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Collection Description
Collection name Cambridge University Madrigal Society
Unique identifier University/SOC.XXII.4
Description The society was founded in 1920 as the Cambridge University Opera Society by Bernhard (Boris) Ord (1897-1961), then an undergraduate at Corpus Christi College, and a small band of amateurs anxious to preserve the enthusiasm caused by the first performance at Cambridge in that year of Purcell's 'Fairy Queen'. It sang both operas and madrigals for its own amusement and changed its name to the Cambridge University Madrigal Society in 1924. Its first public performance, with Ord by then a Fellow of King's College as its conductor, was of Byrd's 'Great Service' in Little St Mary's church in 1924. From 1928, it sang annually in May Week on the river Cam. It gave concerts in Paris, Leiden, Berlin, Hamburg and London and made recordings. In 1958, when Boris Ord became too ill to conduct, he chose Raymond Leppard (b.1927, Trinity College, MA 1955) as his successor. On the departure from Cambridge of Leppard in 1968, the society was dissolved. The society should not be confused with the Cambridge University Opera Society established in 1966 and formerly known as the Cambridge University Opera Group, whose records 1972-95 in the University Archives are catalogued as UA SOC.XI.
The collection of 153 programmes is held in the University Archives and covers 1924 – 1967. They are divided between three envelopes as follows:

SOC.XXII.4.1: 1924 – 1938
SOC.XXII.4.2: 1939 – 1951
SOC.XXII.4.3: 1952 - 1967

A full record of the whole of the Society archives is catalogued at University/SOC.XXII and is available on JANUS http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk , the catalogues of Cambridge archives. Enquiries should be directed to [email protected].

A supplementary collection of 66 programmes is also held in the University Music Department.
Date range 1967 -
Associated People and Organisations Berlin Philharmonic Strings - Boyd Neel Orchestra - Cantelo, April 1928 - Clark, Patricia - Darke, Harold - Dart, Thurston - English, Gerald - English Chamber Orchestra - Guest, Douglas - Hurford, Peter 1930 - Leppard, Raymond 1927 - Leppard Ensemble - London Philharmonic Orchestra - Morison, Elsie - Neel, Boyd - Ord, Boris - Orr, Robin -
Associated Places All Saints' Church, Huntingdon Audley End Bedford School Hall British Information Centre, Berlin Bryanston School Cambridge Theatre Castleacre Priory Cecil Sharp House Central Hall, Westminster Clifton College Clifton Hall Colfox School Hall Croxton Park Freemasons' hall, Edinburgh Gonville and Caius college, University of Cambridge Great St. Mary's Church, Cambridge Guildhall, Cambridge Haileybury College Hengrave Hall Impington Village College Jesus College, University of Cambridge: Chapel King's College Bridge, Cambridge King's College, University of Cambridge: Hall L'Abbaye Royaumont, Paris Leyden, Holland Leys School, Cambridge Masonic Hall, Cambridge National Gallery Parish Church, Aldeburgh Parish Church, Bury St. Edmonds Peterborough Cathedral Repton School Royal Festival Hall Selwyn College, University of Cambridge University of Cambridge: Senate House University of Cambridge: Music School, Downing Place Shrewsbury School St. John's College, University of Cambridge: Chapel Little St. Mary's Church, Cambridge Swakeleys, Uxbridge Thorpeness Meare Trent College Trinity College, University of Cambridge Trinity College, University of Cambridge: Backs University of Manchester Victoria and Albert Museum
Associated Times 20th century - early 1900-1930 20th century - mid 1931-1970
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