College bulletin: 12 May
College Bulletin – 12 May 2023
From spotting members of College singing in the Coronation service (both as professional singers and the Master in the congregation) to writing about the latest St John’s academic to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society – this week has been as varied as ever in the Comms Office.
The College also caught the attention of commentators Jordan Peterson and Toby Young when we were wrongly accused of no-platforming an event…read on for more background on the saga that kept me from heading to the café for my much-needed afternoon coffee.
College news
Musicians from St John’s shine during ‘magnificent’ showcase of British talent at King’s Coronation
An impressive array of former choristers, composers and clergy from St John’s College took part in the spectacular Coronation Service of HM King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Westminster Abbey.
People taking major roles include Andrew Nethsingha – Director of Music at St John’s from 2007 until December 2022 – who directed the music throughout Saturday’s service, watched by millions of people worldwide.
‘Spellbinding’ Coronation Service held at St John’s College to mark historic day
Hundreds of people attended a specially-devised sequence of music and readings in the iconic Chapel of St John’s College on Sunday to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III.
The globally-renowned Choir of St John’s was joined by leading period-instrument orchestra the Academy of Ancient Music for the Coronation Anthems by Handel.
If you would like to download a high-resolution copy of the group photograph, it is available in this folder. Please note, permission is granted for personal use only, not for commercial use and St John’s retains the copyright.
‘Exceptional’ St John’s scientist elected as Fellow of the Royal Society
Evolutionary biologist Professor Chris Jiggins has been named as one of the new Fellows of the Royal Society for his ‘substantial contribution to the advancement of science’.
Professor Jiggins is Director of Studies at St John’s for Natural Sciences (Biological) and a Fellow of the College. He joins 58 other new Fellows on the list of new members of the oldest science academy in continuous existence including vaccinologist Dame Sarah Gilbert, who co-developed the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, and Professor Sir Christopher Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, who led the UK’s response to the pandemic.
Cambridge AI expert delivers Future of Compute Review to the UK government
World-leading Artificial Intelligence researcher Professor Zoubin Ghahramani, a Fellow at St John’s College, has completed his review into the UK’s advanced computing capabilities and presented his findings and recommendations to the government.
Mental health advocate and medic wins top University award
Student mental health campaigner Imogen Arden-Jones has received a Vice-Chancellor’s Social Impact Award for her activism including encouraging more young people to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
Imogen, a fifth-year medic at St John’s College, was among 15 Cambridge students recognised this year in celebration of exceptional contributions to society.
Second album release by St John’s Voices
A new album by St John’s Voices, Director Graham Walker and Cambridge University Chamber Choir is out today.
Pavel Chesnokov Sacred Choral Music is available now on the Naxos label. It features four motets alongside Chesnokov’s All-Night Vigil No.2.
One of the neglected masters of the early 20th century, Chesnokov was choirmaster of the Cathedral in Moscow and was so devastated when Stalin destroyed it that he never wrote another note, dying of heart failure in a queue for bread in the city in 1944.
St John’s Voices will celebrate the launch of their second album at Festal Evensong in the College Chapel on Monday 15 May, 6.30pm.
Postponement of external booking and its media coverage
An external booking for an event due to take place in the Old Divinity School this evening was postponed earlier this week after concerns were raised about the likelihood of significant noise disruption in connection with a planned protest.
The event organiser, who is not a member of College, had arranged a screening of Birthgap – Childless World and last week she notified us that a group of students were organising a protest against the documentary.
The organiser flagged her own concerns with St John’s over whether she could run her event safely. After further information was requested and received, in line with our usual risk assessments for events, we concluded it would be sensible to postpone the booking due to the impact of the inevitable noise disruption on our students revising for exams in adjacent accommodation and nearby buildings.
In the same communication, the organiser was invited to reschedule the event at a later date.
This has subsequently been portrayed as the College wishing to no-platform the screening. This is not the case. As you know, this College is, and has always been, committed to freedom of speech – events are permitted to take place onsite that could be considered by some to be challenging or even divisive. This decision was based solely on ensuring students are provided with an environment conducive to study during the examination period.
