College bulletin: 24 February
A BBC broadcasting vehicle arrived in Cambridge on Tuesday so producers could record two special services in the College Chapel this week. First up was a live broadcast of The Choir of St John’s singing Choral Evensong on Ash Wednesday. Then yesterday, a service featuring the exquisite St John’s Voices was recorded to be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Wednesday 12 April. Good luck to all of the LMBC rowers competing in The Bumps next week, if you are still learning the Cambridge lingo there is a handy explainer article later in the Bulletin.
Listen to the Ash Wednesday service
Photo credit: Graham Walker
College News
Staying true to our values in challenging times
“Don't try and pre-judge your future: try to connect with your passions and your values that's going to be what carries you through, that's going to be what brings you happiness. Enjoy - find what you love.”
St John’s has launched the second episode of new podcast series Souvient, featuring a conversation with the journalist, feminist and campaigner Natasha Walter.
Movie industry gender bias means AI scientists are almost all male – disadvantaging women in real life, St John’s researcher finds
High profile films such as Iron Man have amplified cultural stereotypes and entrenched gender inequality within the artificial intelligence industry by portraying AI researchers almost exclusively as men, according to a study co-authored by St John’s academic Dr Kerry McInerney.
Cambridge Half Marathon
The Cambridge Half Marathon will take place on Sunday 5 March and will see more than 10,000 runners pass through King’s College and Jesus College grounds as part of the 13.1 mile run.
Bagpipe competition – an invitation
An inaugural piping competition held last year at Pembroke College in memory of James Campbell, a late Fellow, was so successful that it will be held again in 2023.
Any amateur piper among Fellows, students and staff at any Cambridge College is invited to take part on the afternoon of Saturday 29 April.
The competition will be held in Pembroke Chapel and each contestant will be asked to play a medley of their choice – lasting between five and ten minutes – either of “light music” or the ground and a variation of a Piobaireachd, or both. A panel of judges will adjudicate.
Anyone who is interested should contact the Master of Pembroke
What’s on
Chapel
Student communion – Sunday 26 February, 8.30am
Student Communion takes place every Sunday at 8.30am, followed by a subsidised cooked breakfast in Hall.
Sung Eucharist – Sunday 26 February, 10.30am
Open to all, admission free.
Organ recital – Sunday 26 February, 6pm
Benjamin Nicholas of Merton College, Oxford, will be performing works by Brahms, Schumann and Liszt.
Open to all, admission free.
Sunday Evensong with Sermon – Sunday 26 February, 6.30pm
This term’s sermon series invites the preachers to help our faith learn from the past. The preachers have chosen figures from the 16th and 17th centuries in order to suggest ways in which our faith might deepen through a closer encounter with their life and work.
The preacher this evening, who draws his subject from the title ‘Past tense, future perfect? Learning from the history of faith’, is the Rev’d Canon Dr Jeremy Morris of the National Ecumenical Adviser for the Church of England, who will be preaching on Richard Hooker.
Open to all, admission free.
Evensong – Monday 27 February, 6.30pm
Sung by St John’s Voices.
Open to all, admission free.
Evensong – Tuesday 28 February, 6.30pm
Sung jointly by the choirs of St John’s and Clare Colleges.
Open to all, admission free.
Morning prayer – weekdays, 8.30am
Taking place in Ante-Chapel every weekday morning, lasting about 15 minutes.
The Meditation on the Passion of Christ – Saturday 4 March, 6.00pm
A Service of readings and music for Passiontide.
Deadline for applications has closed.
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
Mozart’s The Magic Flute – Friday 24 February – Saturday 25 February, 7.45pm and Saturday 25 February, 1pm
West Road Concert Hall.
The Cambridge University Opera Society, including 17 College members in the cast, orchestra and production teams, showcase The Magic Flute, one of Mozart’s final masterpieces where childlike adventure collides with fantasy, satire, and comedy. Underpinned by Mozart’s kaleidoscopic score, the music captures the timeless themes of love and deception whilst presenting some of the most popular music in the classical repertory, with show-stopping arias and fast paced ensemble numbers.
