New Music Evensong at St John's
Can any musical genre have a more traditional image than choir-and-organ music for church? Contrary to the stereotype, however, church music is constantly renewing itself. From village churches to gothic cathedrals, thousands of British liturgical choirs sing every week. They create a steady demand for new repertoire, and Cambridge is one of the world’s major centres for new choral music. On 30 June 2024, St John the Evangelist Church on Hills Road in Cambridge played host to a complete evensong of music by East Anglian composers, including several world premieres.
The Reverend James Shakespeare, Vicar of St John the Evangelist, says:
“We were absolutely delighted to host the New Music Evensong and play a part in nurturing new repertoire. The skill and creativity the musicians brought to the service was truly wonderful and it was such a memorable service. We are very grateful to the composers, the Choir and everyone involved.”
The service was sung by the Erasmus Chamber Choir and directed by Adam Field, outgoing Percy Young Senior Organ Scholar at Selwyn College Cambridge. The organist was Shanna Hart (Assistant Organist at Homerton and Selwyn Colleges), and the programme was developed with the help of Sarah MacDonald who is Director of Music at Selwyn and Director of Ely Cathedral’s Girl Choristers.
The service was organised in association with Colchester New Music, a composers’ group promoting contemporary classical music in the Eastern region. New works were included from Mark Bellis (Colchester), Alexander Blustin (Cambridge), Theresa Chapman (Colchester), Sarah MacDonald (Cambridge), Peter Thorne (Frinton-on-Sea), Ian B. Wilson (Chelmsford).
Further information on music and services at St John the Evangelist Church can be found on their website: www.stjohntheevangelistcambridge.org/Calendar/Month.aspx?show_event=5346831
MORE INFORMATION
The Cambridge-based Erasmus Chamber Choir and Ensemble specialises primarily in vocal and instrumental music from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, with a particular interest in unusual and neglected repertoire. The ensemble was founded in 2012 by Francis Knights and Will Hale. Details of upcoming concerts and previous projects, and recordings, can be found at https://erasmuschamberchoir.wordpress.com/
Adam Field has just graduated in music from Cambridge University, where he was Percy Young Senior Organ Scholar at Selwyn College. In September 2024 he starts his new role as Organ Scholar at Exeter Cathedral. During Adam’s time at Selwyn he accompanied the choir in its three weekly services, concerts, recordings and broadcasts, and assisted the Director of Music in the running of the choir. Alongside this, he served as the Organ Scholar of King’s Voices, the mixed choir at King’s College. Before a gap year as Organ Scholar of Portsmouth Cathedral, Adam studied for his A-levels at Whitgift School as sixth form organ scholar at Croydon Minster. His teachers have included Ronny Krippner and Stephen Farr. When not on the organ bench, he enjoys singing, the sacred polyphony of William Byrd, and playing the horn. Adam is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists. https://twitter.com/adamfield02
Shanna Hart (Organist) is currently Director of Music at St Botolph-without-Aldgate, London, and Assistant Organist at Homerton and Selwyn Colleges. Prior to this, she was organ scholar at Selwyn (2014-18, where she read Music and History and Philosophy of Science), then Graduate Organist for Robinson College, Cambridge, and Joint Accompanist for St John’s Voices (both 2018-2019), attaining her FRCO in 2019. She has played for several single-composer CD recordings with Cambridge college choirs, including those of Mathias (Naxos), Quinn (Regent) and Vaughan Williams (Regent). Shanna performs regularly as a recitalist. She was a semi-finalist in the IAO-RCO Organ Playing Competition 2022, and she has a particular interest in baroque music and counterpoint and enjoys teaching fugue and practical skills to Cambridge undergraduates as part of a varied teaching career. She also holds a full-time job at the Royal Society of Chemistry and in her spare time enjoys astro- and wildlife photography.
Colchester New Music (CNM; Registered Charity no. 287932) is a co-operative of East Anglian composers and new music performers founded in 1984. CNM's members come together to develop professionally and artistically, presenting new music performances and workshops in Colchester and beyond, in collaboration with local and regional partners such as the Moot Hall Organ project, Firstsite and Colchester Institute. https://colchesternewmusic.wordpress.com
Photo: Alexander Blustin