Earlier today, the Master replied to Toby Young of The Free Speech Union, who wrote to her this morning to query the College’s decision. Her reply is attached to this email for anyone who wishes to read it.
The exchange can also be read on Twitter
Athlete Angus takes gold
St John’s student Angus Harrington has won a gold medal in the 800m event at The British Universities and Colleges Sports (BUCS) Outdoor Athletics Championships.
The win makes Angus, who is a fourth-year Engineering undergraduate, the BUCS Champion for the 2022-2023 season.
Held in Manchester, the championships saw athletes from Cambridge University Athletic Club and Cambridge University Hare and Hounds clinch five medals in total.
The Red Boys win men’s Rugby Cuppers
St John’s men’s rugby team emerged triumphant from the mud-ridden Cuppers final against Fitz/Sidney on Saturday.
The Red Boys retained the trophy after battling it out in torrential rain.
Dean urges for ‘kinship carers’ to be properly valued
The Rev’d Dr Mark Oakley, Dean of St John’s, has called for more support for grandparents and others such as older siblings, aunts, uncles and family friends who raise children.
Writing in the Church Times today ahead of National Children’s Day UK on Sunday, he speaks about his 101-year-old grandmother, who brought him up, saying, ‘it is essential and urgent’ that kinship carers are given ‘loving and practical support’.
Students enjoy career skills trip to Royal Society of Medicine
Twenty-two students from St John’s Medical Society visited the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) for an interview training and career skills workshop.
The event on 4 May featured talks by RSM leaders including its President Professor Roger Kirby, a St John’s alumnus, and an immersive interview skills session using VR handsets.
Third-year St John’s medical student Yusuf Adia, Co-President of St John’s College MedSoc, who organised the event with Professor Kirby and colleagues, said the virtual reality interviews via VR were a particular highlight of the day.
He added: “Everyone really enjoyed the visit and Professor Kirby has been in touch with glowing praise for the cohort. The visit seems like something that lies out of the purview of a College student society, but it perfectly encapsulates our ambition to provide the best experiences for the cohort.
“I’m most pleased with the great ties we have formed with our alumni through the year, this visit to the RSM being the most recent example given that Roger is a John’s alumnus, as well as the community that has formed among the medical students post-Covid.”
Yusuf thanked the society’s Co-President Mariam Bihnam, Treasurer Arnav Sharma and Secretary Amy Cooper for their part in the successful visit and helping to plan future events.
Chapel
Student Communion – Sunday 14 May, 8.30am
Gather in the small chapel in the Ante-Chapel for a half-hour service of Holy Communion (aka the Eucharist) with sermon, and then go to Hall for cooked breakfast (which is subsidised). This appeals to a real cross-section of the student community.
Sunday Sung Eucharist with Confirmation – Sunday 14 May, 10.30am
Support students, partners and pupils of St John’s College School at the Confirmation Service. The Preacher is the Bishop of Buckingham, The Rt Rev’d Dr Alan Wilson, who is a Johnian.
Organ recital – Sunday 14 May, 6pm
Charles Francis (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire), will be performing works by Bach, Mendelssohn and Schumann.
Open to all, admission free.
Sunday Evensong with Sermon – Sunday 14 May, 6.30pm
This term’s sermon series – ‘The Disappeared: attending to the unseen’ – has been inspired by the piece of music that the Choir will sing on 2 July, one of James MacMillan’s Cantos Sagrados. In these MacMillan is responding to the horrors of political oppression in Latin America, especially ‘The Disappeared’ in Argentina. This evening Dr Sophie Cartwright, Jesuit Refugee Service UK, will be preaching on refugees.
Festal Evensong sung by St John’s Voices – Monday 15 May, 6.30pm
One of the College’s two choirs, St John’s Voices, will be launching their second album with a drinks reception afterwards. The service will feature music from the disc, by the Russian master Pavel Chesnokov.
