Girton150 Asia Celebrations Booklet
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ASIA PACIFIC GIRTON 150 ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS Singapore 12-14 April 2019 Girton: the College for Women A BRIEF HISTORY Girton College was founded on 16 October 1869 in Hitchin, thirty miles outside Cambridge. It was known as The College for Women. That it was founded for women was radical; that it was a College - with its own ethos, aims and autonomy - was key to its success. At the time, it was the only residential institution that dared offer degree level education to women. Only five students enrolled in the first year! It was, however, part of a wider, unstoppable movement seeking inclusion for women into all aspects of professional and public life; and it supported women to secure the education they required to win admission to degrees. It was a long journey, even after the move to Cambridge in 1873; but it was propelled by a strong sense of purpose among a self-governing community of scholars who knew they would succeed. DEGREES BY DEGREE Girton’s principal founders, Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon, knew in their bones that that women could attain the same educational standards as men. Early in 1873 the first Girtonians passed the relevant exams and proved - year in, year out - that they too were capable of academic excellence. However it took years of campaigning and some notable defeats before, in 1948, Cambridge University finally yielded to the inevitable and allowed Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth (Queen consort to George VI) to receive the first degree granted by that University to a woman. Others followed and with that, Girton had fulfilled its foundational aim. That was, however, just the start of what the College for Women would achieve. INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE The challenge of inclusive excellence grew with the expansion of UK universities. As Girton changed with the times, becoming fully co-educational from 1979, it remained at the cutting edge of widening participation. Determined to break down artificial barriers to education for talented students, the College invested heavily in outreach using its relative autonomy to pilot, indeed pioneer, some important access initiatives. As a result, without compromising University-wide standards, nearly 70% of UK undergraduates are from state schools while one in five qualify for means-tested bursaries. One in four self-identifies as black or minority ethnic, and over one in five reports a disability. Widening participation is also about internationalisation. Pioneers from South and East Asia include Sarojini Naidoo (1879-1949), a poet who campaigned for women’s rights and was President of the National Congress Party in India and Madam Kwa Geok Choo (1920-2010), a founding member of the Peoples Action Party who helped craft the separation agreement between Singapore and the Malaysian Federation. Girton today recruits on a global stage and has over 100 current students from, as well as 660 alumni in, the Asia Pacific region. A WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION Girton is a gateway to Cambridge University for under-represented social and geographical groups, offering all its students the experience ‘of being taught by the best minds in your field, and having access to the knowledge of renowned academics as supervisors.’* The small group teaching that makes Cambridge so special is a College responsibility, and Girton has taken a lead here too, creating career positions for world-class educators in underfunded subjects, and attracting Fellows from key University Departments to inspire students with a passion for learning and the courage to challenge ideas. Ten Fellows have won a coveted Pilkington Prize for teaching excellence in recent years, three of whom – Josh Slater, Martin Ennis and Stuart Davis – are here today. *Professor Marilyn Strathern FBA, Mistress 1999–2009. Girton College Chapel Choir Girton College Chapel Choir with an early brass group similar to those attending on this occasion. Girton College Chapel Choir is an international-prize-winning choir of some 25 members, which has grown in prominence over the last ten years, due to its impressive musical standards, regular recordings, and ambitious, exciting touring schedule. During Full Term, the Choir sings liturgically in Girton's chapel three times per week, including Tuesday Compline, Friday Vespers, and Sunday Evensong. The Choir has a busy touring schedule, recent foreign tours having included Israel & Palestine, Canada, Portugal, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, USA, Germany, Slovenia, France, Ireland, Switzerland and Spain. Girton Choir also makes regular appearances at major churches and cathedrals throughout Britain; recent visits have included the cathedrals of Bristol, Ely, Lincoln, Canterbury, Exeter, Norwich and Lichfield, and Westminster Abbey. In 2018-19 the Choir sang services on trips to Salisbury Cathedral and St George’s chapel, Windsor Castle. The Choir also benefits from collaborations with professional instrumentalists and their students