Ascension Day carol sung from on high

The choir continued a long-standing College tradition today, singing the Ascension Day carol from the rooftop of the College Chapel.

The sound of choral music echoed from the rooftop of St John's Chapel today as the choir continued a College tradition going back over a hundred years.

Crowds gathered in the College's First Court to hear the choir sing the Ascension Day carol from the Chapel roof, accompanied (safely from the ground) by pupils of St John's College School.

Each year on Ascension Day, which celebrates the Christian belief in the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven 40 days after his Resurrection at Easter, members of St John's College Choir usually ascend the 163 feet high spiral staircase to the very top of the Chapel tower, the tallest historic building in Cambridge. This year, however, due to essential maintenance works being carried out on the 150 year old tower, a smaller group of choristers gave a recital from a ledge on the Chapel rooftop.

The Ascension Day service from the roof of the Chapel tower emerged from a conversation in 1902 between Cyril Rootham and a Fellow at the College, Sir Joseph Larmor.

Sir Joseph was insistent that a choir singing from the top of the tower would not be heard by those standing on the ground below. Cyril was keen to prove him wrong and thought that the feast of the Ascension was a fitting time to do so. Without telling anyone, the choir climbed to the rooftop of the tower and as the clock struck noon, sang an Ascension Day motet. To Cyril’s great delight, Sir Joseph opened his window in the courtyard below to see where the music was coming from.

The event proved extremely popular and has been repeated every year since, for over a century.