Sung Eucharist for Ascension Day – Thursday 18 May, 10.30am
A special choral service attended by the pupils of St John’s College School.
Ascension Tower Service – Thursday 18 May, noon
The Choir will ascend the Tower to sing the Ascension Day Carol. Go along to experience this from the ground, gathering in First Court at 11.45am.
For all other regular services, see the Chapel webpage. Follow the Facebook page, SJC Chaplain, for Chapel service updates; and Andrew is on TikTok @thedetoxpriest. The Chapel team is always keen to hear from more volunteers to read in services or assist in other ways: please contact Andrew.
Other events
Spring Awakening – Friday 12 May and Saturday 13 May, 7.45pm
ADC Theatre.
St John’s student Isabella Bottle has designed the set and an original series of projections for Spring Awakening, a musical with an electrifying rock soundtrack that explores the journey from adolescence to adulthood in a poignant story of teenage curiosity.
Open to all (recommended for ages 16+). Tickets: Tue-Thu £11-£14; Fri-Sat £13-£16.
Further information and to buy tickets
Read a preview of the show and an interview with Isabella
Lady Margaret Beaufort Moot – Sunday 14 May, 3pm
Lightfoot Room, Old Divinity School.
Every year St John's and Christ's Colleges have a friendly moot in honour of our common founder Lady Margaret. Go and watch two St John’s Law freshers battle it out against the Christ's team on a tort law problem of occupiers’ liability.
Open to all, admission free, no booking required.
Student Art and Photography Exhibition 2023 – runs until Thursday 15 June
Library Exhibition Area.
View all the entries in this year’s St John’s College Student Art and Photography Exhibition.
Pub quiz – Monday 15 May, 8.30pm
College Bar.
Open to all, admission free. Follow the St John’s College Catering Instagram page for updates.
Live lunchtime meditation – Tuesdays to Thursdays, 1pm-1.15pm
Via Teams.
Spend 15 mindful minutes relaxing or meditating with the University’s mindfulness practitioner, Dr Elizabeth English, in these weekday sessions, free to students and staff.
Full details and Mindfulness Programme
Palaeography for beginners – Tuesday 16 May, 3pm
Zoom.
Weekly ‘have-a-go’ sessions for anyone interested in reading handwriting c1500-c1700, using documents from the College’s institutional archives. Sessions are informal and aimed at beginners, or those with a little experience who wish to practise their skills. Meetings are held online, using photographs of the documents which will be emailed out in advance along with the Zoom link.
Open to all, attendance free. If you would like to join in, please contact the archivist, Dr Lynsey Darby.
Johnian Entrepreneurs Club coffee and chat – Wednesday 17 May, 2pm
College Café.
Meeting weekly, the Johnian Entrepreneurs Club is for College members who are interested in business or entrepreneurship. This could be people who are wanting to start their own business of any kind or network with those who already have startups etc.
The club will have some speakers this term and aims to help people get started on their entrepreneurial journey. There is a WhatsApp group for those who would like to get involved.
Open to all College members. Admission free, no booking required.
Upper Library opening – Wednesday 17 May, 2pm-4pm
Enter via E staircase, Second Court.
Open every Wednesday afternoon during term time, manuscripts and rare printed books from the collections are on display in the 17th-century Upper Library. Next week’s exhibition will feature Coronation manuscripts and related items.
Requests for material to be exhibited can be emailed to Special Collections and they will do their best to accommodate these over the course of the term.
Open to College members and their guests. Admission free, no booking required.
Notes from the Jury: Reflections on the Chopin Competition – Wednesday 17 May, 9pm
Main Lecture Theatre, Old Divinity School.
Professor John Rink, St John’s Fellow and Director of Studies in Music, shares some of his experiences as a member of the jury of the Chopin Competition in 2015 and 2021.
Open to College postgraduate students, Fellows, Visiting Fellows and their guests as part of this term’s Sans Frontières events programme. Admission free.
Women’s tennis sessions – Thursday 18 May, 11am
St John’s tennis courts, behind the College playing fields.
