Elgar, Parry and Vaughan Williams are among the composers featured in the Selwyn choir’s summer tour - which will see them heading to the north of England and then to Scotland.

They start in London with a special pre-tour concert and what is promised to be a perfect way to enjoy a summer evening with a programme of English choral music from the early 20th century. The tour then takes them to Bradford, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh - with further musical treats along the way. We can, for instance, expect Delius to make an appearance in his home city of Bradford.

Details of all the concerts are below, and all are welcome.

Weds 11 July Pre-tour London concert, St Bride’s, Fleet Street (concert, 7pm)
Tickets £15. https://www.selwynalumni.com/choir-concert

Fri 13 July Bradford Grammar School (concert, 7:30pm)
Tickets £15. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/selwyn-chapel-choir-bradford-concert-tickets-45774122633

Sat 14 July Manchester Cathedral (concert, 7:30pm)
Admission by suggested donation £15.

Mon 16 July Glasgow St Aloysius RC Church (concert, 7:30pm)
Admission by suggested donation £15.

Wed 18 July Edinburgh St John’s Princes Street (concert, 7:30pm)
Admission by suggested donation £15.

We’re sad to report that Isabell Cook, widow of our former Master Sir Alan Cook, died on 30 May. She was in her 94th year, and had been in failing health for some time - but many at Selwyn will remember her in later years as a regular chapelgoer, and as someone who maintained an interest in the wellbeing of the college and especially in its music. She enjoyed returning to the Master’s Lodge, where she had supported Alan so well, for a 90th birthday tea with her friends in 2014.

Lady Cook, 1924-2018: may she rest in peace.

The college is delighted to announce that its new teaching officer in Law will be Sarah Fraser Butlin. She has been elected to the Fellowship, and will be installed and take up her role in October.

Mrs Fraser Butlin is an alumna of Clare College and a specialist in Labour law. She has been an affiliated lecturer and research associate at the University of Cambridge, and is also a practising barrister with Cloisters Chambers. It was announced earlier this year that she will be a Recorder and will hear criminal cases in the south-east of England.

We look forward to welcoming her to Selwyn in the coming months.

This year’s Selwyn College Ramsay Murray lecture will be given by the distinguished broadcaster Frank Gardner OBE. His title is ‘Behind the headlines in the Middle East’.

Mr Gardner is the BBC’s security correspondent, and an award-winning journalist and writer. He has a wealth of experience reporting from the Middle East and this talk will look at some of the issues and stories behind the news we see each day.

Date: Friday 11th May

Time: 5.45pm (doors open 5.30pm)

Venue: Lady Mitchell Hall, Sidgwick Site, off Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge

For further information please contact Shona Winnard. Tel: 01223 767844. Email: smw59@cam.ac.uk

Congratulations to Selwyn’s mixed netball team, who have finished first in the Cambridge university leagues.

Having remained unbeaten throughout Lent term, Selwyn achieved top place in Division 1. This is the first time this has happened since at least 2003 when online records begin. With a tight-knit team spanning from first to fourth year, they have gone from strength to strength in the past couple of years under the captaincy of Laurence Moscrop, Will Scott and now Amber Morgan.

Following the league win, the team competed in May’s mixed netball cuppers tournament. The sun was shining down as the team easily progressed through to the quarter-finals, beating all of the other teams in their group. However, in a tense semi-final match, Selwyn were beaten 11-7 by Trinity, who went on to win the tournament.

With some excellent first years joining the team this year, hopes are high for the winning streak to continue under the guidance of next year's captain, Carla Hill.

Selwyn is seen from above in a new short video. It was taken by a drone, which travelled across Old
Court and through the gardens on the way to fly over Cripps Court and Ann’s Court. The final
shot is of the college site looking towards the city centre. Please share the beauties of
Selwyn as widely as you like! 

Members of the college 2011 year group returned to Cambridge on Saturday April 7^th to take part in an MA graduation ceremony. They processed along the traditional route from Selwyn to the Senate House, where the degrees were conferred by the Master acting as vice-chancellor’s deputy. Our photo shows some of the graduands just before they set out.

Later there was a crowded Hall for a dinner celebrating our new MAs.

You can read more about Cambridge MAs on the university website: https://www.cambridgestudents.cam.ac.uk/your-course/graduation-and-what-next/cambridge-ma

The college hosted an event in Los Angeles at the end of March, at which Roger Mosey spoke about current issues in News and journalism as they affect Britain, the United States and the wider world. The gathering was a unique collaboration between Selwyn and three organisations: the University of Southern California’s Center on Public Diplomacy; the Los Angeles branch of BAFTA; and Cambridge in America.

The homepage photograph shows the Master with Professor Jay Wang of USC; the British consul general in Los Angeles Michael Howells; and Chantal Rickards, CEO of BAFTA LA.

A number of California-based Selwyn alumni were in the audience and asked questions in the session after the talk.

It was followed by a reception hosted by Cambridge in America for alumni from across the university.

Photos courtesy of USC by Seth Hancock

Many congratulations to our director of music Sarah MacDonald, who has been honoured as an Associate of the Royal School of Church Music. It's an award for achievements in church music and/or liturgy of national significance.

The citation reads: "Sarah MacDonald directs the chapel music of Selwyn College, Cambridge, and the girls' choir at Ely Cathedral. She has raised the profile of both, and championed unfamiliar repertory and young composers in her recording projects, as well as encouraging and influencing a body of church musicians early in their careers. As a Canadian, she fosters links across the Atlantic."

We’re pleased to announce that the Selwyn choir, with Sarah conducting, will be touring in the UK this summer. The main events will be:

Wed 11 July – St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street, LONDON (concert, 7pm)

Thu 12 July -- NEWCASTLE Cathedral (Evensong, 5.30pm)

Fri 13 July -- BRADFORD Grammar School (Concert, 7.30pm)

Sat 14 July -- MANCHESTER Cathedral (Concert, 7.30pm)

Sun 15 July -- MANCHESTER Cathedral (Eucharist, 10.30am; Evensong, 5.30pm)

Mon 16 July -- GLASGOW St Aloysius RC Church (Concert, 7.30pm)

Wed 18 July -- EDINBURGH St John's Princes Street (Concert, 7.30pm)

Please hold the dates, and there will be more information nearer the time.

The Selwyn men’s hockey team has reached the final of this year’s Cambridge Cuppers knock-out tournament. It’s a rare achievement for the college to make it this far in the competition.

The men beat Jesus College 1-0 in the semi-final, and you can read a match report on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Selwyn.College.Cambridge. They will now go on to play St Catharine’s College in the final, which will take place next term.