Open to all. Tickets: students, under 18s and jobseekers: £8.00; concessions (over 60s): £14.00; full price: £16.00.
Further details and to book tickets
Footlights Spring Revue 2023: No More Funny Business – Friday 24 February – Saturday 25 February, 7.45pm, with a matinée on the Saturday
ADC Theatre.
This year’s Footlights Spring Revue, performed each year by the graduating Footlights, features St John’s student Barnaby Evans, and is directed by Lewis Roberts. The show features two hours of original sketch comedy, and is one of the highlights of the Cambridge theatre calendar.
Open to all. Tickets £13-£16.
Further information and tickets
Mathematics and Mathematicians at St John's – weekdays, 9am-5pm
St John’s College Library.
Exhibition which is open to all, admission free, no booking required.
Live lunchtime meditation – Monday to Thursday, 1.15-1.30pm
Via Zoom.
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.
Palaeography for beginners – Tuesday 28 February, 3pm
Zoom.
Weekly ‘have-a-go’ sessions for anyone interested in reading handwriting c. 1500 – c. 1700, 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.
Pre-Dinner Lecture Series talk – Tuesday 28 February, 6.15pm
Castlereagh Room, Fisher Building.
Presented by Dr Anna Florin, Research Fellow at St John’s. Details to be confirmed.
The lecture will last 20-30 minutes and be followed by audience questions and drinks.
Open to Fellows, affiliates and postgraduate students. Admission free.
Chapel late – Tuesday 28 February, 8.30pm
Ante Chapel.
As part of the St John’s College Music Society (SJCMS) Chapel Late series, the CU Chinese Orchestra Society present instruments and music of Chinese heritage.
Open to all, admission free, booking is not required.
UniVox rehearsals – every Wednesday during term, 5.15pm-6.30pm
Palmerston Room, Fisher Building.
UniVox is a non-auditioned contemporary choir for students across the University run by the new Centre for Music Performance (CMP) and hosted by St John’s.
Places are limited so must be booked via the UniVox page of the CMP website.
Special collection display – Wednesday 1 March, 2pm-4pm
Old Library.
The Old Library will be open on a drop-in basis for people to view a display of items from the special collections. Every Wednesday during full term.
Open to College members and their guests, admission free, no booking required.
Postgraduates Dine with Fellows – Wednesday 1 March, 7.30pm
Hall.
Open to College postgraduates. Postgraduates can attend one Dine with Fellows dinner per academic year.
Free of charge, limited places, register via Upay after 1 February. Booking closes at 9am on 28 February.
St John's College Music Society (SJCMS) lunchtime recital – Thursday 2 March, 1.15pm
New Music Room.
Harrison Cole and Nigel Yandell (piano).
Open to all, admission free, booking is not required.
Drop-in dissertation support group – Thursday 2 March, 2pm-5pm
Via Zoom.
Weekly online group run during term time by the Library, offering a structured study space, support and encouragement for any undergraduate student who is currently working on a dissertation.
Email Rebecca for the Zoom link or if you have any questions.
Social tennis sessions – Friday 3 March, 3.30pm
St John’s tennis courts, behind the College playing fields.
Hour long social tennis sessions run by St John’s Tennis Club, every Friday 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. If you need a racquet or have any queries please contact Jonny Fox.
Open to all St John’s students, admission free, no booking required.
Greek Dialogues - Anthologising the Muse of the Greeks: Poetry Anthologies and the Cultural Transfer of Modern Greece in Britain (1821-1900) – Friday 3 March, 6pm
Room 1.11, Faculty of Classics, Sidgwick Avenue.
Professor Georgia Gotsi, Professor of Modern Greek & Comparative Literature at the University of Patras, Greece and Lewis-Gibson Visiting Fellow at St John’s, examines the extent to which collections of Greek poetic texts reflected prevailing social and political attitudes in 19th century Britain as well as the personal motivations of the anthologists. Professor Gotsi also analyses the impacts of these anthologies on Greek cultural development.
Also available via Zoom.
