Over three unforgettable evenings, from 17th–19th April, Clare Hall marked its 60th Anniversary with a music weekend that brought the community together through performances of exceptional beauty and spirit. Each night offered a different musical experience, filling College spaces and chapels across Cambridge with sound, reflection, and celebration.

The weekend opened on Friday 17 April in the College’s Dining Hall with a special recorded concert, where the space was filled with rich and expressive chamber music. Generously sponsored by Dr Elisabeth Salje in memory of her husband, Professor Ekhard Salje, former President of Clare Hall, the evening carried a deep sense of tribute and remembrance.

The programme brought together works for piano and wind by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Robin Holloway, and Francis Poulenc, performed by an outstanding ensemble: Poppy Beddoe (clarinet), Daniel Swani (flute), James Fisher (bassoon), Alasdair Hill (oboe), Alexei Watkins (horn), and Patrick Hemmerle (piano). The interplay of instruments, at times playful and at others deeply lyrical, created a warm and immersive atmosphere, setting a wonderful tone for the weekend ahead.

We extend our sincere thanks to Dr Elisabeth Salje, the Clare Hall Music Committee, and all the performers for for their generosity and artistry. The concert recording is available to watch on our YouTube channel.

On Saturday evening, College members and guests gathered at Robinson College Chapel for a choral concert by the Continuum choir, an ensemble known for its expressive, high-quality performances and imaginative programming. Their spring programme traced a rich musical journey through British vocal music.

Beginning in the Renaissance, the first half featured works by William Byrd, Thomas Tallis, Thomas Morley, and even King Henry VIII, before moving into later interpretations, including a twentieth-century arrangement of Morley’s setting of Shakespeare’s O Mistress Mine. This flowed seamlessly into further Shakespeare settings by Ralph Vaughan Williams and Owain Park.

The second half turned to the music of Gerald Finzi and Benjamin Britten, marking fifty years since Britten’s death. His Five Flower Songs were followed by Finzi’s Seven Part Songs, delicate and evocative works that beautifully captured the spirit of the English countryside in spring. The evening also featured the premiere of a major new work by Lucy Walker, Clare Hall Composer-in-Residence, adding a contemporary voice to this rich historical tapestry.

We are immensely grateful to Vice-President Professor Andrew Blake and Dr Fiona Blake, Secretary of the Art Committee, whose generous support made this concert possible. We also extend our warm thanks to Lucy Walker, Continuum, and their director Harry Guthrie for such a beautiful and memorable performance.

See the concert programme here.

The weekend concluded with a special Choral Evensong at Queens’ College Chapel, performed by members and alumni of the Clare Hall Choir, as well as some members of Continuum, directed by Ben de Souza. The service offered a beautiful balance of tradition and new beginnings, opening with Stephen Paulus’ The Road Home, with its luminous harmonies and sense of reflection and belonging. Ben de Souza’s Preces and Responses framed the liturgy with clarity and poise, followed by Psalms 149 and 150, joyful songs of praise.

At the heart of the service was Charles Villiers Stanford’s Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in B flat, a radiant and enduring setting of the evening canticles. The programme also featured the world premiere of O Wisdom by Lucy Walker, written especially for this occasion and marking an exciting new chapter in the College’s musical life.

Many attendees remarked on the exceptional quality of the performance, with some describing it as the finest yet from the Choir, which has grown remarkably in both size and musical excellence over its seven-year history. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Ben de Souza, Lucy Walker, and all the singers, as well as Queens’ Chapel team and Chaplain Revd Anna Jones for her beautiful and moving sermon. This anniversary Evensong was a fitting and moving celebration of six decades of community, scholarship, and music at Clare Hall.

Watch the recording of the Evensong on our YouTube channel.

This extraordinary music weekend was a fitting tribute to 60 years of Clare Hall. Once again, our heartfelt thanks go to all the performers, composers, sponsors, and venues who made these events possible, and to the many members of the Clare Hall community and beyond who joined us. Together, they created a celebration filled with music, warmth, and shared joy!