Since the founding of a mixed voice choir in 1972, the Choir of Clare College has gained an international reputation as one of the world’s leading university choirs. In addition to its primary function of leading services three times a week in the College chapel, the Choir keeps an active schedule recording, broadcasting, and performing. Former directors have included John Rutter and Timothy Brown. Under the direction of Graham Ross, Director of Music since 2010, it has been praised for its consistently ‘thrilling’ and ‘outstanding’ performances worldwide. Recent engagements include Handel’s Messiah with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the world première of Alexander Raskatov’s Green Mass and Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Fauré Requiem with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, a major Bach cantata series to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation with visiting orchestras including European Union Baroque Orchestra and Royal Academy of Music Baroque Soloists, concerts in the Spitalfields Festival, Notre Dame Cathedral, Sydney Opera House, Washington’s Library of Congress, and many international tours. The Choir’s 2017/18 season includes many performances throughout the UK, concerts with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Manchester Camerata and major tours across USA, Rome, France and Malta.

In addition to live performances, the Choir has produced an impressive discography of more than forty recordings. Their recordings under Graham Ross on the Harmonia Mundi label have been released to great critical acclaim, earning praise for ‘impeccable ensemble’ and ‘immaculate performances’, a Le Choix de France Musique and a Diapason d’Or award, and garnering a Gramophone Award nomination. The Choir’s ongoing series of Music for the Church Year has received numerous 5 star reviews in the national and international press, including recordings for Advent (2013), Passiontide (2014), Christmas (2014), Ascensiontide & Pentecost (2015), All Saints & All Souls (2015), Easter (2016), Epiphany (2017) and Corpus Christi (2017). Their album Remembrance (2016) was Classic FM’s Recording of the Week and rose to No. 3 in the UK Classical Charts. Forthcoming releases in music for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation (2017) and Music for Trinity (2018).

The Choir has toured widely, including in the United States of America, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Japan, China, Russia, the Middle East and mainland Europe. It has collaborated with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in performances of Handel’s Jephtha under the direction of René Jacobs and Handel's Messiah under Graham Ross, with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, Mahler's Symphony No. 8 and Alexander Raskatov's Green Mass at the Royal Festival Hall conducted by Sir Mark Elder and Vladimir Jurowski, and with many other ensembles including the Academy of Ancient Music, European Union Baroque Orchestra, Freiburger Barockorchester, Manchester Camerata, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Israel Camerata, Aurora Orchestra, the Schubert Ensemble and the Dmitri Ensemble. The Choir performs a wide range of repertoire throughout the year, and has commissioned and premièred works by many composers, including Herbert Howells, John Tavener, John Rutter, Giles Swayne, James Whitbourn, Andrew Carter, Jonathan Dove, Julian Phillips, Tarik O’Regan, Graham Ross, Brett Dean, Matthew Martin and Nico Muhly.