Choir of St John’s College sings from Chapel tower on Ascension Day
The Choir of St John’s College braved the wind to continue the tradition of singing from the roof of the Chapel tower to mark Ascension Day.
A crowd gathered in First Court to hear the singing, which has taken place each year for more than a century.
Falling on May 29 this year, it is the day in the Christian calendar celebrating the Ascension of Jesus into heaven, 40 days after his resurrection at Easter.
The Director of Music, Christopher Gray, said: “It’s a quirky tradition that dates back over 120 years and continues to bring joy today. Each Ascension Day, we climb the narrow steps to the top of the 163-foot tower, where the choir sings to everyone gathered below in First Court. Scores of people from St John’s come to listen – it’s a moment of music, community, and reflection that connects us to generations past.”
Student James Gardner (2024) said: “With the Choristers on their half-term holiday, the Lower Voices went up the narrow winding staircases of the tower to sing the Ascension Day Carol and William Byrd’s Viri Galilaei to the congregation in First Court.
“As a first year in the Choir, I was particularly excited for this, especially as it was the first time I had been up the tower. The service was not without its challenges, however, with the blustering wind very nearly claiming our music (and possibly one or two members of the Choir). Nevertheless, we all returned to the ground in one piece, with many of us looking forward to carrying on the tradition in years to come.”
The tradition of singing from the top of the tower on the roof dates back to 1902 when Cyril Rootham, Director of Music, wanted to prove to mathematician Sir Joseph Larmor, a Fellow of St John’s, that the Choir would be heard from the ground.
