Clare College

on this page: MAP | ABOUT ST. MATTHEW’S CHURCH | COVID POLICY

Our thanks to James and Annabel Montgomery for underwriting the concert by
The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge

Thank you for joining us in hosting The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge!

This page will serve as your primary source of information about the choir and their stay in Southern California.

THE CHOIR HAS ARRIVED. THEY SHOULD BE IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE CHURCH AROUND 8:30. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HOSPITALITY!

The Choir is booked on BA269 from London Heathrow. Scheduled arrival is 6:35 with arrival at St. Matthew’s parking lot anticipated at around 9pm. Please check this site Thursday afternoon for updates.

AS OF 11:30 THIS MORNING, THE CHOIR’S FLIGHT DEPARTED ON TIME AND IS SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE ON TIME. IF THINGS CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY, WE WILL UPDATE THIS WEBSITE AFTER 4PM.

A few items to know:

  • Please plan to have your guest back at the St. Matthew’s Church parking lot at 10am on Friday, December 8
  • They will be enjoying some excursions on their own during the day and will not be returning to your home until after the evening concert. 
  • If your guest has arranged to stay with you during the day Friday rather than go out, they understand that they are responsible for finding their own way to the church for a 3:30 rehearsal and for arranging their own lunch during the day.
  • Your guest(s) will need to bring their concert wear to the church on Friday morning where we will store it until the concert. 
  • The choir will rehearse in the church beginning at 3:30. St. Matthew’s Music Guild will provide a hot meal for them prior to the concert.
  • We are pleased to offer you two complimentary tickets to the concert. Children under the age of 16 are free to all Music Guild concerts. If you are a Music Guild subscriber and already have one or more season passes, you may use the pass(es) for yourself and request up to two complimentary tickets for a friend.
  • Comp tickets must be requested by December 6 via email to lowebev@gmail.com.
  • The concert begins at 8:00pm. “Liner Notes with Tom Neenan” begins in the church at 7:10pm. The concert will end around 9:45pm.
  • Please plan to have your guest(s) back at the church parking lot mid-morning on Saturday. Check back here for the exact time they need to be back. 

Get to know the choir, its director and its members!

Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, website

The choir sings “Abide with me,” conducted by Graham Ross

 Sir David Attenborough remembers his days as a student at Clare College

The choir sings John Stainer’s iconic “God so loved the world” using their smartphones during the pandemic, in March, 2021

 

 

World-Class music in a casual and inviting atmosphere and a stunning architectural space.

St. Matthew’s Church stands on a 30-acre wooded Las Pulgas Canyon property.

The 1978 Brentwood/Malibu fire destroyed the former St. Matthew’s Church building that had stood since 1953. The architectural firm Moore, Ruble, Yudell was selected to design and build the new church and, after a series of workshops with the congregation, a design was settled upon and construction began. The C.B. Fisk Organ Co. of Gloucester, Massachusetts, was selected to build a new organ for the space. The church was dedicated in March 1983 and the organ was installed in 1985.

The building was hailed as a landmark within the architectural community and was featured on the cover of “Architectural Digest” in 1984.

From the outset, there was a high priority on music and the parish has been a welcoming and supportive partner for the Music Guild since the Guild’s founding in 1985. With its lively and reverberant acoustic, warm and inviting interior, and semi-circular seating, audience members feel close to the performers as well as one another. A large, accessible parking lot and multiple ramps make access to the building easy for all patrons. An expansive patio is conducive to conversation during Music Guild concert intermissions which always feature free refreshments.

The organ, built by C.B. Fisk, is recognized as one of the finest tracker instruments on the West Coast.

The Fisk organ, a gift to the church and the community by Mr. and Mrs. Hoyt S. Pardee, Mr. and Mrs. J. Douglas Pardee, Mr. and Mrs. George M. Pardee Jr., and Marjorie Pardee Farrand, was given in memory of their mother, Mary Alice Swift Pardee.

C.B. Fisk’s Opus 86 is a mechanical-action instrument of 30 stops and 37 ranks distributed among two manuals and pedal. The console is of mahogany and is attached to the 33-foot, red oak, freestanding case. Keys are of grenadil and sharps are of rosewood capped with cow-bone.

The specifications reflect an eclectic instrument – classic Charles Fisk – but one based on the concept of an expanded Classical-French design.

For more information on the Parish of St. Matthew Church, visit their website.

 

Images courtesy of Colins Lozado/Moore Ruble Yudell,
Chuck Gardner Photography, and Thomas Neenan

Covid Policy

St. Matthew’s Music Guild and St. Matthew’s Church are committed to making sure our audience members and musicians have an enjoyable and safe concert experience.

We recommend you consider wearing a mask for your own safety and that of others. However, masks are not required.

We will continue to follow the advice of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and update our policies accordingly.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health recommends all guests over the age of 6 months either be fully vaccinated or obtain a negative COVID-19 viral test prior to entry, but it is not required.

Please stay at home if your are feeling unwell or if you have been infected with COVID-19 within the last 10 days.

We would like to remind you that it is always a good policy to wash your hands with soap and water frequently.