College bulletin: 26 May
The sun may be shining today but in this week’s bulletin journey back in time to winter at St John’s in the days before central heating and electricity via our latest article focusing on St John’s and energy.
Our new Director of Music has had a busy first few weeks in post, get to know Chris Gray in our story below – we ask him about everything from why a College Choir is still relevant in 2023 to what music he listens to in his spare time.
And if you are looking to spot the latest Johnian on screen, head to the cinema this weekend to watch Johan Hauer-King, who graduated from St John’s in 2017, as Prince Eric in the live action remake of The Little Mermaid. He features in this YouTube film talking about how studying Theology at Cambridge helped his acting career.
College news
A life extraordinary: meet Chris Gray, new Director of Music at St John’s
Christopher Gray has joined St John’s as the new Director of Music, having led Truro Cathedral Choir and bringing it international acclaim. An exceptional musician, Chris tells us about climbing trees with the choristers, being on Britain's Got Talent and the secret to what makes The Choir of St John’s so magical.
Delving into the archives: energy in days gone by
The mental image of the shivering student in a freezing garret, peering at his books by candlelight, is perhaps as old as scholarship itself. But how true a reflection is it of life at St John’s in the days before central heating and electricity?
A dip into the archives reveals a centuries-old struggle to fend off the Fenland cold and bring light and warmth to the lives of the St John’s community.
St John’s academic helps lead new research institute
St John’s Fellow Professor Orietta Da Rold is helping to head up the new Cambridge University Library Research Institute (CULRI).
Professor Da Rold, who is Professor of Medieval Literature and Manuscript Studies and Director of Studies in English (Part IB) at St John’s, is Academic Director of the Research Institute, which launched on Tuesday 23 May.
Based at the University Library on West Road, the CULRI will collaborate with other institutions both locally and worldwide through innovation and partnerships to set the agenda for collections-led research and generate opportunities across and beyond disciplines.
Professor Da Rold said: “I’ve had the immense good fortune to work with the University Library’s collections since the beginning of my research career. This journey has been shaped by the treasures held within these collections and the amazing individuals from whom I have learned so much and with whom I now work.
“The Research Institute is a place where we can write a new chapter of collaborative discovery and transformative research.”
Rowing victories for Maggie
Lady Margaret Boat Club (LMBC) crews have been victorious both on and off the River Cam.
Last weekend saw five Maggie crews taking to the Cam for side-by-side racing in the Spring Regatta. After M1 finishing as the fastest men’s crew on the Cam for a second year running the previous weekend, they continued their winning streak with another win in the first division.
Both W2 and W3 put in strong performances to win the plate final in their divisions, with W2 beating Eddies Q1 and Emma W3 to claim victory.
M2, who were placed 8th in the M1 division the previous weekend, easily beat King’s M1 in the first round before narrowly losing to Jesus M1 in the semi-finals of division 1. M3 also did very well but fell to a strong crew in the plate semi-finals.
The wins and close-victories follow hot on the tail of Nottingham City Regatta at the National Watersports Centre on 13 and 14 May, which saw success for W1 and W2. The mixed 8+ won the Development women’s 8 division, and were rewarded with a special commemorative medal marking the Coronation.
W1 4+ came 3rd in their division, with W2 4+ coming 3rd in the B final. W3 and M3 also put in strong performances to come 3rd and 9th in their divisions.
Follow Lady Margaret Boat Club on Instagram for the latest College rowing news
Telethon 2023 team
Are you free from 4 to 18 September and want to work part-time? If you are a current student who is passionate about the College and happy to chat on the phone, this fun role is for you. No experience necessary, full training and on-going support will be provided, plus you’ll be paid £12.32/hr.
The deadline to apply for a role on the team is Monday 5 June at 11am,
Further information and to apply
Any further questions can be directed to Jo, Senior Development Officer.
Chapel
Student Communion – Sunday 28 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.
Organ recital – Sunday 28 May, 6pm
Rachel Mahon, a Canadian organist who is Director of Music at Coventry Cathedral, will be performing works by Laurin and Bach.
Open to all, admission free.
Sunday Evensong with Sermon – Sunday 28 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 Prof Anna Rowlands, St Hilda Professor of Catholic Social Thought and Practice, University of Durham, will be preaching on Simon Weil: affliction love and attention.
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
De-stress tea and cake – Sunday 28 May, 3-5pm
Merton Cottage, Queen’s Road.
Escape revision for some alfresco cake. This Sunday and the following two, Andrew the Chaplain is offering tea and cake in his garden. Come any time, and feel free to stay and chat or hoover up some cake and run! Merton Cottage can be accessed either from the Scholar's Garden (near the Louis Cha Stone) or from Queen’s Road.
Open to College students, 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 29 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
The 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.
Palaeography for beginners – Tuesday 30 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 31 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 31 May, 2-4pm
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.
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.
Women’s tennis sessions – Thursday 1 June, 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 1 June, 1.15pm
New Music Room.
Sohan Kalirai and Manav Paul, piano duo.
Open to all, admission free, no booking required.
Urinetown, The Musical – Thursday 1 June to Saturday 10 June, 7.45pm
ADC Theatre.
Dr Matt Lampitt, College Research Fellow in MMLL and ASNC, will be playing the lead role of Bobby Strong in Urinetown, The Musical, presented by Festival Players, Cambridge.
Urinetown is a political satire set in a not-so-distant future where a 20-year drought has crippled a city’s water supplies, leading to a ban on private toilets in an effort to control water consumption. Urinetown is a hilarious tale of greed, corruption, love, and revolution in a time when water is worth its weight in gold.
Open to all, recommended for ages 12 and above.
Buy tickets
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 Concert 2023 – Monday 19 June, 8pm
College Chapel.
With contributions from the College Choir, St John’s Voices, Aquila and a number of wonderful solo instrumentalists from the College. The concert will be followed by drinks and nibbles in Chapel Court, all finishing in time for those who want to watch the Trinity fireworks from the Paddock.
Open to College members, admission free. Limited places, applications close on Monday 12 June.
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
We don’t need an official survey to know that Folly is the only BNOC officially recognised at St John’s and here she is with some of her many fans.
She is always happy to listen to exam worries so do go and say hi if you see her around College, she even has her own Instagram account for her fans.
