Chamber music

Churchill students usually end up forming lots of chamber music and vocal groups over the year. Recently, we have seen a piano trio, a piano quartet, various string quartets, a clarinet trio (clarinet, cello and piano), a clarinet quartet (four clarinets) a clarinet quintet (clarinet and string quartet) start up.

The Churchill college library holds several copies of string quartets and some piano music. The music society also owns several chamber music sets, which you're welcome to borrow; the music society will also very happily buy in any chamber music you would like to play. Just contact Peter on pn252@cam.ac.uk

New initiatives suggested have included a small brass ensemble, and a contemporary music group - please contact Richard if you're interested and we'll work on setting it up.

Chapel Choir

The Chapel Choir is a friendly group of singers who meet once a week to sing a service in the college chapel. More informal than most chapel choirs in Cambridge, and non-audition, anyone is welcome to come along and join in. To join, email the director, Mark Miller, on mam1000@cam.ac.uk

Churchill Choir

Churchill Choir aims to provide an opportunity for college members to enjoy singing a wide range of works for choir to a high standard, including as many different kinds of music as we can - from jazz to motets. We started up in 2004, and since then have performed one concert each term, and also performed for college events like the garden party.

We are non-audition and welcome all singers (especially tenors!). Rehearsals are held in the recital room every Friday from 4pm - 6pm, with a break for biscuits and squash, and we try to organise at least one choir formal each term. For further information, or to join the choir, contact Joe Donlan on jd499@cam.ac.uk.

In 2009, our repertoire included:

Lent:
J.S. Bach - Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme
Youmans - Tea for Two
Gonoud - Chanson du printemps
Mozart - Lacrimosa dies illa
Morley - Now is the Month of Maying
Verdi - Ave Maria
Anderson(s) - ABBA medley

Easter:
Haydn: The heavens are telling the glory of God
Mercer: Laura
Trad: Early one Morning
Pearsall: Lay a Garland
Sondheim and Bernstein: West Side Story medley

Michaelmas:
Weill - Mack the Knife
Sibelius - Be still, my soul
Lauridsen - O Magnum Mysterium
Verdi - ‘Va’, Pensiero’ from Nabucco
Mercury - Bohemian Rhapsody

The choir is entirely conducted by its own members - anyone's welcome to.

Churchill Jazz Band

Looking for a superb big band for your next event? Look no further.

Churchill Jazz Band is a 20-piece band which draws on talent from across the University to perform all styles of jazz from classic swing to Latin tunes as well as funk and more modern numbers. We perform to the highest standard and what's more, we won't charge the earth for our services!

We can also arrange for a smaller group to be available if that would be more suitable and we can customise our repertoire to suit your needs! To find out more or to hire us, please contact
chujazzband@cusu.cam.ac.uk or visit our website

We hold auditions in October for new players but if you're interested in joining, do contact us at any time!

College Bands

College Bands are abundant in Churchill. It is always easy to find other students with similar musical ideas, and as a result of this some successful groups have been formed. Such groups are frequently encouraged by the good recording facilities Churchill has to offer. Bands are often asked to play at college events such as the May Week garden party, and there are opportunities for the best to play at College Balls.

Jazz in the Bar

Jazz in the bar are a loose collective of Churchill students who play jazz, often in Churchill bar but also at the college garden party and other events throughout the year. If you're interested in their events or playing with them, contact the Music President.

The Clementines

The Clementines are Churchill's female a cappella vocal quartet: led by Tara Crabbe, they started up in Easter term 2006, and sometimes join Churchill choir end of term concerts, as well as entertaining at college events like the garden party, college dinners and college balls.

Their repertoire includes:

Smile,
Over The Rainbow
some Beatles - Imagine and/or Let It Be/ All My Lovin'
Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me)
Lean On Me
Dancing In The Street
Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

Santa Baby
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let it Snow
Jingle Bell Rock
Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
White Christmas
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)

For information on where to hear them, contact Tara on trmc2@cam.ac.uk

The Orchestra on the Hill

The Orchestra on the Hill brings together musicians from Churchill, Fitzwilliam, Murray Edwards, Magdalene, Girton, Robinson, St Edmund's and Lucy Cavendish, and performs one or two concerts each term at a variety of venues in the colleges. It is performs standard concert repertory but also some lesser known or neglected works.

The orchestra is non-audition, but usually achieves a high standard. It's run by a committee of representatives from the hill college music societies, and opportunities exist for students to conduct and perform concertos with the orchestra.

OOTH always welcomes new members - if you are interested in taking part in the orchestra as a conductor, soloist or organiser, please contact the Churchill Music President, or any Churchill OOTH Representative, for more information.

Recent performances have included Beethoven's Egmont Overture, Vaughan Williams' English Folk Song Suite, Ivan Moody's Linnunlaulu Piano Concerto and Mendelssohn's Symphony No.3.

In 2006-2007, our repertoire included:

Haydn, Symphony no. 104 (London),
Stravinsky, Pulcinella Suite
Fauré, Masques et Bergamasques
Bach, Concerto for two violins
Weber, Bassoon concerto
Mozart, The Marriage of Figaro overture
Saint-Saens, Danse Macabre
Mozart, Flute and Harp concerto
Schubert, Symphony no. 3

And in 2005-2006:

Dvorak - Hussite Overture
Khachaturian - Masquerade Suite
Beethoven - Symphony no. 7
Mozart - Clarinet Concerto
Corelli - Christmas Concerto
Sibelius - Karelia Suite
Arnold - Little Suite no. 2
Saint-Saens - Cello Concerto
Nielsen - Aladdin Suite

For more information, visit the orchestra webpage!