Open to all members of the University. Admission free. Further details
Open Orchestra – Monday 6 March, 7.30pm
New Music Room.
The St Johns College Open Orchestra (SJCOO) meets, usually fortnightly, on a Monday evening during term time. The orchestra is always happy to have more musicians who want to meet for relaxed and fun rehearsals, and sight read through some fun numbers from a wide variety of genres from classical to film. Brass and string players are particularly needed.
Open to all University members (Grade 4/5 minimum, no auditions required).
Further details and to register or email the SJCOO Director, Daniel Livermore.
Lent Bumps – Tuesday 7 March to Saturday 11 March
St John’s has four men’s boats, M1, M2, M3 and M4, and three women’s boats, W1, W2 and W3, competing in this year’s Lent Bumps.
The best place to watch is just down from The Plough in Fen Ditton. All welcome.
Lent Bumps division times (afternoons):
Division Tues Wed Thu Fri Sat
W1 - 16:40 16:40 16:40 16:40
M1 - 16:00 16:00 16:00 16:00
W2 16:40 - 15:20 15:20 15:20
M2 16:00 - 14:40 14:40 14:40
W3 15:20 15:20 - 14:00 14:00
M3 14:40 14:40 - 13:20 13:20
M4/W4 14:00 14:00 14:00 - 12:40
Pre-Dinner Lecture Series talk – Tuesday 7 March, 6.15pm
Boys Smith Room, Fisher Building.
Presented by Dr Ann Benson, Leverhulme Emeritus Fellowship, and Beaufort Visiting Fellow at St John’s. Details to be confirmed.
The lecture will last 20-30 minutes and be followed by audience questions and drinks.
Open to Fellows, affiliates and postgraduate students. Admission free.
Chapel late – Tuesday 7 March, 8.30pm
Ante Chapel.
An evening of Turkish music with Kerem Mumyakmaz and Jacob Olley.
Open to all, admission free, booking is not required.
How Cambridge works – Wednesday 8 March, 8pm
Main Lecture Theatre, Old Divinity School.
A talk by Richard Partington, Senior Tutor.
Open to College postgraduate students, Fellows, visiting Fellows and their guests as part of this term’s Sans Frontières events programme.
Attendance free, booking not required.
Johnian Society Virtual Interview with Professor Peter Nienow (1984) – Thursday 9 March, 6.30pm
Online.
The Johnian Society is delighted to continue to host virtual interviews with alumni in 2023. Guests may participate in the event for as long or short a time as they like, staying just for the interview or also engaging in friendly conversation with fellow alumni during the Q&A session.
In this interview Professor Peter Nienow (1984) will speak with Mark Wells (1981) about his memories of St John’s, climate change and his research on glaciers and ice sheets. Peter is Professor of Glaciology at the University of Edinburgh and he was awarded the Polar Medal by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018 in recognition of his research activities in the Arctic.
Open to students at St John’s College, admission free.
Limited spaces, registration closes on Monday 6 March. The link for the session will be sent by email a couple of days ahead of the event. Further information and to register
Chapel late – Friday 10 March, 8pm
Chapel.
Max Todes conducts Bach’s St John Passion. The retiring collection will be in support of British Red Cross' DEC Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal.
Open to all, admission free, booking is not required.
Botanic Gardens tour – Sunday 19 March, 2pm
Join Professor Tim Bayliss-Smith for a tour of the Cambridge University Botanic Gardens to see the spring flowers.
Open to College postgraduate students, Fellows, Visiting Fellows and their guests as part of this term’s Sans Frontières events programme. Students should bring their University cards for free entry.
Further details to be confirmed.
And finally
The Progress Pride flag has flown above The Great Gate every Saturday during February to mark LGBT+ History Month.
The Progress Pride flag was developed in 2018 by American artist and designer Daniel Quasar. Based on the iconic rainbow flag from 1978, the redesign celebrates the diversity of the LGBT+ community and calls for a more inclusive society.
It won’t be flying tomorrow because the College Banner will be raised to mark congregation but it will appear again on Tuesday on the final day of LGBTQ+ History Month.
Photo credit: Gary Winfield