College bulletin: 27 May
Next week, Her Majesty The Queen’s will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee after 70 years on the throne.
And you are all invited to celebrate it in the best possible way – by eating homemade scones and sausage rolls in the Fellows’ Garden on Wednesday 1 June from 2-4pm.
More details about the Platinum Jubilee event are in the What’s On guide below. We’ve also got the latest research news from the Fellowship, a chance to buy St John’s stash, and an interview with acting royalty Dame Judi Dench.
College news
Choir reaches new heights for Ascension Day
The Choir of St John’s sang from the rooftop of the College Chapel yesterday to mark Ascension Day – for the first time including girls.
Ascension Day celebrates the Christian belief in the ascension of Jesus into Heaven, 40 days after his resurrection at Easter.
Every year members of the Choir climb the 163ft spiral staircase of the tower to sing the Ascension Day carol at the top – bar the pandemic, although a pared down version was held last year.
At noon, a crowd of students, Fellows, staff and members of the public gathered in First Court to listen to the singing, which saw girls make their rooftop debut after being admitted to the Choir for the first time last month.
The Ascension Day rooftop tradition dates back to 1902 when Sir Joseph Larmor claimed that a choir singing on top of the tower would not be heard from the ground – and was proved wrong by Cyril Rootham, the then Director of Music.
St John’s alumnus stepping into new Acting Vice-Chancellor role
The University of Cambridge has appointed Dr Anthony Freeling as its Vice-Chancellor with effect from 1 October 2022.
Dr Freeling is the outgoing President of Hughes Hall and will take up his post on the departure of Professor Stephen J Toope. His tenure is expected to last six months.
Between 1975 and 1984 Dr Freeling studied at St John’s, completing an MA in Mathematics, an MPhil in Control Engineering and Operation Research, and a PhD in Decision Analysis and Behavioural Economics.
Earth-abundant solar pixels found to produce hydrogen for weeks
Devices made of readily available oxide and carbon-based materials can produce clean hydrogen from water over weeks - according to new research published today.
Dr Virgil Andrei, Fellow of St John’s, is co-lead author of the paper that has been published in Nature Materials.
Dean of Chapel interviews Dame Judi Dench
“If you can make people perhaps not be so aware of what’s happening for two-and-a-half hours or whatever, that is some help.”
The Rev'd Dr Mark Oakley, Dean of Chapel, has interviewed Oscar-winning actress Dame Judi Dench for High Profiles. Dr Oakley has known Dench since he conducted her husband’s memorial service in 2001.
Academic awarded OBE at Windsor Castle
Professor Stefan Reif, a Fellow of St John’s, has received his OBE in an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle hosted by HRH The Duke of Cambridge.
Professor Reif was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to scholarship in the 2020 Queen Birthday Honours and attended the official ceremony at the royal residence on 17 May to be awarded his Gong by Prince William, who is an Honorary Fellow of St John’s.
“It was a rare experience to wander through the magnificent rooms and to see the outstanding paintings,” said Professor Reif, founder and former Director of the Taylor-Schechter Genizah Unit at the University of Cambridge.
“The staff were most helpful and the Prince seemed relaxed and friendly to each of us as he pinned on our medallions. A memorable day.”
Chapel organ helps reveal secrets of the universe
Student George Herbert, Herbert Howells Organ Scholar at St John’s, appeared in Monday’s episode of Secrets of Size: Atoms to Supergalaxies on BBC Four illustrating the sound of space on the Chapel organ.
The programme, presented by theoretical physicist Jim Al-Khalili, explores the universe at its largest, from our solar system up to giant networks of interconnected galaxies.
Astronomers have found massive objects in space that effectively give off musical notes, identified as B Flat. In this week’s second episode, George is seen playing B Flat on the organ in different octaves, until he reaches the lowest one that is audible to humans. The Chapel organ would have to go down another 54 octaves – and be the size of a galaxy – to reach the note achieved in space.
The section featuring St John’s, which was filmed in November, starts at 30:43 and can be viewed on BBC iPlayer.
Buy St John’s stash
Student-designed St John’s branded merchandise is now on sale but don’t delay as orders must be made before Monday 30 May.
A natural canvas tote bag, a thermal water bottle and a St John’s branded bucket hat are all available to buy and any profit will be donated towards helping people in Ukraine.
Other news
Call to join the Telethon 2022 team
Applications are now open for student fundraisers to join the St John’s Telethon 2022 team.
The telephone fundraiser roles are for students who are free between 5-19 September and want to work part-time. Jo Beatty, Senior Development Officer, said: “If you are passionate about the College and happy to chat on the phone, this fun role is for you. No experience necessary, full training and ongoing support will be provided, plus you’ll be paid £11.25 per hour.”