at key British conservatoires including the Guildhall and Royal Welsh schools of music and drama featured on this tour, and engages in joint services with other College choirs throughout the year, most recently with the chapel choirs of Clare, Jesus, Selwyn, and St Catharine's Colleges, as well as with St John's Voices. The College is most grateful to Mr Nelson Loh (2000, Economics) and Mr Terence Loh for generously supporting the Choir's tour to Singapore as part of Girton's 150th Anniversary Celebrations in the Asia Pacific region. CHOIR CDS The Choir records CDs on an annual basis, and have recently established themselves as practitioners of Renaissance polyphony accompanied by historic brass instruments; the most recent recording was made in summer 2018, and the Choir has recorded in places as far afield as Canada, Hong Kong, Switzerland and Japan. The recording made by the Choir in 2017, of Renaissance polyphony from Portugal, received a 5* review from Choir & Organ magazine. You can listen to the opening track here via YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW7BVJbMfr0. The Choir contributes significantly to College life, often singing at College occasions such as the Foundation Dinner and the College Feast, and will be major contributors to the College's 150th anniversary celebrations in 2019-20. SINGERS AND INSTRUMENTALISTS SOPRANOS TENORS CORNETTS Milly Atkinson John Bowskill Emily Ashby Sarah Bousquet Oscar Ings Bethany Chidgey Svenja Guhr Luke Tutton Jeremy West (Director) Rachel Hill Deasil Waltho Ismay Keane SACKBUTS Lisa-Maria Needham BASSES Joe Arkwright Elizabeth Preece Thomas Beauchamp Samuel Barber Hannah Samuel Henry Colbert Peter Thornton Holly Slater Dennis Lindebaum Stephen Williams Louie McIver ALTOS Mark Sawney CONDUCTOR Cara Dartnell Tobias Sternberg Gareth Wilson Rebecca McNeill David Lawrence Maddy Morris Ellen Pearce-Davies ORGAN SCHOLARS Emily Porro James Mitchell Wayne Weaver Programme FRIDAY 12 APRIL 2019 Alumni Reception at Pollen Bistro, Gardens by the Bay 18.00 Registration, welcome drink and short programme of music 18.30 Self-guided visit to the Flower Dome 19.15 Drinks Reception 19.40 Introduction and speeches: the Mistress, Professor Susan J. Smith, and Karen Fawcett (1982, Economics) 19.50 Guide to early wind instruments by Jeremy West 20.00 Musical performances 20.30 Speech: the Mistress 21.00 Depart The College is most grateful to Mr Yong Nang Tan (1980, Economics) for generously supporting the Alumni Reception as part of Girton's 150th Anniversary Celebrations in the Asia Pacific region. Photography will be taking place on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 April 2019 during the Girton College Anniversary Celebrations in Singapore and may be used in Girton College publications, in print and online. If you do not wish to appear in the images please advise the photographer and those organising the event. SATURDAY 13 APRIL 2019 Pathways to Excellence Symposium at the Arts House, Old Parliament 09.00 - 09.30 Registration and coffee 09.30 - 09.40 Welcome by Professor Susan J. Smith, Mistress of Girton 09.40 - 10.40 Changing Lives: the collegiate University Discussion chaired by Professor Smith with panel members: - Professor Lily Kong - Dr Simone Maghenzani - Associate Professor Gregory Clancey 10.40 - 11.10 Coffee 11.10 - 12.10 The Future of Global Health Discussion chaired by Professor Josh Slater with panel members: - Professor David Price (1979, Medical Sciences) - Associate Professor Han Chong Toh - Professor Vikki Entwistle (1983, Theology and Religious Studies) 12.10 - 13.00 The Challenges of Human rights by Gladys Li (1966, Law) with an introduction from Karen Lee (1985, Law) Vice-Mistress of Girton College 13.00 - 14.00 Buffet lunch 14.00 - 14.10 Short performance by the Girton College Choir 14.10 - 14.25 Music in Girton – perspectives on 150 years of music-making by Dr Martin Ennis 14.25 - 14.55 Performance: Girton College Choir 14.55 - 15.55 An Anatomical Who Dunnit? Michelangelo, Sculptor in Bronze by Professor Peter Abrahams 15.55 - 16.00 Closing remarks: the Mistress 16.00 onwards Admissions briefing for educators Dr Stuart Davis, Admissions Tutor, with the Mistress (in the Council Room) Programme SATURDAY 13 APRIL 2019 Girton150 Anniversary Dinner, British High Commissioner’s Residence 18.30 Drinks Reception 19.00 Welcome: Professor Susan J. Smith 19.05 Introduction to the Choir by Dr Gareth Wilson 19.15 Performance: Girton College Choir 19.45 Buffet dinner 21.30 Speeches: Mr Scott Wightman, Hwee Hua Lim (1978, Engineering) and Professor Susan J. Smith 22.30 Coaches SUNDAY 14 APRIL 2019 11.15 Choir to perform in St Andrew's Cathedral as part of the Palm Sunday service Speakers Professor Susan J. Smith, Mistress of Girton College Professor Susan J. Smith, MA, DPhil, PhD, FBA, FRSE, FacSS, became the 19th Mistress of Girton College in October 2009, having spent most of her career in a variety of academic teaching, research and management roles. A graduate of Oxford University she has enjoyed visiting positions at UCLA, the European University Institute, the Australian National University, RMIT University and the Curtin Business School.