Hour-long sessions for women of all ages and abilities with some experience of the sport, this should be a fantastic break from revision to get some fresh air and play some tennis.
There is no need to come with a partner, racquet or tennis balls. Email Emilia Murray if you’re interested in joining or if you need a racquet.
Open to all St John’s female members. Free, no booking required.
St John's College Music Society (SJCMS) lunchtime recital – Thursday 18 May, 1.15pm
New Music Room.
Leon Sturdee on violin and Sohan Kalirai on piano.
Open to all, admission free, booking is not required.
Social tennis sessions – Friday 19 May, 5pm
St John’s tennis courts, behind the College playing fields.
Hour-long social tennis sessions run by St John’s Tennis Club, every Friday afternoon during term time. No prior experience is needed, the games are intended for all students of all ages and all abilities. There is no need to come with a partner or tennis balls. Please contact Jonny Fox for more information and if you need a racquet.
Open to all St John’s students. Free, no booking required.
The history and development of Cambridge University – Tuesday 23 May, 8pm
Main Lecture Theatre, Old Divinity School.
Richard Partington, St John’s Fellow and Senior Tutor, presents a talk on the history and development of the University.
Open to College postgraduate students, Fellows, Visiting Fellows and their guests as part of this term’s Sans Frontières events programme. Admission free.
Dirac Lecture: Learning in a Quantum World – Tuesday 30 May, 2.30pm
MR2, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Wilberforce Road.
The Dirac Lecture, established jointly by St John's College and the University of Cambridge's Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, is named after the Nobel Prize-winning physicist, who was a Fellow of St John's. This year’s speaker is Professor John Preskill of the California Institute of Technology.
Open to all, admission free, no booking required.
Postgraduates Dine with Fellows – Wednesday 7 June, 7.30pm
Hall.
Open to College postgraduates. Free of charge, limited places, register via Upay.
St John’s Book Group for postgraduates, English Faculty and College staff – Tuesday 13 June, 5.45pm
Merton Hall Cottage.
Postgraduates, English Faculty and College staff are invited to join Vona Groarke, St John’s Writer-in-Residence, to discuss Denis Johnson's short 2002 novel, Train Dreams, set in the American West. The book was described as, ‘a small masterpiece’ by Anthony Doerr in the New York Times, while the Guardian says of Johnson: “In Train Dreams he stakes his claim as one of the key voices in contemporary American fiction. It is a miniature novel that delineates an epic yet ordinary life in passages of often startling descriptive power.”
If you are interested in joining this or the book group for undergraduates, email Vona.
Tour of the College gardens – Wednesday 14 June, 2pm
Meet in front of the President’s Border, at the front of College, beside the Great Gate.
With a focus on sustainability, David Austrin, Head Gardener, will give a tour of the beautiful and varied grounds of St John’s.
Open to College postgraduate students, Fellows, Visiting Fellows and their guests as part of this term’s Sans Frontières events programme. Free event.
No more than 15 in a group. To reserve a place please contact the Postgraduate Administrator by 30 May. A reserve list will be kept in case there are sufficient people interested to make up a second tour group.
St John’s College May Ball 2023 – Tuesday 20 June
The College’s spectacular annual May Ball will span the length and breadth of the historic courts of St John’s. This lavish event features live music, all-you-can-eat food and drink and a world-class fireworks display, with the theme famously kept secret until the night itself.
The Ball is now sold-out.
Andrew Chamblin Memorial Concert 2023 – Thursday 22 June, 8pm
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and online.
The 17th annual Andrew Chamblin Memorial Concert will be given by Thierry Escaich, who will play an hour-long programme of organ works by Bach, Franck, Vierne, Brahms and Widor. The performance will also be livestreamed.
Open to all, admission free, no booking required.
And finally
Did you spot Heather Hancock, Master of St John’s, on your television screen mid-song during the Coronation of King Charles III on Saturday?
If you missed it, Fiona Boston, official photographer of the Coronation and Secretary to the Domestic Bursar, captured this image from her sofa.
