On 22 September, on the occasion of the 2021 Encaenia, Univ’s Choir, led by Director of Music Giles Underwood, enjoyed the honour of singing at the Sheldonian Theatre.

This year’s Encaenia celebrated six extraordinary women with honorary degrees awarded to:

Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, former United States First Lady and Secretary of State; Jeanette Winterson CBE, award-winning author; Professor Linda Colley CBE, award-winning professor of History; Professor Dame Sally Davies, Master of Trinity College, Cambridge and former Chief Medical Officer for England; Professor Anna Deavere Smith, Professor at New York University Tisch School of the Arts and award-winning actress, playwright, teacher and author; and Baroness Ruth Lister CBE, Emeritus Professor of Social Policy at Loughborough University.

Valerie Amos and Hillary Clinton

In keeping with the theme, Univ sang works by women composers – Cecilia McDowall, Judith Weir and Undine Smith Moore.

The day prior to Encaenia – whilst Choir practiced in the Chapel – Secretary Clinton visited Univ along with Historian Mary Beard (herself an honorand at the 2018 Encaenia.)

Together they were in College filming an edition of Inside Culture, which is due to screen on BBC2, Friday 1 October at 8. Programme details here.

Published: 28 September 2021

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