The Gentlemen of St John’s College, Cambridge are made up from the Choral Scholars of St John’s College, Cambridge.

Joseph Ataman

Bass, 2011-2014

Aside from a ready supply of crayons and a rather fetching scarf, Joseph, the Gents’ pet geographer, is not sure what attracted him to this particular Cambridge choral group. Harking from the domes of Westminster Cathedral and the golden streets of the square mile, he has found the realities of student life to be distinctly unappealing, his salvation being his newfound passion for philately. Furthermore, with a fondness for renaissance polyphony unmatched among the Gents, Joseph has been happy to reinforce the anti-reformation wave sweeping through the choir stalls of St John’s. Ever keen to reach new audiences, he has recently joined the college boat club and may often be found on (or sometimes in) the Cam.

Tom Blackie

Alto, 2010-2013, current Manager

An avid follower of ancient traditions, Tom, like many before him, tried and failed to grow up in St Albans. Having unsuccessfully attempted to sing baritone, he discovered that singing like a child was a whole lot easier and so began singing countertenor at the start of 2008. Unwittingly he then succumbed to another age-old St John’s Choral Scholar tradition: spending a year singing and learning basic music theory in Norwich Cathedral. Following again in the well-trod footsteps of so many Choral Scholars past, Tom studies Archaeology and Anthropology, his particular interests lying in Epigraphy and the work of Scottish poet William Topaz McGonagall. In his spare time, Tom enjoys watching Scrabble and playing Premiership Rugby.

Kieran Brunt

Tenor, 2011-2014

Kieran was raised in the ghetti of Richmond-upon-Thames and began singing aged 12 at the state-funded secondary school, Tiffin School. Whilst there he made his debuts with the Royal Opera, the LSO and at London Fashion Week. Since arriving in Cambridge, Kieran has come out of his shell and regards himself as a major player on the Cambridge club scene. Despite being a hard worker and often showing promising commitment early on, Kieran is known for regularly falling asleep ‘on the job’. In his spare time he enjoys making YouTube videos recreating popular 90′s hits, a gentle game of patball and embracing his dipsomania.

John Challenger

Organ/Bass, 2008-2011

John was educated in music at Hereford Cathedral School before taking up the organ scholarship at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in 2006. It was at this time that he suffered the misfortune of being nicknamed ‘Challenge’, the indignity of which he has lived with ever since. Whilst at Windsor he obtained his Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists, but also used the time to develop his passion for drinking real ale. When not playing the organ, John uses his spare moments to read for a degree in music. His main interests include not playing the organ on days off and trying to get involved with as much of the choir’s activities as possible, making many close friendships within the choir.

Geoff Clapham

Bass, 2010-2013

Geoff has managed to edge his way into the bass section in 2010. Having trained as a chorister in the choir of Westminster Cathedral, joining the Gents was a natural progression for him. Indeed, Geoff has been able to utilise his keen passion for plainsong in occasionally introducing a more Catholic feel to proceedings. Geoff has also grown especially fond of the college chapel and finds himself drawn to it day and night. Foremost among his ambitions is a wish to be appointed the Gospel and Communion Sentences cantor from October 2011.

John Clapham

Tenor, 2011-2014

John ‘Ralph’ Clapham comes to St. John’s following in the edge of his older but smaller brother’s footsteps having followed him everywhere else previously. The addition of yet another Westminster Cathedral chorister into the choir has led to a heightened interest in plainsong and latin pronunciation, subjects which would normally be considered completely irrelevant and unnecessary. John has managed to come away relatively unscathed from spending five years in the wilderness of North Yorkshire at Ampleforth College apart from his interests in misogyny and intolerance and has also been keen to promptly demonstrate his great mental control over the physical reflexes of his body, citing a starlit Jesus Green to be one of his favourite venues to do so.

Guy Edmund-Jones

Tenor, 2010-2013

Guy first realised that he wanted to join the Gents when he heard that Dominic Collingwood, with whom he had been a Chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral and subsequently at school with, had been offered a place in the choir from 2008. He followed in 2010, following a formative gap year, and is now principally focussed on his dissertation, entitled Léonin & Pérotin: A Schenkerian Analysis. Guy is a keen tennis player, particularly in warmer weather.

Nick Edwards

Alto, 2009-2012

Nick was born in 1989, and attended a state school in Kingston upon Thames, where he developed his renowned “basso profundo” voice. Upon realizing that his voice was renowned more for being unpleasant than anything else, he decided to become a (rather splendid) countertenor and thus found his way into The Gents. He enjoys singing the music of Palestrina, Mozart, Howells and Taylor Swift, and his drink of choice is a gin and tonic, preferably with a small slice of lime. When he is not in chapel, Nick comes out regularly – he can usually be found ripping up the dance floor at one of Cambridge’s more alternative venues.

