A new imprint launched by St John’s College Cambridge (SJCC) and Signum Classics will release all of the college choir’s future recordings. The first release in May is titled Deo, a collection of choral and organ works by Jonathan Harvey.
Led by director of music Andrew Nethsingha, SJCC already has an extensive discography with 12 albums released on Chandos since 2010. These include a selection of sacred choral works by Samuel Sebastian Wesley titled Ascribe unto the Lord; a collection of French sacred choral works O Cacrum Convivium; and Mozart’s Coronation Mass.
Harvey studied at St John’s, making his work an appropriate choice for the new label’s first release. It will include organ solo Laus Deo and two works written especially for the choir: The Annunciation and The Royal Banners.
‘With the creation of the SJCC imprint with Signum, we are able to showcase both the repertoire of the choir and also the astounding musical talent of the college,’ said Nethsingha. He added that the college plans to release three recordings per year.
SJCC will keep artistic control of the label, while Signum Classics take charge of marketing, distribution and product management. The choir itself is made up fifteen students of the college and sixteen choirboys.
Nethsingha works worldwide as a conductor and organist, and has been at SJCC since 2007. During his tenure he has set up weekly webcasts of SJCC’s work and has increased the choir’s recorded output dramatically. The new albums are to feature a simple circular design on the cover and a logo based on the Bridge of Sighs in Cambridge.