Clare College Choir, Cambridge
Since the founding of a mixed voice choir in 1971, the Choir of Clare College has gained an international reputation as one of the leading university choral groups in the world. In addition to its primary function of leading services three times a week in the College chapel, the choir keeps an active schedule recording, broadcasting, and performing throughout the UK and the world. The choir has been fortunate to have had four very fine directors: Peter Dennison; John Rutter; Timothy Brown; and since 2010, Graham Ross.

The choir has toured widely, including in Europe, the United States of America, Japan, China, Russia, and the Middle East. In 2000 it became the first Oxbridge mixed choir to perform at the BBC Proms, singing Bach’s St John Passion. The choir has collaborated with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in performances of Handel’s Jephtha in Spain, Belgium, the UK and the USA under the direction of René Jacobs, and again in performances of Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito under Edward Gardner, earning praise for ‘thrillingly fresh and feisty singing’. Other collaborations have included the Manchester Camerata, the Academy of Ancient Music, and the Schubert Ensemble.

The choir gives frequent performances at many international festivals, including the Potsdam Sanssouci Music, Munich Opera, and Spitalfields Festivals and the Early Music Weekend at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. Recent tours have included the United States and Israel, where it performed Bach’s Weihnachtsoratorium with the Israel Camerata.

In addition to live performances, the choir has produced an impressive catalogue of recordings. In 1994, it began a major series of CD and video recordings for the Columns Classics label, several of which continue to be broadcast internationally and are now available on DVD. The CD Illumina, an exploration of the theme of light, was runner-up for a Gramophone Award in 2000, earning such comments as ‘breath-taking panache’, ‘the most fervent rendering I have ever heard of Rachmaninov’s Nunc Dimittis’, and ‘one of the most accomplished choral discs of the year’. In 2003 the choir’s recording of Rutter’s Requiem, produced by the composer on the Naxos label, was awarded Editor’s Choice by The Gramophone, CD of the week on Classic FM, gave Naxos its first Number 1 in the classical charts, and in 2005 was nominated for a Classical BRIT Award. In 2008, the choir recorded Ex Maria Virgine, a new Christmas sequence commissioned for the choir from John Tavener, which quickly became one of Naxos’ best-selling CDs. Recent releases include Sacred Choral Music, a recording or music by Vaughan Williams, which was hailed as ‘exceptional’ by BBC Music Magazine and acclaimed for its ‘sweeping energy and rich detail’ by Classic FM. The choir also regularly contributes to the Choral Evensong broadcasts on BBC Radio 3.

Graham Ross
is Director of Music and Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge. A composer and conductor of a wide range of repertoire, he has had works performed throughout Europe and beyond. A passionate believer in the unveiling of both unjustly-neglected and newly-penned works, he has given numerous first performances as both a pianist and conductor of a very broad spectrum of composers.

He is Principal Conductor/co-founder of The Dmitri Ensemble, with whom he has explored in particular many rarely performed and newly-composed works, and recorded works by James MacMillan (Naxos), Vaughan Williams (Albion Records), Judith Bingham (Signum) and Giles Swayne (Naxos). He guest conducts ensembles and orchestras across the UK and beyond, and is increasingly involved in the field of opera, having conducted in Jerusalem, Aldeburgh, Provence, Glyndebourne and beyond. He holds a special relationship with Aalborg Symfoniorkester, Denmark, where he has appeared many times as guest conductor.

As a composer recent performances have been given by, amongst others, Aurora Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, National Youth Choir of Great Britain, O Duo, and the Solstice Quartet, at festivals including Edington, Musique-Cordiale, Three Choirs and London Contemporary Church Music Festivals.