That's a wrap! At the end of our most recent recording in March 2022

NEWS FEBRUARY 2024: NEW CD RELEASE

Annabel McLauchlan Rooney Like to a flower released on Regent Records. Read more here.

 

 

 

"executed with assurance and eloquence ... the Christ's College undergraduates sing with freshness and security"
Gramophone 

"fresh voices, precise pitching and chording, expert pacing"
BBC Music Magazine

'The recorded sound is a sheer delight.
This is a genuinely involving sacred disc, heart-rendingly sung by a group of unquestioned talent.'
Church Times

The Choir has made many recordings over the past twenty-five years of a huge range of repertoire. Our most recent release, 'As a seed bursts forth', was devoted to the work of Christ's alumna Annabel Rooney, the first recording of her choral music. In 2022 the choir recorded a second disc of Annabel's music, again with Regent Records, which will be released next year. In the longer term, we are also planning a project featuring Parry's Songs of Farewell.

Discs are available to purchase at a cost of £10 per CD. If you would like to purchase a CD, please contact the Choir Administrator Tom Baarda on choir.admin@christs.cam.ac.uk, who will arrange posting the discs you would like to you, depending on stock. CDs are also on sale at the Porter's Lodge at Christ's College.

Latest release

Rooney CD CoverREGCD525 As a seed bursts forth: Choral Music by Annabel Rooney

"a blossoming talent and an original voice" - Presto Classical

Evening Service in D Major

O nata lux

Bless the Lord

Hear my prayer, O Lord

Sweet was the song the Virgin sung

Gaudete

The Lord's Prayer

Be still

Jubilate Deo

Come, my way, my truth, my life

Misterium mirabile

Glorificamus Deum

Close thine eyes

How calmly the evening

Evening Service 'Fourths'

Round me falls the night

Praise ye the Lord

This Infant of Mankind

To her son

Reviewed by Roderic Dunnett in Church Times (15 May 2020):

'Rooney’s beautiful opening Magnificat, with a light-stepping ostinato in the organ, gives a taste of things to come. ... 

“Hear my Prayer”, with enchanting canonic touches, is one of many lovely tracks.

This composer has a gift for evoking echoes of the dancing medieval, even troubadour, carol: “Bless the Lord”, “Sweet was the song the Virginsang”, and more obviously Gaudete; plus a joyous Jubilate with vivacious off set organ part. ...

Her choice of texts is fascinating.'

‘The performances are excellent, with well- balanced and nuanced choral sound, solid solo singing, and stirring organ work. I want to hear more of Annabel Rooney’s compositions. ’  American Record Guide September 2019

 

Annabel Rooney

Annabel read music at Christ’s, holding a university instrumental award on the cello. She continued her studies at the college with an MPhil and PhD on eighteenth-century opera. Now living in Devon, Annabel combines composing with instrumental teaching and playing.

Annabel began composing seriously in 2011, mostly writing sacred choral music, and her music has been performed regularly at Evensong at Christ’s since 2013. She has written several pieces specifically for David Rowland and Christ’s choir, such as the D major Canticles, The Lord’s Prayer, and ‘O nata lux’, which are recorded on the CD ‘As a seed bursts forth’. Other pieces written for Christ’s include the anthem ‘This day, good Lord’, commissioned for the Commemoration of Benefactors in 2018, and a set of Preces and Responses, premiered in college in February 2020.

Alongside regular appearances at Christ’s, Annabel’s music has been performed by choirs including those of Exeter and Ely Cathedrals, the Chapel Royal, and Selwyn College, Cambridge. Recent highlights have been the broadcast of ‘Misterium mirabile’ on Radio 3, as the introit to Evensong from Exeter Cathedral in December 2019, the publication of ‘O nata lux’, and the premiere of a specially-commissioned Mass for the Girls’ Choir of St Mary’ s Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, on International Women’s Day in 2020.

 

Special Recordings

In January 2019 the Choir made a special video recording of Milton's Prayer, composed by Christ's Fellow Professor John Wilson which you can watch by clicking here.

 

Other releases

Cd CoverREGCD511 Even Such Is Time: Finzi - Leighton - Howells - Walton

 

Gerald Finzi (1901-1956): Lo, the full final sacrifice
Kenneth Leighton (1929-1988): What love is this of thine?
Walton (1902-1983): Where does the uttered music go?
Herbert Howells (1892-1983): Even such is time
Leighton: Cricifixus pro nobis
Walton: Set me as a seal upon thine heart
Howells:Take him, earth, for cherishing
Walton: A Litany
Leighton: Solus ad victimam

 

 

 

REGCD446 Christmas from Christ's

'The singing is consistently goodXmas CD cover: the attack and ensemble are excellnt and the accompanists sensitive and supportive.'

