O Gemma Clarissima

The Choirs of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, with their director Edward Wickham, have collaborated once again for this album of Renaissance motets and hymns in praise of St Catharine - one of the most ubiquitous and beloved saints of the Middle Ages who also lends her name to the college (founded in 1473) where both groups are resident. This diverse programme spans a century in which the cult of St Catharine was at it's height, representing the prayers and exhortations of pious communities towards a saint who might represent their interests in the court of heaven. St Catharine's College lies at the historic centre of Cambridge and at the heart of the University's distinguished musical tradition. Founded in 1473, there has been a choir associated with the college for over a hundred years. The mixed student choir currently consists of around 24 undergraduate and graduate members, augmented by former choristers from the Girls' Choir; and sings regular services in the college's eighteenth century chapel.