Julian Gregory

Tenor, 2009-2012, current Musical Director

Julian Gregory, born on April 10th, 1990, aspired to become a Gent ever since he first started singing at St John’s at the tender age of 8. Now that he’s on the back row, he enjoys a number of activities from an older perspective, including the study of The Gents’ drinking procedures, and running to get to evensong on time. Now while he lets go of Schoolboy habits, he is thrilled to be surrounded every day by real friends. The biggest challenge he’s faced so far at Cambridge is trying to understand the complex anecdotes which Mr Nethsingha shares with The Gents during rehearsals. He has performed to the Queen and at The Proms, recorded 14 CDs and gone on 21 choir tours, but he still finds time to be Cambridge’s chief Drum & Bass enthusiast and is a former Gents’ Librarian. His life goal is to make a solo appearance alongside the soon-to-be world-famous James Imam.

Jonathan Hyde

Bass, 2011-2014

Jonny arrived promptly at St John’s College, Cambridge in September 2011 and has scarcely done anything promptly since. Not known for his punctuality, Jonny favours sleeping to sunday morning eucharist and if you need to find him on a weekday at 5 15pm for goodness sake don’t look in the chapel. Seriously though, Jonny endeavors to change. He began his singing career in Gloucester,
misbehaving as a treble under Andrew Nethsingha and his arrival in September marked a happy reunion. His gap year took him hitch hiking across Turkey and into the Georgian Caucasus mountains where he indulged in his passion for rock climbing and ‘Chacha’. Other interests include guitar playing, festival-ing and he is quite partial to a jolly good rave.

James Imam

Alto, 2009-2012

James, born in 1989, is noted for his love of Yorkshire pudding, his fondness for fine ale and his impressive ability to sing wrong notes more convincingly than any singer in the world. From the deepest and darkest depths of ‘The North’, coming to Cambridge has been a mind-blowing and somewhat bewildering experience for James. His appetite is duly whetted for performing with The Gents in what is, for him, a most exotic environment. If only someone could show him how to do up his bow-tie.

Freddie James

Organ/Bass, 2010-2013

Freddie has never been to Norwich and instead spent his gap year exploring the cultural highlights of Amsterdam, where he was a student at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, particularly fingering, organs and beard. He learned to sing as a chorister at Southwark Cathedral but seems subsequently to have forgotten during his time at Westminster School. In his spare time he reads music- other hobbies include college football, rugby, hockey and lying.

Huw Leslie

Bass, 2009-2012

With his ambition for varsity cheerleading fizzling out, Huw joined the next best thing in Cambridge: the Gents. He left Trinity School, Croydon in 2008, where his musical highlights included miming as a backing singer for Il Divo on ITV. During his gap year, he divided his time between extreme sports in New Zealand and Antarctica during the week and a choral scholarship at Norwich Cathedral at weekends. Recently appointed Manager of the Gents, in his spare time he studies theology and drinks Diet Coke.

Basil McDonald

Bass, 2008-2011, Manager Emeritus

Having joined his first church choir in order to avoid the horrors of Sunday School, Basil’s arrival into the choral world was a random one but one that he soon came to relish. He has since enjoyed participating in many different choirs around the country as a treble and bass and is by no means tired of it yet! Basil is enjoying the challenges of a degree in Classics and is interested, if not whole-heartedly involved, in a variety of sports including fencing, squash and of course Gents football…As a Manager Emeritus, he finds himself engaging in many of his routine activities in Song Schools and choir rooms across Cambridge.

Simon Nathan

Alto, 2011-2012

Simon Nathan studies physics, is a viola player and sings countertenor. Despite these handicaps, he has risen from humble beginnings as a lacklustre baritone in Selwyn choir before making the switch to slightly-less-but-still-fairly-lacklustre alto. The ‘dark period’ of Simon’s life saw him flirting with the deceptive glamour of another all-male, less Challenging choir. He however received a promotion to St. John’s shortly after and has never looked back. Simon likes Wagner, yoghurt and dogs. He dislikes rowers, hot days and being asked to explain what the Higgs boson is.

Sam Oladeinde

Tenor, 2010-2013

Sam, the youngest Gent of the 2010 crop, comes to the group from an unconventional background. He started singing in a gospel church in South London rather than at a cathedral, and his big break came with his now-legendary interpretation of the role of Simba in the West End production of The Lion King. His interest in choral music began during the Sixth Form when he joined the chapel choir at his secondary school, Winchester College. Sam studies law, a degree which is (wisely) rarely studied by choral scholars at John’s. When not in the library, Sam can be found on the stage, acting in plays and musicals alike, or in a club, ‘breakin’ it down’. His other main talents are jazz and basketball. But on a serious note, his favourite food is fried chicken…

Alex Simpson

Alto, 2011-2014

Alex’s dream in life was to become a lyric tenor. Having already achieved this dream at the tender age of 16 he decided to take up the much greater challenge of singing countertenor and joined the Chapel Choir at his secondary school, Winchester College, where he discovered his secret passion for singing responses. Although originally intending to apply for a rugby scholarship to Harvard University in America, after being told that he was in fact shorter than 5’7 and weighed less than the average 13 year old girl, he settled for the next best thing and now studies Music. Alex enjoys wearing brightly coloured clothes, collecting empty wine bottles, and sitting cross-legged when eating his meals.