biography:Thomas was born in 1977 in Gorseinon near Swansea, the daughter of M. Wynn Thomas OBE, a Professor of Literature at Swansea University, and Karen Thomas. She was educated at the Welsh-speaking Ysgol Gyfun Gŵyr in Gowerton near Swansea, and by the time she was fifteen was singing in the...
  
  
• Sir Roger Norrington
• John Rutter
  John Rutter
  John Milford Rutter CBE is a British composer, conductor, editor, arranger and record producer, mainly of choral music.-Biography:Born in London, Rutter was educated at Highgate School, where a fellow pupil was John Tavener. He read music at Clare College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the...
  
  
• Richard Stilgoe
  Richard Stilgoe
  Richard Henry Simpson Stilgoe OBE is a British songwriter, lyricist and musician. He is noted for clever wordplay as much as for his music....