More information and to apply Any questions can be directed to Jo Beatty. The deadline for applications is 12pm on Monday 18 July 2022.
Request for photos of St John’s
Dr Ann Benson, Beaufort Visiting Fellow, is researching the College’s designed landscape history. To supplement this research she would like access to any photographs College members may have of the grounds in the past, in particular, any of First Court when it had flowers (possibly in the 1960s-1970s) and the garden of the Master’s Lodge.
If you have a suitable photo please email Dr Benson or leave your contact details for her at the Forecourt Porters’ Lodge.
Return of the Picturehouse
The St John's Film Society is being relaunched and is looking for a new committee, in particular the posts of Treasurer, Publicity Officer, Webmaster and Projectionist Team. The committee is open to any St John’s undergraduates or postgraduates next year.
If you would be interested in applying please email Bilal Qureshi by 5pm on Sunday 29 May. As it is exam period this can just be to express your interest; more details can be provided at a later date.
Last few days to enter scarf competition
The deadline is looming to enter the competition to design a silk scarf for The Johnian Society, to go on sale in Churchill Gowns.
The Society Committee is looking for a design that captures the spirit of the St John's community and it welcomes submissions from students, Fellows and staff.
The scarf should be a square of 90cm by 90cm. Designs can be submitted as drawings or paintings but they should be to scale or larger so that the resolution will be clear enough when they are converted to a digital format for printing. If you are able to design the artwork digitally, please use one of these formats: .tif; .psd (Photoshop) minimum 300 dpi; or .ai (Illustrator).
Please send your designs to Zip Jila, Honorary Secretary of The Johnian Society, by 30 May. The creator of the selected design will win two scarves.
What’s on
Chapel
Student communion – Sunday 29 May, 8.30am
Student Communion takes place every Sunday at 8.30am, followed by a subsidised cooked breakfast in Hall.
Organ recital – Sunday 29 May, 6pm
Luke Bond, Assistant Director of Music at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, will be performing works by Bach, Vaughan Williams and Howells.
Open to all, admission free.
A full programme for the term is available here.
Sunday Evensong Sermon series: No Shame in a Tutu – Sunday 29 May, 6.30pm
Preachers at Evensong this term have been invited to explore some of the areas about which Archbishop Desmond Tutu was passionate, and to which he made a significant contribution. The preacher this Sunday will be The Rev’d Andrew Hammond, Chaplain. His sermon will address Israel/Palestine.
Open to all, admission free.
Morning prayer – weekdays, 8.30am
Taking place in Ante-Chapel every weekday morning, lasting about 15 minutes.
Evensong – daily, 6.30pm
Sung Eucharist – Thursday 26 May, 10.30am
Attended by the pupils of St John’s College School.
Sung Eucharist for the feast of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth – Tuesday 31 May, 6.30pm
Open to all, admission free.
Compline by Candlelight – Tuesday 31 May, 10pm
Come and find a little sanctuary for half an hour. Port and hot chocolate will be served afterwards.
Open to all, admission free.
Choral services continue as listed on the website.
- Follow the Facebook page, SJC Chaplain, for Chapel service updates; and Andrew is on TikTok @thedetoxpriest. The Chapel is always keen to hear from more volunteers to read in services or assist in other ways: please contact Andrew.
Other events
Cambridge Nature Festival 2022 – Friday 27 May to Thursday 30 June
From art exhibitions and wildlife safaris to landscape heritage walks, there are an enormous range of events to get involved in during Cambridge Nature Network’s Cambridge Nature Festival 2022. Many events are free and there is a small fee for others.
MCR Cup Final – Sunday 29 May, 10.30am
3G Pitch, Comberton Village College.
St John’s SBR Football Team go up against The University Contractors in this exciting MCR Cup Final.
All welcome from St John’s to cheer on the postgraduate team.
Live lunchtime meditation – 1.15-1.30pm Monday to Friday (online)
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.
Workshop on choosing a dissertation – Tuesday 31 May, 2pm
This workshop and presentation aims to provide students taking on a dissertation next academic year with some inspiration on choosing a dissertation topic or creating a shortlist of potential topics.
Zoom. Meeting ID: 772 922 6894. Passcode: 410795.
Open to all students, admission free. For further information email Rebecca Le Marchand.
Palaeography for beginners – Tuesday 31 May, 3pm
Weekly online sessions for anyone interested in reading handwriting from c1500-c1750, using documents from the College’s institutional archives.
Sessions are informal and aimed at beginners, or those with a little experience who wish to practice their skills. Photographs of the documents will be emailed out in advance.
