The New Cambridge Singers return with full programme that boasts choral masterpiece

After a break of three years, the New Cambridge Singers have launched their first full programme of concerts and director of music Graham Walker is delighted.

Not only is the whole choir back together, but they are also tackling a work Graham believes to be one of the greatest pieces of choral music ever written.

And he has also brought together a selection of music that highlights hope for a peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine.

The Cambridge Independent is once again supporting the choir’s series of concerts.

Cellist Graham, who conducts the choir, says: “Keeping choirs going with has been one of the biggest challenges of the last couple of years, during the pandemic.

“It's been so lovely to get things up and running again and to be able to get some sort of some semblance of normality.”

The choir was forced to meet up over Zoom during the lockdowns, which meant that no actual rehearsals could take place. But the members kept on meeting online to keep their friendships going.

“For a choir like New Cambridge Singers there are two reasons to exist, really, “ says Graham.

“The members love making good music and love giving concerts but it is also a social thing and it is a big part of everyone’s week. And so we met up on Zoom.

“You can’t really run a choir on Zoom - it doesn’t work because of the lag you experience on online calls. So the meet-ups became more about friendship and discussion and talking about music that people liked and exchanging stories. I got them to do some exercises and warm-ups just as a way to keep fit, vocally speaking. But it wasn’t really possible to do any more than that. It was such an enormous relief when we could actually get back going again, with a full choir and long may that last.”

The first concert coming up next month is called Music for Peace. It is an exploration of music from Eastern Europe and Russia.

Graham says: “We always talk about music being the universal language, but there’s a huge shared cultural heritage across the Slavic language speaking world. So, what I wanted to do was to highlight the ways in which music crosses borders.

“The brotherhood of people exists across borders and that music is a really good way of kind of showing that. So we’ve got music from Poland, Ukraine, Slovenia and Russia and the Czech Republic. The lovely thing is, is that you can very easily see similarities in the musical language and similarities in the spoken language when you are singing this music. Even though you know composers are coming from different countries, they share so much.”

And then the choir will be performing a pair of Christmas concerts in December, featuring Christmas carols from around the world.

“As well as carols from English speaking places, we also have French carols and German carols and polish and Welsh and so on. There will be a lot of music that people know but also some that will be less familiar,” says Graham.

“I’m very much looking forward to our Christmas concerts, where we will be able to celebrate together again.”

The choir, which was founded in 1986, has 35 singers, drawn from a wide range of backgrounds. Membership is by audition every three years.

Led by Graham, the New Cambridge Singers offer four to five varied programmes a year, which are generally performed in a historic Cambridge venue, and again in one of the surrounding towns or villages.

In the new year they will celebrate springtime with a programme of music inspired by flowers.

He said: “Flowers have been a big inspiration for composers. And we’re performing lots of music which has all sorts of different references to flowers. Some of the music is about flowers at funerals, some pieces are about flowers being an inspiration for lovers. There’s lots about daffodils in particular, in the second half of the programme.”

But their season’s highlight is undoubtedly Bach’s St Matthew Passion, which Graham says they are “thrilled” to be performing with the Cambridge Baroque Camerata in the Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs.

“This is one of the biggest works for a choir of our size that you could possibly do, and we’re working with two orchestras and a children's choir. We're joining together with the children's choir from the Catholic church on Lensfield Road, Our Lady in English martyrs.

“I’ve wanted to perform this for years and years but I’ve never had a chance to do it. But now everything has come together, we have the right people in place to do it. I’m really psyched!” says Graham.

“It really is the pinnacle of choral music. It’s just got everything. It’s got drama; it’s got a universal story which, whether you believe or not, is a foundation story for European civilization. It’s got some of the most heart-rendingly beautiful music you’ll ever hear. It’s got exciting music in the trial scenes. It’s got reflective music. I’m trying to find the words. It’s just the most amazing thing to witness.”

Graham first heard the St Matthew’s Passion as a teenager.

He said: “I sang it a school and I hadn’t heard it before that so I was just blown away by the beauty of it. I suppose I was quite a geeky child. But I was kind of blown away by how it how amazingly put together it was and the the genius of the of the writing.”

For more on New Cambridge Singers, visit their website. To book ticket, visits ticketsource.

The New Cambridge Singers 2022-23 concert programme

Music for Peace

An exploration of the religious choral music of the Slavic world explores the many facets of that fascinating musical landscape. From the choral concertos of the eighteenth century to the grand sounds of the Moscow Synodal Choir – in its time recognised as amongst the best choirs in the world – this programme charts the turbulent history of this under-appreciated choral tradition.

• Sunday, November 6, at 7pm - Church of St Peter & St Paul, Steeple Morden, Royston SG8 0NJ. Tickets £12, students/under-18s £6
• Friday, November 11 at 8pm - St John the Evangelist Church, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 8RN. Tickets £16, students, £8, under-18s free

Christmas around the World

Join in as the choir travels the globe from the comfort of a concert stage in exploring the wealth of festive music. Audience participation invited.

• Thursday, December 8 at 8pm - ​Downing Place United Reformed Church, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EL Tickets £16, students £8, under-18s free
• Saturday, December 10 at 7.30pm - St Mary the Virgin Church, Fen Ditton CB5 8SU. Tickets £12, students £6, under-18s free

Songs of Springtime

​Flowers have been an inspiration for poets, artists and musicians for thousands of years. This programme includes a wide variety of musical depictions and evocations of flowers, from the religious embodiment of Mary’s virginity, through a representation of vitality and new life, to a symbol of our mortality. Music by Elgar, Howells, Vaughan Williams, Britten and many others.

• Sunday, March 19 2023 at 7.30pm - St Botolph’s Church, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1QA. Tickets £16, students £8, under-18s free
• Saturday, March 25 2023 at 7.30pm - All Saints Church, Rampton Road, Longstanton CB24 3EL. Tickets £12, students £6, under-18s free

J S Bach St Matthew Passion

​Bach’s towering masterpiece will be performed in its full orchestration by NCS, with contributions from the Youth Choir of Our Lady and the English Martyrs.

The Cambridge Baroque Camerata, whose members are drawn from the most eminent period-instrument players in the country, joins NCS for a memorable evening.

• Saturday, June 17 2023 at 7.30pm - Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs, Cambridge CB2 1JR. Tickets: £30 centre nave; £20 side naves; £10 antechapel. Students/under-18s half price. Some seats in the side naves and antechapel have restricted view of the performers