CHORAL SUMMER SCHOOL 
26 JULY – 1 AUGUST 2026 at St Catharine’s College

REPERTOIRE

Our repertoire for this week contrasts the delicate, baroque style of Purcell (and the lesser known Michael Wise), with the full-blooded Romanticism of Bruckner, Brahms and Elgar. Though in both categories there is much variety. Purcell’s ‘Jehova, quam multi sunt’ is a dramatic mini-cantata, redolent of the composer’s operatic writing; while Brahms and Bruckner’s motets look to the Renaissance for inspiration. The choral voice is a flexible instrument, and as we get to learn these great works, we will explore the different technical skills these different styles demand of us.

Alongside our core repertoire of sacred works for our daily Evensong and Compline services, we will be selecting works for smaller groups from the madrigal, part-song and close harmony repertories for more informal music-making sessions.

Compline 1 at St Catharine’s College, Dir: Dr Edward Wickham

Psalm 75 (plainchant)

Rheinberger: Abendlied

Evensong 1 at Peterhouse, Dir: Dr Simon Jackson

Reading Responses

Psalm 28 (Parish Psalter)

Wise Canticles in E flat

Purcell: Rejoice in the Lord alway

Compline 2 at St Catharine’s College, Dir: Dr Edward Wickham

Psalm 33.1-11 (plainchant)

Brahms: Geistliches Lied

Evensong 2 at Downing College, Dir: Louisa Denby

Reading Responses

Psalm 119.33-40 (Parish Psalter)

Daniel Purcell Canticles in E minor

Purcell: Jehova, quam multi sunt hostes mei

Full Compline 3 at Corpus Christi College, Dir: Nicholas Danks

Bruckner: Tota pulchra es

Psalm 39 (plainchant)

Bairstow: Save us, O Lord

Edward Elgar: The Spirit of the Lord

Sung Grace for our Formal Dinner: Oculi omnium (Wood)

All music will be provided. If you prefer to mark up your own book, feel free to buy your own copy of The Oxford Book of Tudor Anthems (compiled by Christopher Morris; Oxford University Press) and Madrigals and Partsongs (ed. Clifford Bartlett; Oxford University Press) which are widely used in our courses.

UK/US note values

If you’re wondering what a ‘crotchet’ is, there’s a useful chart here!

Online warm-up

Don’t worry if you’re feeling a little rusty – try Edward’s “dusting off the cobwebs” video. You could also practice singing along with a Youtube video by one of the Cambridge choirs.

Enjoy!