'Magnificat 4' Released: The Final Chapter of Andrew Nethsingha's SJCC Discography

Friday, July 12, marks the release of Magnificat 4, the final installment in Andrew Nethsingha's extraordinary legacy of recordings with The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge. This release not only includes new commissions and pieces written for the Choir of St John's College, but also signifies the end of a monumental chapter in its history.

Magnificat 4 is the 30th album Andrew has directed with the Choir. During his tenure with the Choir, Andrew's artistic direction and vision have propelled the Choir to new heights, earning critical acclaim and a devoted global following. This latest album, available for purchase from Signum Records, is a fitting conclusion.

The album features a collection of works that encapsulate the choir's rich tradition and versatility. In Andrew's reflections in the album booklet, he notes, "For the last volume of my Magnificat series with St John’s College Choir we include a number of contemporary pieces. Piers Connor Kennedy was a member of the Choir early in our partnership with Signum. Anna Semple was recently a student at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Joanna Forbes L’Estrange was the founder of our all-women a cappella group at St John’s, ‘Aquila.’ Every volume of this series has included a work written for St John’s; the present album contains two such commissions, by Judith Weir and Jonathan Dove. Each of the four volumes has included one of the twenty settings of the Evening Canticles written by Herbert Howells."

Reflecting on the Magnificat series, Andrew wrote, "The series ends as it began, revelling in the extraordinary variety of approaches which composers have taken to two timeless texts – the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis."

Magnificat 4 celebrates the culmination of Andrew's work and the enduring heritage of choral music at St John's College.

Purchase Magnificat 4 from Signum Classics.

Stream online.