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St John’s is synonymous with great music, but its not just about our world-famous choir. Musical life in College is packed with opportunities to get involved whatever your taste or experience. You don't have to be studying music to join in.
The College Music Society is the focus for lots of activity. It runs an informal College orchestra, a chamber music scheme for players of all standards and you can come to weekly informal lunchtime recitals in the New Music Room. There’s a full and varied programme of other recitals and concerts through the year, in the Chapel with its brilliant acoustic, and other spaces throughout College.
Awards for instrumental music lessons are available for students whatever their proficiency, creating a brilliant opportunity to continue to develop your musical talents, to return to an instrument that you decided to put down to focus on school exams, or to try something completely new.
An all-female close harmony singing group Aquila, open to all abilities, is a great way to relax from studying. St John's College Jazz Band, a 20-piece big band playing a range of classic, original and modern jazz tunes, often entertains revellers at our famous May Ball, as well as performing in venues in the city. St John’s hosts the annual University-wide competition for the prestigious Reinstein Prize for Jazz Performance, with the winner performing in a jazz concert in the College.
We have a Musician-in-residence, the acclaimed violinist Professor Maggie Faultless, and this programme is expanding to include from time to time musicians-in-residence in other genres such as jazz or folk, and in composition. As well as the lunchtime recitals, our termly concerts feature College performers and renowned professionals, while the annual May Week music concert is a highlight of the College calendar, with students, Fellows and staff packing into the Chapel to hear from student performers before decamping to the Backs to enjoy May Ball fireworks.
Our College Choir is one of the best in the world, with an audience of millions following its concerts, tours and broadcasts. The Choir is part of the exceptional choral landscape across collegiate Cambridge, making its unique contribution as the only mixed-voice choir for adults and children. It provides opportunities for student altos, tenors and basses of any gender who meet the very high level required and wish to make the exceptional level of commitment demanded in addition to their studies. Many Johnians sing on one or more of the other 24 auditioned chapel choirs across Cambridge, which offer a diverse range of choral opportunity with different blends of voices, experience and commitment. St John’s offers Choral Awards to Johnian students who sing in the College Choir, and additionally offers music awards and support for singing lessons to students who sing in any of the other auditioned college chapel choirs where these are not provided by the choir they join.
Facilities for music are excellent, with four small practice rooms, a band room and one larger rehearsal space that can be booked by students. We have our own record label 'St John’s Cambridge', which provides an outlet for music by the Choir as well as exciting new talent from the student community.
