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Material relating to Laurence Picken's involvement with College life at Jesus, including music and drama performances, the College art collection and other societies and committees at Jesus College, Cambridge. Includes posters, concert programmes, production photographs, correspondence and live recordings.
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From Jesus College Music Society concert programme (13 June 1999):
'Laurence Picken became a Fellow of Jesus in 1944 and immediately engaged himself in musical and dramatic activities in the college. A memorable early contribution was his establishment in 1948 of the series of enormously popular performances of Nativity Plays. They were put on each Christmas and packed the Chapel for week-long runs, delighting audiences with the productions of the then little known plays interspersed with music of all kinds, including, on one occasion, a rendering of a Sumerian hymn on the creation of man of about 1600BC, decoded from the original notation and arranged for (comparatively) modern instruments by Laurence himself. Laurence played the leading role in bringing Thurston Dart to the college, and he was for many years an inspirational President of the Music Society. Throughout, he encouraged by his wise advice and unfailing support; he inspired by the breadth of his culture and by his own outstanding musicianship. The Music Society is deeply indebted to him as the person who, above all other, worked to put in place the traditions which still motivate the society today'.