Magdalene College Choir Sings June 22 at Trinity Episcopal Church

The Choir of Magdalene College (University of Cambridge, UK) gives a concert at 7 pm on Friday, June 22 in the main sanctuary of Trinity Episcopal Church, 81 Elm Street in Concord, MA. For Magdalene College Choir’s first trip to the US, the program will include Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols,” and works by Palestrina, Weelkes, Stanford and Bruckner. Prior to the performance, Rowan Williams, the master of Magdalene College and former Archbishop of Canterbury, will deliver a talk at Trinity, beginning at 6 pm. All in our community are invited to attend; a free-will offering will be accepted. Trinity Episcopal Church in Concord is fully handicap-accessible.

The Magdalene College Choir comprises 26 members of the college and volunteers from other colleges. In addition to their chapel commitments, the choir maintains an active program of tours, concerts, visiting services, recordings and other events. In recent years, the choir has performed throughout Great Britain and in Germany, France, Italy, Malta and South Africa. The choir has recorded three CDs in recent years, and a fourth, to feature Benjamin Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols,” is currently in preparation.

The choir is under the direction of Graham Walker, award-winning cellist and conductor who was educated at Cambridge University and the Royal Academy of Music. Walker has performed as cello soloist and chamber musician in many of the world’s most-prestigious halls. In addition to his post at Magdalene, he is director of St. John’s Voices at St. John’s College, Cambridge.

Rowan Williams became the master of Magdalene College in January 2013. He was previously the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, serving from 2002 to 2012. The Archbishop of Canterbury is regarded as the titular and spiritual head of the Anglican Communion, a worldwide group of churches that includes the Episcopal Church in the United States. During his tenure as archbishop, Williams was a proponent of unity within the Anglican Communion. In 2013, he was made a life peer, becoming The Lord Williams of Oystermouth.