Biography
The Cambridge University Chamber Choir serves as the flagship vocal ensemble of the Cambridge University Musical Society, drawing its members exclusively from the university's most accomplished singers. This group focuses on repertoire, often secular, that typically lies beyond the reach of the institution's larger student ensembles.
Vocal ensembles of exceptional caliber have long existed within the Cambridge community; one forerunner presented the modern madrigal collection A Garland for the Queen as part of the 1953 coronation events for Elizabeth II. The Cambridge University Chamber Choir assumed its contemporary structure in 1969 upon its establishment by musicologist and conductor Richard Marlow. He continued as artistic director until 1982, the year Cambridge became coeducational, after which he assumed leadership of its newly formed mixed choir; the Chamber Choir itself has since become mixed-gender and now includes university staff in addition to students. Tim Brown later held the directorship and led the 1991 Heritage label recording of A Garland for the Queen, an album reissued in 2010. Early music specialist Roger Norrington acted as principal guest conductor for a period.
Martin Ennis currently serves as director while also chairing the Cambridge music faculty, with David Lowe and Nicholas Mulroy as associate conductors. The ensemble generally undertakes three or four concert projects each year. Admission occurs through audition, and prospective members outside the existing Cambridge choral network may need to provide a reference letter from a choral director.
Beyond Cambridge engagements, the choir has toured internationally and participated in events such as the Yale International Choral Festival in the U.S. With Brown conducting, the group issued The Music of Christopher Tye on the Guild label in 1996. Under Christopher Robinson the ensemble released an album of Elgar part-songs on Naxos in 2008, followed in 2012 by English Choral Music, a compilation drawn from earlier recordings. The choir returned to Naxos in 2023 with Pavel Chesnokov: Sacred Choral Music.
Vocal ensembles of exceptional caliber have long existed within the Cambridge community; one forerunner presented the modern madrigal collection A Garland for the Queen as part of the 1953 coronation events for Elizabeth II. The Cambridge University Chamber Choir assumed its contemporary structure in 1969 upon its establishment by musicologist and conductor Richard Marlow. He continued as artistic director until 1982, the year Cambridge became coeducational, after which he assumed leadership of its newly formed mixed choir; the Chamber Choir itself has since become mixed-gender and now includes university staff in addition to students. Tim Brown later held the directorship and led the 1991 Heritage label recording of A Garland for the Queen, an album reissued in 2010. Early music specialist Roger Norrington acted as principal guest conductor for a period.
Martin Ennis currently serves as director while also chairing the Cambridge music faculty, with David Lowe and Nicholas Mulroy as associate conductors. The ensemble generally undertakes three or four concert projects each year. Admission occurs through audition, and prospective members outside the existing Cambridge choral network may need to provide a reference letter from a choral director.
Beyond Cambridge engagements, the choir has toured internationally and participated in events such as the Yale International Choral Festival in the U.S. With Brown conducting, the group issued The Music of Christopher Tye on the Guild label in 1996. Under Christopher Robinson the ensemble released an album of Elgar part-songs on Naxos in 2008, followed in 2012 by English Choral Music, a compilation drawn from earlier recordings. The choir returned to Naxos in 2023 with Pavel Chesnokov: Sacred Choral Music.
Albums
