Choral Evensong - 9 October 2016

The first Sunday evensong of the academic year featured a set of evening canticles, commissioned by the Master and Fellows of college, which received their first performance. These canticles were composed by Philip Moore in memory of John Scott, former Organ Student of St. John's College (1974 - 78) who died last year.

Philip Moore succeeded Francis Jackson as Organist and Master of the Music at York Minster in 1983 and during his musical career has written a number of compositions including Lo! God is here! which was written for John Scott and the choir of St. Paul's Cathedral.

The anthem Let all the world is the final movement of Vaughan-Williams' Five Mystical Songs, a large scale work originally written for baritone soloist, choir and orchestra. The work, which sets the poetry of George Herbert, received its first performance on 14 September 1911 at the Three Choirs Festival in Worcester, with Vaughan Williams conducting.

John Gavin Scott, LVO (18 June 1956 – 12 August 2015) was an English organist and choirmaster who reached the highest levels of his profession on both sides of the Atlantic. He directed the Choir of St Paul's Cathedral in London from 1990 to 2004. He then directed the Choir of Men and Boys of St Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue in New York City until his death at age 59. Whilst training countless young musicians, he maintained an active career as an international concert performer and recording artist, and was acclaimed as 'the premier English organist of his generation'.