Cambridge and Oxford in harmony for Choral Classics concert

On Friday 1st July the renowned choirs of Jesus College Cambridge and Merton College Oxford will join together for a concert of choral favourites.

The choirs will perform masterpieces including music by Byrd, Gibbons, and Pärt, Parry’s majestic I was Glad and Thomas Tallis’s magnificent 40-part motet Spem in alium.

This is the fourth year that the choirs have collaborated in this way, alternating between concerts in Oxford and concerts in Cambridge, with this year’s event taking place in Jesus College’s beautiful Chapel. The concert is in aid of the Muze Trust, a charity which supports music education and provision in Zambia.

The concert will be directed by Mark Williams, Director of Music at Jesus College, and Benjamin Nicholas, Director of Music at Merton College.

Mark said: “Music can bring such fulfilment and joy. The people attending this concert will not only have a fantastic evening, but they will also be playing a part in supporting Zambia’s cultural heritage and improving access to music education.”

Benjamin said: “Hearing Merton and Jesus College Choirs together always make my spirit soar. We are looking forward to entertaining people with a wonderful array of pieces from the choral repertoire.”

Both choirs have developed international reputations in recent years. Jesus College Choir has visited Hong Kong, Beijing and Geneva in the last six months, and, since the beginning of the year, Merton College Choir has performed in Toulouse and New York.  Both choirs have released discs to critical acclaim and their chart-topping recordings will be available at the concert.

The concert starts at 7.30pm, and tickets cost £17 including interval refreshments. They are available on the ADC website or by calling 01223 300085. All proceeds from the evening will go to the Muze Trust.

Choral music fans can find out more at www.jesuscollegechoir.com and www.merton.ox.ac.uk/chapel-choir.