Open to all College members, admission free.
To register or make further enquiries, contact the archivist, Dr Lynsey Darby.
Pre-Dinner Lecture Series talk – Samuel Butler: From New Zealand Sheep Farmer to Victorian England’s Ultimate Polymath – Tuesday 31 May, 6.15pm
Main Lecture Theatre, Old Divinity School.
Presented by Anna Plumridge, St John’s Research Fellow, this talk centres on Samuel Butler (1835-1902), an eccentric alumnus who was possessed of one of the most original imaginations of his era.
It will support a critical reappraisal of Butler by examining a largely overlooked aspect of his early life: his emigration to the Southern Alps of New Zealand in the early 1860s. Concentrating particularly on Butler’s interest in machine learning and his first satirical novel Erewhon (1872), Ms Plumridge will argue that Butler’s experience as a sheep farmer on the periphery of empire had a profound effect on his literary and intellectual development.
The talk will last about 20-30 minutes and be followed by questions from the audience and then drinks. Also available on Zoom. Meeting ID: 833 0545 1971. Passcode: 390241.
Open to Fellows, affiliates and postgraduate students. Admission free.
St John’s College Jubilee afternoon tea – Wednesday, 1 June, 2-4pm in the Fellows’ Garden
Enjoy this all-College drop-in afternoon tea to mark the Queen’s 70th Jubilee. All College Fellows, students and staff are warmly invited for drinks and light snacks.
This is an informal event for which there is no dress code.
Upper Library open afternoon – Wednesday 1 June, 2-4pm
Upper Library, entrance via E staircase, Second Court, only.
The Upper Library is open for members of the College community and their guests every Wednesday 2-4pm during Full Term. Different items from the collections are on display each week and a member of staff will be available to answer questions.
(Note: drop-in visits are not available to the Upper Library via the Working Library this term.)
The Reading Room is open Monday to Friday for the consultation of Special Collections by appointment. Direct booking requests and enquiries to Special Collections.
Lecture on Monotheism and Divine Translation – Wednesday, 8 June, 6-7pm
Main Lecture Theatre, Old Divinity School.
Professor Ron Hendel will deliver a lecture, hosted by St John’s Fellow Professor Nathan McDonald, to examine how cross-cultural discourse about gods occurred in the ancient world and how this related to the development of monotheism in ancient Israel.
Professor Hendel is the Norma and Sam Dabby Professor of Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies at the University of California, Berkeley and the author of numerous books including Remembering Abraham: Culture, History, and Memory in the Hebrew Bible, The Book of Genesis: A Biography, and How Old is the Hebrew Bible? A Linguistic, Textual, and Historical Study.
The lecture is free and open to all.
Fellows and Staff Golf Competition – Tuesday, 14 June, 8.30am
Ely Golf Club.
All Fellows and staff are invited to join in this social golf event for the President’s Cup. It is a Stableford competition, which means the player with the highest point total is the winner.
Email Porter Mark Nelligan for full details or pop into one of the Porters’ Lodges for a chat.
Service of Thanksgiving for the birth and legacy of William Cecil – Wednesday, 22 June, 11.30am
Westminster Abbey, London.
St John’s alumnus William Cecil, 1st Lord Burghley, served as Principal Secretary and Lord Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I for almost all her reign. During this time, he was the most powerful man in England. There was no aspect of foreign or domestic policy in which he was not involved. He was the man who made England function and was at the heart of all the drama of the times and his influence can still be seen today.
The Lord Burghley 500 Foundation was established to celebrate the quincentenary in 2020 of his birth and to create an educational legacy in his name. The Foundation has arranged a Service of Thanksgiving to take place at Westminster Abbey where Burghley was High Steward.
Open to all. Register for tickets.
End-of-term staff celebration – Friday 1 July, 4-7pm
Scholars’ Garden.
This drop-in ‘do’ for College staff will feature food trucks, drinks and music.
So we can have an idea of numbers, please register before Friday 17 June via Eventbrite.
And finally…
The teddy of our alumnus and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy author Douglas Adams was pictured on a rare day out in the Old Library of St John’s this week to pay tribute to his owner on Towel Day, Wednesday 25 May.
Adams, who died in 2001, would have been 70 this year and his bear is among the 67 boxes’ worth of material that has been on loan to us from his estate since 2012.
Towel Day is an annual celebration of the writer’s life and work when fans ‘around the universe’ carry a towel – the most useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.
Thanks to Dr Adam Crothers, Special Collections Assistant, for carefully retrieving the teddy from the collection of Douglas Adams’ personal papers for his moment on the cat – or should that be bear? – walk.
