Director

The Choir of Clare College return to Smith Square Hall for their annual Christmas concert, presenting a programme of familiar and new Christmas choral music and celebrating the music of former Director of Music Sir John Rutter in his 80th birthday year.

Christmas with the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge

Smith Square Hall

The oratorio is about the entire life of the Messiah. About the expectation of his coming, about his presence on Earth – the story of his suffering – about his death and his salvation of mankind.

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Handel's Messiah

Aalborg Central Waterfront

Graham Ross and the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge return to Sinfonia Smith Square with ‘Bethlehem Star’, a sumptuous festive programme of carols and motets including choral works by Rheinberger, Arvo Pärt, Reena Esmail, James Whitbourn, Cecilia McDowall, Jonathan Dove, and Christmas’s favourite choral composer, Clare College alumnus John Rutter.

Bethlehem Star

The distinguished Choir of Clare College, Cambridge is headed stateside for a celebration of masterpieces old and new from the flourishing choral tradition of the 20th and 21st centuries. At the heart of the program is the US premiere of a new commission by Héloïse Werner, one of the UK classical music scene’s fastest rising stars. Her Magnificat sits alongside works by other leading contemporary voices from the UK and US. Roderick Williams’s reimagining of Byrd’s Ave verum corpus and James MacMillan’s colorful setting of a Latin text represent the British contingent, while and the swallow by Carolina Shaw, the youngest ever recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music, and Eric Whitacre’s bold dreamscape showcase some of the best examples of contemporary American choral writing.
These new works are paired with other similarly short works by the great and the good of 20th-century choral music, with several more religious works: a festival anthem by Finzi, a motet by Howells and a Jewish prayer by Bernstein.

Choir of Clare College

Duke University

The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge and conductor, Graham Ross, will offer a festive program that marks the end of their year-long celebration of Clare College’s 700th anniversary. Traditional carols and Christmas motets and anthems, including those from the time of the College’s founding such as Angelus ad virginem and In dulci jubilo sit alongside more recent additions to the canon, including works written especially for the Choir by the late Sir John Tavener, former Director of Music Sir John Rutter, and Cecilia McDowall. The program also includes the première of Cheryl Frances-Hoad’s The Nativity, commissioned for the College’s 700th anniversary. Since the founding of a ‘mixed voice’ choir in 1972, THE CHOIR OF CLARE COLLEGE has gained an international reputation as one of the world’s leading ensembles. In addition to its primary function of leading services three times a week in the College chapel, the Choir keeps an active schedule recording, broadcasting, and performing, and has been universally praised for its consistently ‘thrilling’ and ‘outstanding’ performances worldwide. The Choir tours extensively throughout the world, and has produced an impressive discography of more than forty recordings.

Director

Graham Ross

Events

Upcoming events

Dec 8, 2026

The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge · Vern Riffe Center for the Arts

Past events

Dec 13, 2025

Christmas with the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge · Sinfonia Smith Square

Dec 11, 2025

Handel's Messiah · Aalborg Symfoniorkester

Future and recently performed repertoire

Conductor in Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day by Gardner

Sinfonia Smith Square

Conductor in Candlelight Carol by Rutter

Sinfonia Smith Square

Conductor in Messiah by Handel

Aalborg Symfoniorkester

Conductor in Christus Natus Est by McDowall

Sinfonia Smith Square

Conductor in A Clare Benediction by Rutter

Sinfonia Smith Square

Conductor in Shepherd’s Pipe Carol by Rutter

Sinfonia Smith Square

Conductor in Sans Day Carol by Rutter

Sinfonia Smith Square

Conductor in Christ is the morning star by Rutter

Sinfonia Smith Square

Conductor in The tree of life by Rutter

Sinfonia Smith Square

Conductor in The gift of each day by Rutter

Sinfonia Smith Square

Conductor in In the bleak midwinter by Gjeilo

Sinfonia Smith Square

Conductor in Ave Maria by Rutter

Sinfonia Smith Square

Conductor in Carol of the Magi by Rutter

Sinfonia Smith Square

Conductor in Nativity Carol by Rutter

Sinfonia Smith Square

Conductor in Silent night by Grübe

Sinfonia Smith Square

Conductor in Mary’s Lullaby by Rutter

Sinfonia Smith Square

Conductor in What music by Rutter

Sinfonia Smith Square

Conductor in Nova, sweeter nova! by Farrington

Sinfonia Smith Square

About

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