College Choir

Magdalene College Choir is at the heart of the College’s musical and spiritual life.

Magdalene College Choir is at the heart of the College’s musical and spiritual life, singing at two weekly services in the beautiful candlelit Chapel, as well as pursuing other activities including concerts, tours, and recordings.

The choir is directed by the Precentor, Mr James Potter, assisted by the Organ Scholars. Renowned for being an exceptionally friendly and sociable group, it comprises around 20-24 Members of the College and volunteers from other Colleges.

The Choir’s central function is to sing for Choral Evensong twice a week during Term, on Thursdays and Sundays. Alongside their chapel commitments, the choir has an active programme of performances including tours, concerts, visiting services, recordings, and College events. In recent years, the Choir has undertaken successful concert tours to Romania, Bosnia & Herzogovina, Italy, Spain, the USA, Germany, France, and Malta.

Further information is available in the Choral and Organ Scholarship Brochure.

Choir members receive dinner in Hall twice a week in recognition of their contribution to the life of the College, as well as subsidised singing lessons, tours and other activities. There are two ways to join: University Choral Awards are available to College offer-holders before they arrive in Cambridge; Choral Volunteers may be appointed throughout the year and may be Members of other Colleges, enjoying many of the same benefits as Choral Scholars. If you are interested, please contact the Director of Music to arrange an audition or discuss your options.

Organ Scholars at Magdalene receive subsidised lessons, and some of the finest rooms in College. Alongside the Precentor they help to run the College Choir, and have appropriately tailored opportunities to direct it.

Many previous Organ Scholars from Magdalene are now active professional musicians around the world. The Director of Music is very happy to hear from any who are considering Organ Scholarships at Magdalene, and to offer advice and guidance on any aspect of the application process or life as an Organ Scholar at Magdalene.

The Choir's most recent recording, Wolcum Yole!, features Britten’s Ceremony of Carols alongside a selection of festive music. The album also includes poetry readings by the former Magdalene Master, Dr Rowan Williams, chosen to complement the music.

Previous recordings include:

• Garde ta Foy – Music by Grieg, Rachmaninov, Britten, Purcell, and Tallis.
• How Shall I Sing That Majesty – Music by Parry, Tippett, Ireland, Howells, Weelkes, and Blow.

The College has an organ by Goetze and Gwynn in the Chapel, new in 2000, which has been acclaimed as one of the best neo-baroque organs in Cambridge.

Couplers - Chair to Great; Great to Pedals; Chair to Pedals. Three mechanical composition pedals for each manual.

Manual compass: C - g3 Pedal compass: C - f1

The pitch is a1=421Hz. The tuning is Kellner's reconstruction of Bach's tuning for his Well-tempered Clavier.

The wind pressure is 2½" (63mm) for the manuals and 71mm for the pedal.