Clare Through Time
Each month, the archives of Clare College present a document created in the same month of a previous year since the College's foundation. We hope that these documents will shed light on the history of the College and promote greater awareness and use of the College archives. For past featured documents please click here.
If you would like any further information about the featured document or any of the past featured documents or would like to join the Clare Through Time mailing list for notifications when the monthly document is updated please contact the archivist.
May 2013 - Raymond and Agnes
Clare has a long reputation for being a musical College. One example from the archives proving this interest is a collection of programmes, photographs and scores from a performance of the opera Raymond and Agnes performed at the Cambridge Arts Theatre in May 1966. This was an entirely Clare affair being financially supported by the College and with artistic contributions made by Fellows, students and staff.
The collection of material was recently donated to the College archives by Alan Attlesey, a former gardener, who worked for the College in the 1960s but who also worked as a stage hand for the production. The involvement of Clare students and Fellows across the production is evident with the Artistic Director, Conductor, Designer and various actors and actresses all being from Clare.
Although originally composed by Edward Loder it was the adapted musical scores written by Clare Fellows and students and the edits to the opera made by Dr. Nicholas Temperley that made the Cambridge performance so memorable, with extracts from it being broadcast on BBC radio in 1995. The 1966 performance was the first time the opera had been fully played since its original performance in Manchester in 1856, although there are now hopes to resurrect the opera.
The programmes and booking form below tell more about the background to the opera and Clare's involvement with the performance so please click on their front covers to read further about the production. In addition to the information about the opera and those involved with it, readers might find the stylised 1960s adverts in the programmes particularly interesting.
Booking form
Arts Theatre Programme 1
Arts Theatre Programme 2
