Image of Mixed Choir singing

Ukraine 2011

December 2011 saw the College Choir fly east to spend a week in snowy Ukraine as guests of the Dmitry Firtash Foundation.

The Choir sang two sell-out concerts in Lviv and Kiev which were greeted with numerous standing ovations on both occasions. Musical highlights from the concerts included Mykola Leontovich’s famous Bell Carol, William Byrd’s Laetentur caeli and Gerald Finzi’s setting of the Magnificat.

As well as giving concert performances, the Choir took part in a number of other engagements, including a musical soiree hosted by the British Council in Kiev and attended by visiting MPs and Peers, the British Ambassador and members of the Dmitry Firtash Foundation.

One of the highlights of the week was a joint musical workshop with students from the Boris Grinchenko University in Kiev. This was a wonderful occasion of cultural exchange which exposed the Choir to a setting of part of the Russian Orthodox service of Vespers (Blagoslovi, dushe moja, Gospoda) by the Ukrainian composer Kyrylo Stetsenko (1882-1922). This swiftly became a favourite of the Choir, and went on to feature as an encore piece in both concerts; it was subsequently recorded for the CD, War and Peace, which was released in October 2013.

Hear from our people

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    Matthew

    Choral Scholar

    Singing at Jesus has been a highlight of my time at university so far, because I have the privilege of singing amazing choral music with other passionate and talented singers. As a member of the College Choir and the Lower Voices, I have the opportunity to sing with our women undergraduates in the College Choir and also with the boy choristers in the Chapel Choir, which offers valuable exposure to some great repertoire. I’ve taken part in some really exciting projects despite COVID disruption, with highlights including three performances of...

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    Choral Scholar
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    Ben

    Choral Scholar

    I’ve had an amazing time singing at Jesus over my four years in College. It’s been an absolutely central part of my university experience, and has helped me grow as a student, a musician, and a person. The Chapel and Choir community is friendly, supportive, and diverse, and the high musical standard means that singing at Jesus is the perfect balance of challenging and rewarding. It’s a great way to be really involved with college life, from matriculation evensong at the start of the year to graduation at the end...

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    Choral Scholar
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    Luis

    Chapel clerk

    My time in Cambridge has been full of exciting moments, good memories, and amazing people. When I first embarked on postgraduate studies, I never imagined I would be becoming part of the Chapel community at Jesus College. However, after my first attendance to an evensong I decided I wanted to take an active role in what for me was a complete new experience; even when I had always been an active member of my church back at home, Jesus College Chapel was an enthralling environment in which other people like...

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    Chapel clerk