The Story of Cambridge Voices

Founded in 1987 by Ian de Massini, Cambridge Voices is one of Britain’s premier chamber choirs. Innovative and choreographed, it delivers stylish performances of the highest quality within the UK and Europe, both in public and private.

2025 – A New Chapter for Cambridge Voices

In January 2025, Ian appointed composer and 7-year choirmember Tristan Latchford to work on the process of becoming his successor, and a 12-month handover period began. This handover culminated in the handing over of the Director’s folder as the final part of our August concert in St Étienne-du-Mont, atop the beautiful Jubé, from where the choir sung a final piece.

The handover continued until Ian stepped back from the choir in December 2026, leaving an exciting road ahead…

Our founder – Ian de Massini

Ian de Massini began life under a different name (Ian Moore) and spent much of his mis-spent youth as a chorister and keen campanologist at the village church of Cuckfield, Sussex.

During his teens, he attended the local grammar school in Haywards Heath as well as studying the piano, albeit half-heartedly, with the redoubtable Joan Last, under whom he won no prizes or any engagements. Yet, to everybody’s amazement, Ian was then awarded a scholarship to sing in the choir of King’s College Chapel, Cambridge and to read music at Cambridge University, now and then.

Following graduation, he held a number of organist positions, including Little Saint Mary’s Church, Cambridge, Saint Alban’s Church, Holborn and Ely Cathedral. Ian continues to play organ, and his repertoire includes the complete works of Bach, Duruflé, and Messiaen.

Ian’s works are published by Stainer & Bell.

The History of Cambridge Voices

Cambridge Voices was founded by Ian de Massini, former choral scholar of King’s College, Cambridge, following a meeting with the eminent 20th-century French composer, Maurice Duruflé with his wife, Marie-Madeleine Duruflé Chevalier.

Together, they created a new chamber choir of twelve highly experienced singers based in Cambridge; former choral scholars from King’s, Trinity, St John’s, Clare, plus former members of The Monteverdi Singers and The Bach Choir.

Since its foundation, the choir’s concert diary always includes annual performances in the elegant church of St Étienne-du-Mont, Paris - with its unique early 17th-century Jubé upon which the choir would stand and sing - the church where the Duruflés had been the Titular Organists for most of the 20th-century.

Since the choir’s debut in Paris on August 15th 1987, they have gone on to record all of Duruflé’s unaccompanied choral music twice over for French and British recording companies, as well as Duruflé’s celebrated Requiem, all of which were recorded within that elegant Parisian church, recordings which were awarded the coveted Prix d’Or from the French classical music magazine, Diapason.

For many years, the choir championed the choral music of the contemporary Swiss composer, Carl Rütti, including his monumental 40-part motet, written specifically for Cambridge Voices.

The choir went on to record over 14 CDs, as well as radio broadcasts for Austrian Radio ORF, and a television show for the American company PBS.

Venues in which the choir has performed include St Peter’s Basilica, Rome (in the presence of The Pope), Westminster Abbey, King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, Ely Cathedral, Einsiedeln Abbey in Swtizerland, St Eustache Church and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and Propstei Sankt Gerold in Austria.

Latterly, with Ian acting as mentor and advisor, the choir evolved to work as a consort of voices, rehearsing and performing without a conductor.