Geoffrey Webber began his musical education as a chorister at Salisbury Cathedral, and, after being Music Scholar at The King’s School, Worcester, he was elected to an Organ Scholarship at New College, Oxford, in 1977.  After graduating with a First he remained in Oxford, and served as Acting Organist at both New College and Magdalen College. He was appointed as Assisting Organist at Magdalen College in 1982 and University Organist and Director of Music at the University Church in 1984.  During this time he also became Director of the Edington Festival. After completing his doctorate in 1989 he was appointed Precentor and Director of Music at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, and he now also serves as an Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Music.

Caius College Choir of CambridgeUniversity

Caius College Choir is one of the UK’s leading collegiate choirs, made up of around 25 undergraduate students who study a wide variety of subjects as members of Cambridge University. The Choir sings a broad repertoire of choral music from the medieval period to the present day, and possesses a fresh, youthful sound that is characteristic of British choral singing.

The Choir sings regularly in College during the University term and also maintains a busy schedule of external activities including concerts, recordings and broadcasts.  It gives concerts in major concerts halls and churches around the UK, and performs regularly for the BBC for domestic radio and television appearances and also for the BBC World Service. The Choir also travels extensively abroad, performing at a variety of venues ranging from major concert halls to universities and cathedrals in Europe, America, Africa and beyond, sometimes in collaboration with professional orchestras such as the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra of San Francisco in the U.S.A., and the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine in France. 

The Choir’s recordings have been highly acclaimed by the critics; their most recent disc, Into this world this day did come, was heralded by Classic FM Magazine as ‘a triumph of programme selection, atmosphere and choral performance’ (December 2009); International Record Review has described the Choir’s ‘glittering precision … marvellous choral sheen’ (June 2009); and its recording of Rodion Shchedrin’s The Sealed Angel was named as Gramophone Editor’s Choice in June 2009.

Despite having an extensive international profile, this is the Choir’s first visit to Asia, and the tour will feature performances in Shanghai, Beijing & Hong Kong. 
    

PROGRAMS

Five unaccompanied part-songs (op. 71, 72, 73) Edward Elgar (1857-1934)

The shower

The fountain

Death on the hills

Love’s tempest

Serenade

Four Partsongs (with piano) Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Lebenslust

An die Sonne (vocal ensemble)

Schicksalslenker (vocal ensemble)

Der Tanz

Three Shakespeare Songs Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

Full fathom five

The cloud-capped towers

Over hill, over dale

摘菜调

Interval

MADRIGALS

All creatures now John Bennet (c.1575-c.1614)

Adieu, sweet Amaryllis (vocal ensemble) John Wilbye (1574-1638)

The silver swan (vocal ensemble) Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625)

O care, thou wilt dispatch me Thomas Weelkes (c.1575-1623)

Since Robin Hood (vocal ensemble) Thomas Weelkes

Strike it up, Tabor (vocal ensemble) Thomas Weelkes

Hark, all ye lovely saints Thomas Weelkes

FOLKSONGS

Ca’ the yowes (Scottish) arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams

The oak and the ash (English) arr. Edward Bairstow (1874-1946)

I love my love (Cornish) arr. Gustav Holst (1874-1934)

The turtledove (English) arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams

Yarmouth Fair (Norfolk) arr. Peter Warlock & Armstrong Gibbs

CHINESE POEM

鱼家傲 (choir and flute) Frances Balmer (b. 1989)

                                                                                                   Program subject to change