The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge

Today, Tuesday, we fly to Japan for the first time in 12 years. After leaving Cambridge early this morning, avoiding all of the Olympic traffic, we successfully checked in and are now on our way across the world.

This Sunday the Choir and College will say goodbye to another year of Choral Scholars and Choristers. Inevitably, with that, finishes the academic life of the leaving Gents – at least for most of them – and this is marked each year by a Graduation Service in Chapel. The service is for all members of the College who are graduating ('graduands') and usually takes the form of a series of a psalm, anthems and readings, usually including an extract from William Wordsworth's 'Ode on the intimations of immortality'.

Completely zonked after last week's indulgences, and after a good few days rest, the Choir are back in College for another two weeks of services – officially called something rather unglamorous like the 'Choir Period of Residence', but to the Choir, just 'Long Vac', named after the 'Long Vacation' term, officially the fourth term in the year and intended mostly for research.

As of yesterday, the last two Gents finally completed their exams and the celebrations can properly begin. Of course, ever professional, the Choir will still be singing services right up to this Sunday, and we're taking the opportunity to sing some brilliant music. Sunday, for instance, saw the epic combination of Walton's The Twelve, with words by W.H. Auden, and Howells's Gloucester Service. Howells wrote this set of evening canticles (arguably one of his very best) just after his time spent at St John's as Acting Organist during WWII.