Organist's Review, March 2016
 

Peter Warlock (1894–1930): As dew in Aprylle
Benedicamus Domino
Bethlehem Down
A Cornish Carol
I saw a fair maiden
Cornish Christmas Carol
Adam lay ybounden
Balulalow
Where riches is everlastingly
Gustav Holst (1874–1934): Four Old English Carols
A babe is born
Now let us sing
Jesu, thou the virgin-born
The saviour of the world is born
Lullay my liking
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958): The Blessed Son of God (from Hodie, 1954)
No sad thought (from Hodie)
Eight Traditional English Carols (1919)
And all in the morning
On Christmas night
The twelve apostles
Down in yon forest
           May Day carol
Truth from above
The birth of the Saviour
Wassail Song
 

Geistliche CD Cover

REGCD417 Geistliche Lieder: German Romantic Choral Music

'We have yet to hear a poor release from David Rowland and The Choir of Christ's College, Cambridge and this new one maintains the usual high standard.'

Cross Rhythms, July 2014

Rheinberger: Mass in A, Op. 126
Drei Geistliche Gesänge
Confitebor tibi
Wolf : Sechs Geistliche Lieder nach Gedicten von Eichendorff
Liszt: Ave maris stella
Ave verum corpus
O salutaris hostia I (for upper voices)
O salutaris hostia II (for SATB)
Brahms: Drei Geistliche Chöre, Op.37
Geistliche Lied, Op.30
 
 

Quam coverREGCD375 Quam Dilecta: French Romantic Choral Music (2013)

'Their impressive vocal sonority, reverence and unity produce cascades of attractive sound [...] this Regent release is nothing short of stunning.'

MusicWeb International, August 2013  

Saint-Saëns: Quam dilecta
Saint-Saëns: Ave Maria
Saint-Saëns: Ave verum corpus
de Sévérac: O sacrum convivium
de Sévérac: Ave verum corpus
Fauré: Tantum ergo
Saint-Saëns: Offertoire
de Sévérac:Tantum ergo
d'Indy: Ave Regina coelorum
de Sévérac: Salve Regina
Saint-Saëns: Ave verum corpus
d'Indy: O Domina mea
Fauré: Tantum ergo
Fauré: O salutaris hostia
Fauré: Ave Maria
Fauré: Salve Regina
Fauré: Maria, Mater gratiae
d'Indy: Sancta Maria, succurre miseris
d'Indy: Deus Israel conjungat vos
Fauré: Ecce fidelis servus
Fauré: Ave verum corpus 
 

LedgerREGCD305 Choral works by Sir Philip Ledger (2009)

Sir Philip Ledger

Requiem
Adam Lay Ybounden
Advent Calendar
A spotless rose
Jesus Christ the apple tree
In the bleak mid-winter
Lie still and slumber (Two lullabies for Christmas):
            i Hush! my dear, lie still and slumber
            ii Hush you, my baby
Good Christian men, rejoice
If ye love me
Loving Shepherd of thy sheep
Do not stand at my grave and weep
O Master, let me walk with Thee
Christ’s journey
This joyful Eastertide

 

 

ScarlattiREGCD283  Scarlatti (2009)

Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725):
Missa breve, e concertata a cinque voci

Ad Dominum dum tribularer 
Justitiae Domini 
Exsurge Domine 
Exaltabo te Domine 
Domine in auxilium meum 
Exultate Deo 

Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757):
Stabat Mater

 

 

 

 

Music of the Tudors

Thomas Tallis:
Lamentations of Jeremiah, Part 1
Lamentations of Jeremiah, Part 2
Sancte Deus

John Taverner: O Christe Jesu

John Sheppard: 
Libera nos
Nunc Dimittis

Robert White: Christe, qui lux es et Dies

Robert Parsons: Ave Maria
William Mundy:
Ah, helpless wretch
O Lord, the maker

 

Sacred music by Gibbons and Purcell 

Gibbons


Almighty and everlasting God
This is the record of John
O clap your hands
Hosannah to the Son of David
I am the resurrection
See, see, the word is incarnate
O Lord, in Thy wrath
The silver swan

Purcell

O God, Thou art my God
I was glad
Jehova, quam multi sunt hostes
O Lord God of hosts
Remember not, Lord, our offences
Lord, how long wilt Thou be angry

 

Romantic church music from Europe

"With music in four different languages (Latin, French, German and Italian), the disc demonstrates the outstanding skill of an extremely well-trained choir"
Suzanne Flowers

Brahms:
Ach, arme Welt (Op.110, no.2)
Geistliches Lied (Op.30)
Schaffe in mir, Gott (Op.29, no.2)
Wenn wir in hoechsten Noeten sein (Op.110, no.3)

Faure:
Tantum ergo (3 solo vv.. chorus, Op.65, no.2)
Tantum ergo (1 solo voice, chorus)
Maria Mater gratiae (Op.47, no.2)
O salutaris hostia
Ave verum corpus (Op.65, no.1)
Ave Maria (Op.67, n0.2)
Cantique de Jean Racine (Op.11)

Verdi:
Pater noster
Ave Maria (Quattro pezzi sacri)

Liszt:
Salve Regina
O salutaris hostia
Ave verum corpus