The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge

The term has begun and we've already had a full week of services. After just a week singing together as a group, the Choir sang Langlais's Messe solennelle on Sunday morning which accompanied the instalment of three new Choristers, a ceremony during the middle of the service where the Head and Deputy Head Choristers place surplices on the incoming Choristers who are sworn into the Choir by the Dean and Director of Music. A civilised affair and rather different from that which took place during the first half of the last century. Several Choristers under Robin Orr and Herbert Howells have recently recounted to us the 'Initiation' which new Choristers were subjected to by their peers, a ceremony known as 'Kissing the toe':

At the end of the first Sunday Evensong of term, the new Choristers would gather in the Antechapel (in those days, and indeed until very recently, the Choristers needed no supervision walking back to the Choir School), forming two columns leading to the statue of William Wilberforce which then stood at the back, centre of the Antechapel. Incoming Choristers were then required to tell a funny story or to say the Lord's Prayer backwards and, following that, to kiss Wilberforce's extended foot which had been duly polished and shined by the Head Chorister's surplice. If the Chorister failed to do a good job in his task, the Head Chorister would smack him on the back of the head as he kissed the statue, often resulting in swollen lips and chipped teeth!

Whilst the toe on Wilberforce still shows evidence of extensive wear and tear, this particular tradition has died out, much to the relief of Chorister parents, I'm sure. Another more formal initiation service for the new Choral Scholars takes place on the first Tuesday of term, giving us this week's webcast. An excerpt from The Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy by Johnian, Douglas Adams (Matriculated 1971) was read as usual and the President gave his welcome to the Matriculands both to the Chapel and the College, the former especially appropriate since the role President is from this term taken by the current Dean of Chapel, The Rev'd Duncan Dormor.