The College Record 2022

Reports and College Activities
In addition, we were able to return to touring: a concert tour of Portugal in July
celebrated the 650th anniversary of the Treaty of Tigilde between England and
Portugal, marking the historic alliance between the countries. As part of these
celebrations, held in collaboration with the British Embassy in Portugal and the
Universidade do Minho in Braga, we collaborated with English National Ballet in the
performance of a new work, Dance in Perpetuity (with music by Charlotte Harding),
performed by the young dancers from the various ballet schools in Braga. Other
notable performances on the tour included a joint concert in a packed Oporto
Cathedral with the Cathedral’s choir. In August the Choir was delighted to present
the opening concert of the renowned Laus Polyphoniae festival of early music in
Antwerp, a concert which was broadcast live on radio. The concert (postponed
for two years because of the pandemic) featured the repertoire from the Choir’s
CD of music by John Taverner, and was performed (as on the CD) jointly with my
professional ensemble Contrapunctus, our aim being to evoke the impact in such
music of the most important Tudor choirs such as that of Cardinal Wolsey and the
Chapel Royal, emphasising the dramatic contrasts between soloists’ and full-choir
sections which characterise the music of Taverner and his English contemporaries.
Live-streaming of Sunday choral services continued this year. Special services
in College included (in June) the memorial service for Dr Peter Neumann, whose
passionate interest in the Choir’s work and in College music more generally over
many years was so warmly appreciated by all the Queen’s musicians who knew
him. We also sang – as usual – for the University Sermon service on Trinity Sunday
(and earlier in the year for the University Sermon at All Souls College), and for the
All Saints and Fettiplace gaudies, although the Boar’s Head gaudy (and the Carols
from Queen’s concerts either side of it) were cancelled because of concerns about a
new COVID-19 variant at that time. We were also able once again to make the annual
visit to sing Evensong in one of the College’s livings, on this occasion St Mary’s,
Upton Grey, where we received a warm welcome and sang to a very full church.
Another welcome return this year was our annual August visit to sing services at
Westminster Abbey, members of the current Choir being (as usual) joined for this
event by singers from previous years. Service repertoire included pieces by our
Senior Organ Scholar, Isaac Adni, and by Oxford-based composer Paul Burke, and
Portuguese early modern repertory to mark the anniversary of Portugal’s restored
independence in 1640. We welcomed a number of singers interested in choral
awards to join the Choir for ‘taster’ days, and sang Evensong jointly with the choir
of Francis Holland School.
At the end of the academic year we bade farewell to our Chaplain, Katherine Price,
who supported the Choir staunchly through the period of the pandemic and either
side of it. We welcome Alice Watson as the new Chaplain. Warm thanks are due to
all those who have held officerships within the Choir this year, and to our successive
Choir Managers, Rachel Wheatley, and Colin Danskin.
48 The Queen’s College | College Record 2022