Prima Facie Records

To the End of the Age – Contemporary Church Music (PFV003)

The Choir of Robinson College, Cambridge, leader Will Sims

Out Now on download/streaming platforms and available to order as an EP CD (17 minutes):

This recording is the third in the Prima Facie 'Vignette' series of releases by contemporary composers. It features premiere recordings of six compositions for choir.

1. Behold, now praise the Lord: Elliott Park [02:17]
2. Unto the Father: Sarah Cattley [02:16]
3. To the End of the Age: Phillip Cooke [04:07]
4. The Virgin’s Cradle Song: Will Sims [01:55]
5. I got me flowers: Jeremy Thurlow [02:33]
6. All Shall Be Well: Eleanor Haward [04:11]
Total Time [17:19]

About this vignette

To the End of the Age features the first recordings of six contemporary works premiered by The Choir of Robinson College, Cambridge.

Credits

Recorded in Queens’ College Chapel by kind permission of the President and Fellows Recorded on 19th March 2024
Engineer: Steve Plews
Producer: Elliott Park
Audio Editor: Simon Crosby Buttle
Audio Mastering: Phil Hardman
Project Consultant: Kester Sims
Front Cover: Window in Robinson College Side-Chapel, by John Piper and Patrick Reyntiens
Photographer: Spotyphoto
Artwork Design: Simon Crosby Buttle
With thanks to David Ellis, whose generous support enabled this recording to take place, and to Emma Wragg, for commissioning All Shall Be Well

Read more about this release on the Prima Facie blog, Recitative

The Choir of Robinson College, Cambridge is an exciting and ambitious ensemble which strives for the highest standards of music making within its modest remit. Made up from 24-30 Choral Scholars and volunteers covering a wide range of subjects and colleges within the University of Cambridge, the Choir sings for two services each week during term, alongside a busy schedule of concerts, recordings, broadcasts, and international tours. Robinson has recorded several CDs: most recently, a selection of works by Vaughan Williams, and ‘A Ceremony of Carols’ by Benjamin Britten. ‘To the End of the Age’ marks the Choir’s first commercial recording. Recent tour destinations have included Paris, Granada, Innsbruck, and Hong Kong, where the Choir gave a full-length concert on national television with international artists Yundi Li and Niu Niu. In 2024, the Choir toured to Milan, and broadcast a concert live on Italian TV from the Duomo di Milano. Since 2022, Robinson has been regularly involved in the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music, and has given ten world premiere performances in this time; eight of which were works written for the Choir.

Will Sims has been Director of Chapel Music at Robinson College, Cambridge since September 2022, where he conducts the Choir for their weekly service schedule and regular concert, touring, and recording calendar, and supervises undergraduates in the Faculty of Music. Alongside conducting the Choir’s first commercial recording, he has toured to Europe (where he broadcast a concert live from the Duomo di Milano), and given ten world premiere performances. Prior to this post, Will was Director of Music at University College, Durham.