Bach: St Matthew Passion

King’s College presents a new account of one of sacred music’s greatest masterpieces, the Bach St Matthew Passion, performed with the Academy of Ancient Music.

For this recording Cleobury conducted the King’s Choir and the Academy of Ancient Music alongside an outstanding team of soloists led by one of the finest Evangelists of our time, James Gilchrist. The album is released as a 3CD set and playable in 5.1 surround-sound with an SACD player. It is accompanied by a booklet with over 60 pages of texts and photographs, including a full translation by Michael Marissen and a specially-commissioned essay by Bach scholar John Butt. 

★★★★★  An excellent team of soloists with outstanding performances... captured in impressively wide-ranging sound. – Birmingham Post

A fine account from King's College, Cambridge. David Allsopp’s singing of that key aria [Erbame dich] is a highlight. – Sunday Times

There's a tension, a theatricality to [Cleobury's] performance which thrills, and the bigger choruses have a weight and oomph that's emotionally overwhelming. – The Arts Desk

recordings
The Choir's latest recordings are released on the College's own label and available to buy or download online.
Listen to some of our recent recordings of services and performances from the Chapel of King's College, free and online.

Choir News

cherylfrances-hoad

King's commissions a new carol for Christmas Eve

This year’s carol has been written by composer and Cambridge alumna Cheryl Frances-Hoad. ‘The Cradle’ is a setting of an English translation by Robert Graves of an anonymous seventeenth century Austrian text.

img_3094_davidbriggs

Remembering David Briggs

Sunday's Evensong was in memory of David Briggs (KC 1936), the former Headmaster of the King's College School who died in 2020 at the age of 102. 

nicolareindorp_lr

Sermon Before the University delivered by Nicola Reindorp

King's alumna and CEO of Crisis Action, Nicola Reindorp, gave the annual address on 'the importance of doubt'.