Collegium Laureatum (Society of Graduates) was founded in 1974 by Don Neville as an informal madrigal group of graduate students, fellows and friends of Corpus Christi College. Despite the fact that the choir has largely become town rather than gown, this distinctive name has been retained. In 1980 Ian Cobb was appointed as Musical Director. The choir's membership increased rapidly, outgrowing its college basis. The repertoire was enlarged and St. Edmundsbury Cathedral and the University Music Centre became the regular performance venues.
The choir have performed many of the large-scale choral works, including Bach's B minor Mass, St. John Passion, Christmas Oratorio, Handel's Messiah and Israel in Egypt, Mozart's Requiem, Beethoven's Choral Symphony, Missa Solemnis, Mendelssohn's Elijah, St. Paul, Brahms' German Requiem, Elgar's Dream of Gerontius as well as many choral works by Purcell, Vivaldi, Haydn, Beethoven, Berlioz, Cherubini, Schumann, Bruckner, Honeggar and Walton.
The choir has had three succesful tours, once in Prague and twice in Italy. The choir will be on tour after Easter in 2012 in Belgium.
In this concert, the choir and its orchestra will perform Bach's St John Passion in performing version by Peter Pears & Imogen Holst.