Newsletter: Events at Clare Hall, Spring 2024
Dear Clare Hall members and friends,
Please find below a list of events taking place this week and beyond, to which you are warmly invited.
Dates for your Diary
14 March – 23 May 2024 at 1pm
Clare Hall Thursdays Lunchtime Talks
We restarted the Clare Hall Thursdays Lunchtime Talks on March 14th. Members from the College are invited to speak, including especially PhD students, postdocs, and also spouses. Research subjects and subjects of wider interest such as travel experiences are all welcome. Talks and discussion will last 60 minutes. There will be no recording. The schedule and list of speakers can be found here.
The next speaker on 25 April is Elizabeth Barsotti (Affiliated Postdoc Member): “The Wiring Diagram of the Brain: Practise, Science, and Ethics?”
Looking forward to Easter Term…
27 April 2024 at 7:30pm
Ondes Martenot and Theremin Concert by Charlie Draper with Patrick Hemmerlé
In this unique concert, Charlie Draper presents not only rare music, but also rare electronic instruments. The Ondes Martenot has achieved a certain recognition, largely due to Messiaen, and the music of science fiction movies. The Theremin, invented in 1919, and named after its colourful inventor Leon Theremin, is much less known to the general public. The only instrument played without being physically touched, it creates a fascinating sound, capable of imitating the violin as well as the human voice. The repertoire presented by Charlie Draper, one of Britain’s leading exponents, is partly made of transcriptions, partly original works, all of high musical interest.
30 April – 11 June 2024 at 7:30pm
Clare Hall Colloquium
Clare Hall’s Colloquia provide members of the College – especially (but not exclusively) Visiting Fellows and Life Members – with an opportunity to present their research, whether in its early stages or already published, in a friendly setting. They are a great way to discuss your ideas, meet fellow members and to contribute to our vibrant community. Read more here.
The Colloquia will resume on 30 April for Easter Term, with Andreii Bovgyria presenting on ‘Cossack Myth’: Construction identity in 17th -18th Century Ukraine.
8 May – 5 June 2024, 2-4pm
The Betty Behrens Seminar on Classics of Historiography
The Betty Behrens Seminar on Classics of Historiography offers a unique opportunity for students and scholars to reflect on some great historical works and engage in discussion with renowned experts. The full schedule for Easter Term and the Eventbrite link can be found here.
15 May 2024 at 7:00pm
Whitsun Feast
Get ready to indulge in an evening of elegance and delight at the Clare Hall Whitsun Feast on May 15th, 2024!
19:00 Drinks Reception, 19:30 Dinner in the Clare Hall Dining Hall
Booking Details: Booking is via Upay which will be open on 24th April 2024 and will close on 8th May 2024. Secure your spot early via Upay to ensure you don’t miss out on this unforgettable evening!
Cost: £50.00 for seniors, £34 for students (Includes wine or soft drink)
Dress Code: Black Tie
19 May 2024 at 7:30pm
Fitzwilliam String Quartet with Patrick Hemmerlé
Join us for the final Fitzwilliam String Quartet concert of the 2023-2024 programme, in what promises to be a spectacular performance! Tickets sold out quickly for our previous concerts, so be sure to reserve your place as soon as possible.
The FSQ will be performing a selection of quartets from Shostakovich, Dvořák, and the contemporary artist Liz Johnson. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.
19 May 2024 at 6pm
Choral Evensong at Clare College
All members of Clare Hall are warmly invited to a special Choral Evensong in Clare College Chapel, on Whit Sunday, Sunday 19th May at 6pm. Our Choir will be celebrating the Feast of Pentecost with two 20th-century works from Estonia and England. Arvo Pärt’s Veni, Sancte Spiritus from his Berliner Messe is paired with Jonathan Harvey’s Come, Holy Ghost which weaves the Veni Creator Spiritus chant throughout his evocative choral textures. The service also displays a pairing of another kind: Responses by Joanna Forbes-L’Estrange, and the ‘New College’ Canticles by her husband Alexander L’Estrange. Our guest preacher is the Rev’d Dr Michael Ward (Theology Faculty, Oxford University), an alumnus of Clare and the world’s leading authority on CS Lewis. Dr Ward will be reflecting on the story of the Day of Pentecost, with the sermon title ‘Resurrecting Language’. The service will last about an hour, and is followed by drinks. At 7.30pm, there is also the opportunity to enjoy a cooked supper in the Great Hall (£7), for any Clare Hall members who would like to join us.
