News Articles

There was a large attendance in Selwyn’s Chapel on Sunday for a recital of the poetry of Wilfred Owen, preceded and followed by choral music for Remembrance performed by our choir. The picture below shows Peter Owen, Wilfred’s nephew, who was the College’s guest of honour for the event.

The poetry was read by alumnus Roger Williams (matriculated 1958) and accompanied by images and music from the First World War. You can read more about Owen at http://www.wilfredowen.org.uk/home/. Our photograph shows some of the early arrivals in Chapel as they were waiting for the Choir to take their places.

This was the first of a series of events to mark the 100th anniversary of the Great War. Next Sunday (November 9th) the choir will perform Duruflé’s Requiem at a Choral Eucharist from 6pm.

On Remembrance Sunday, 9 November, a band of Selwyn bell ringers will attempt to ring a half-muffled peal in memory of all Selwyn alumni who died in the two World Wars and subsequent conflicts. The attempt, which will be made on the 8 bells of the Parish Church of St Mary & St Michael, Trumpington, is being coordinated by Robin Heppenstall, Tower Captain at All Saints, Gainsborough. It involves ringing about 5,000 different bell changes, without any interruption or significant mistakes of deviation or hesitation, and taking about 3 hours of continuous concentration to complete. The bell clappers will be muffled on one side in the traditional manner of ringing for remembrance.

The eight members of Selwyn who will be taking part are

Nigel Gale (m 1989)

Camilla Haggett (m 1995)

Nick Haggett (m 1990)

Robin Heppenstall (m 1956)

Rod Lebon (m 1968)

Mark Norris (m 1983)

Vivian Nutton (Hon Fellow, m 1962)

Paul Seaman. (m 1982)

 

Ringing is expected to begin at 2:15 pm and, if all goes well, should finish around 4:45 to 5 pm. Interested listeners will be welcome in or outside the church. It will be followed, at 6 pm, by a choral Requiem Mass in the College Chapel.

Selwyn’s sports teams have had some early success as their 2014-15 campaigns get underway. The men’s rugby team defeated Robinson College 24-5 this week, and our footballers beat Trinity Hall 1-0. The photograph below shows Selwyn rugby players in action against the College Old Boys earlier in October.

Also pictured at the Old Boys/Old Girls Sports Day are some of our netball players.

You can keep in touch with all College sport on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SelwynSport?fref=ts

Our pictures show the Selwyn Choir at their annual apple-picking session in the garden of Mary Sweet. Mary is the widow of John Sweet, former Chaplain, Fellow and Vice Master of the College; and she regularly attends Choral Evensong in Chapel. As well as apples, the Choir members picked quinces and raked the lawn; but they do seem to have needed a head for heights.

 

Congratulations to Dr Janet O’Sullivan and Peter Fox on the 20th anniversary of their becoming Fellows of Selwyn College. Dr O’Sullivan is Director of Studies for Law and was recently appointed Dean, while Mr Fox is a former University Librarian and currently a member of the College Council.

Selwyn musicians took part in a light-hearted rendition of music from “Lord of the Rings” in their first Sunday night event of the new academic year. The College Music Society has decided that its Sunday concerts will be free of charge with immediate effect so that the music can be enjoyed by the widest possible audience.

This term’s programme includes:

October 19th: Organ recital in Selwyn Chapel by Senior Organ Scholar, John Bachelor

October 26th: Freshers’ recital (Hall)

November 2nd: Wilfred Owen Poetry Reading with Music (Chapel)

November 16th: Baroque Recital (Chapel)

November 23rd: Instrumental Award Scheme Recital (Hall)

November 30th: Christmas Orchestral Concert (Hall)

The concerts begin at 8.30pm and all are welcome.

Selwyn’s new students were formally introduced to the College and University on Monday October 6th. Undergraduates began their day with a welcome in Hall from the Master, Roger Mosey (photograph below) and from the Senior Tutor, James Keeler.

They were then led through the Matriculation process that confirms them as members of the College and of Cambridge University by Selwyn’s praelector David Chivers. Afterwards, they joined our new graduate students – who matriculated last Friday – for the traditional photograph in Old Court. There was some anxiety about the weather, with heavy rain forecast.

Fortunately, the worst of the rain held off; and the pictures were taken on schedule. You may notice the wet flags, but our students showed they can keep smiling even in the autumnal damp of Cambridge.

Now their work begins. This week will be a flurry of meetings with Directors of Studies and Tutors, and the start of lectures – though with some time, of course, to get to know each other and to enjoy the Freshers’ events across the city. There’s useful information for new students on the University website, which includes a guide to what happens in their early weeks here: http://www.cam.ac.uk/current-students/new-students/first-few-weeks

Eight new Fellows were installed on Tuesday October 7th. The ceremony sees each of the new Fellows making a declaration of their responsibility to the College and then being led to their stall in Chapel. Pictured are 7 of the 8. They are from left to right, with their main area of interest: Mike Nicholson (Development Director); Dr Emily Charnock (History); Dr Bryan Cameron (Spanish); Dr Lauren Wilcox (Gender Studies); Dr Alan Howard (Music); Dr Anita Briginshaw (Scientific Computing); Dr Marta Halina (Philosophy of Psychology and Cognitive Science) with the Master, Roger Mosey. Also admitted was Dr Filipe da Silva (Sociology). We warmly welcome them all to Selwyn.

Congratulations to the College’s Hugh Shilson-Thomas (on the right in the picture below) who today officially became one of the two University Proctors. Hugh is Selwyn’s Dean of Chapel and Chaplain.

The Proctors are nominated by their Colleges, and they act as formal representatives of the University’s governing body, the Regent House. They oversee degree ceremonies, ensure that examinations are properly conducted, oversee discipline and public order and defend freedom of speech within the University. Our photograph shows Hugh with senior Proctor David Woodman, from Robinson College, leading the University’s Proctors and Constables through Selwyn after the ceremony marking the start of the academic year.

It was the turn of students who joined Selwyn in 2004 to come back to the College last weekend for their ten-year reunion. There was an excellent turnout, with more than 50 from that year-group attending – and finding time to visit the College bar before and afterwards.

It was also Alumni Weekend in Selwyn and across the University. Lectures and talks were available across the city, and our events included German Fellow Dr Charlotte Woodford talking about her new book on feminist literature in Germany before the First World War.

Members of the Selwyn Association joined with the 2004 guests for dinner in Hall. Speakers included the Association President, Prof David Newland, and Alice Howell, marking the 10-year reunion. Our video, posted on Facebook, captures the event with some time-lapse photography. “Like” the College Facebook page to get regular updates from Selwyn.