Please register your interest here.
Current Exhibitions
Upcoming from 26 April – 6 June 2024
Eight Stories: Chinese identity in rural Britain
“When people ask where I am from, I reply ‘I am English’, anticipating the follow up question ‘Where are you really from?” – Jamie Lau
Clare Hall is proud to present an exhibition by British-born Chinese photographer Jamie Lau. The display of photographs was originally commissioned by the British Library, as an event to accompany their exhibition ‘Chinese and British’ from 2022-2023.
Lau was born in London but grew up in a village in Bedfordshire, with no extended Chinese community in the area. Far from feeling culturally isolated, Lau says that he felt no different from those around him: his home has always been intrinsically part of his identity. “Whilst I may never have been Chinese enough, or English enough to some, these questions of identity seem less polarised today. As society grows more used to a multicultural landscape, the need to define identity through ethnic heritage alone has lessened,” Lau says.
The exhibition is titled ‘Eight Stories,’ a reference to the lucky number eight in Chinese culture. Through his personal involvement with photography, Lau has weaved together his eight subjects, their stories and their settings, to tell us about Chinese people who have forged an identity away from metropolitan life. Lau has sought to capture individuals of Chinese heritage who, like himself, identify with being part of more than one culture.
The exhibition is free, and runs from 26 April 2024 to 6 June 2024 in Clare Hall’s Main Building.
Ongoing
The Bell Collection of British Studio Pottery, 1920-1980
A rotating display of some 320 pieces of studio ceramics. Learn more at https://www.clarehall.cam.ac.uk/bellcollection/
Activities and Societies
9 May 2024 at 8pm, Meeting Room
Clare Hall Book Club
Join the College’s Book Club as they discuss The Myth of Wu Tao-Tzu by Sven Lindqvist.
All College members are welcome to attend in-person, meeting in Clare Hall’s Meeting Room, or via Zoom. If you are not on the mailing list and would like to be, please send an email to gloria.carnevali@icloud.com, confirming your Clare Hall connection and putting the following as the email title: I would like to join the Book Club mailing list.
Mondays 22 April – 24 June 2024, 12:15-1pm
Lunchtime Pilates Sessions
We are delighted to host lunchtime Pilates classes during Easter term. Pilates is a form of low-impact exercise that aims to strengthen muscles while improving postural alignment and flexibility. The sessions will be held every Monday from 12:15-13:00 in the Richard Eden Suite.
Please bring your own mat, and arrive 5-10 minutes early to help prepare the room.
Sign up through this sheet. Note: These pilates sessions will also be available over the summer, more details and the sign up will be available in due course.
10 April – 26 June 2024, 12:15-12:45pm
Lunchtime Yoga Sessions
We are delighted to host regular lunchtime yoga sessions on Wednesdays in the Richard Eden Suite, starting from 10 April, from 12:15-12:45pm. The full schedule can be found here. All are welcome!
Various Dates
Choir Practice
A reminder that Clare Hall Choir practice takes place in Robinson College Chapel every Monday (in term-time, but not always restricted to the official Cambridge term dates) from 7:30-9pm. New members are always welcome, and no previous singing or musical experience is necessary. The only requirement is that you want to sing and have fun doing it! If you are interested in joining, please email Ben de Souza, the Choir’s Director, who is a Clare Hall Associate, freelance choral conductor and accordionist: bd402@cam.ac.uk.
Recent recordings of the choir can also be found on our YouTube channel.