KING’SPARADE

Summer 2009

Restoring amasterpiece:the Chapel

gets a face lift

Magazine for members of King’sCollege, Cambridge

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The Chapel organ is workingagain after repairs to its pipesand keyboards. Three of theorgan’s largest pipes werestarting to collapse under theirown weight. The pipes wereremoved and taken to theorgan builders Harrison &Harrison in Durham, wherethey were strengthened withzinc liners. Also repaired weresome internal pipes and newfeatures to the keyboardconsole.

Four of King’s most famousmembers have been named in arecent TimesHigher EducationSupplement article about theimportance of dissent andintellectual freedom atCambridge. Author of thepiece, Ross Anderson, Professorof Engineering at Cambridge,said that the University has along tradition of rebellion. Hislist of dissenters includedEdward Foxe, Provost of King’s1528-38, E M Forster, J MKeynes and Alan Turing (right).

Measures are being taken tosafeguard the future of the 200year-old horse chestnut treeoutside King’s in front of theChapel. In 2008 a substantialbranch of the tree, which is onUniversity land, broke off andfell, giving rise to concernabout public safety. Followingdetailed investigation withCambridge City Council’sarboricultural officer, thissummer the lower brancheswill be removed, and the crownshaped. Non invasive steelcables will provide additionalsupport to the crown.The pictures show the treetoday and when much smallerin 1886.

Welcome to thesummer edition

King’s in pictures

If the ideas of the great King’seconomist J M Keynes had heldsway for longer would we be inthe financial mess we now face?Would his belief in greatergovernment intervention in themarket have saved us from theexcesses of greed and laissez-faire economics? See the featureon page 7.

The recession has certainlyhit King’s, along with manyother higher educationinstitutions, as we rely onincome from our endowment tofund routine educationalactivities (Cambridge collegessubsidise each student, eachyear, by an average of £6,000),and this income has of coursedropped enormously.

From Keynes, the inventor ofmacro-economics we move to atruly macro view of life on page12: the universe and itsbeginnings 13 million years ago,with the discovery of beautifulnew galaxies – a helpfulperspective perhaps in thesetroubled times.

On a cheerier note, King’s isstill managing to hold its ownand cut edges where edges are tobe cut: we co-produced the firstever live satellite screening of achoral concert that was beamedinto cinemas all over the world,enthralling audiences.Hallelujah to that!

The editor, Charlotte Sankey,welcomes your news and suggestionsfor articles. Please contact her at:kings.parade@kings.cam.ac.ukTel: 01223 767361Printed on recycled paper byWarners Printers

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WHATCINEMAAUDIENCES SAID“We so enjoyed last night, agroundbreaking cultural event.The sound was excellent.”London cinema-goer

“This screening was as good asbeing there – just fantastic!”Liverpool cinema-goer

“A remarkable achievement forStephen Cleobury, the soloists,choir, the AAM, and theincredible technical forceswhich conspired so effectivelyto bring every aspect of theconcert to an audience 4,000miles from Cambridge”Minnesota cinema-goer

“Since we couldn’t applaud inthe ordinary way, I would liketo thank you by e-mail for thislovely experience”Nuremberg cinema-goer

ALEX STOBBSCONDUCTSOn the same day asMessiah aKing’s student conducted amajor choral work in London.On Sunday 5 April Alex Stobbs(KC 2008) conducted Bach’sthree-hour epic St MatthewPassion at Cadogan Hall.

Nineteen year-old Alex wasfeatured in the Channel 4documentary A BoyCalled Alexlast year, which recorded hisbattle with cystic fibrosis aswell as the development of hisgreat musical talent. Alex is avirtuoso pianist as well as anaccomplished conductor, andSt Matthew Passion was hisbiggest musical challenge yet.

Bach’s three-hourcomposition stretched Alexboth physically and musically.

He memorised all the music,and despite the draining effectsof cystic fibrosis, conductedsolo voices, a double choir anddouble orchestra. He had tospend several weeks in hospitalshortly after the concert. Thesold-out concert was alsofilmed for a sequel to A BoyCalled Alex to be broadcast inautumn.

Messiah: King’s produces a world firstFirst ever live transmission of choral concert heralded huge success

THEWORLD’S FIRST live satellite relay of a choralconcert into cinemas took place from King’s thisEaster, and proved to be a huge success.

The performance by the Choir of Handel’sMessiah was transmitted from the Chapel bysatellite into over 200 cinemas around the world on5 April, Palm Sunday.

It is estimated that 25,000 people watched theconcert, from cinemas in Vienna to Copenhagen,Liverpool to Pittsburgh. King’s was co-producer withOpus Arte, the company which produces live operascreenings. The Choir performed with the Academyof Ancient Music, with distinguished soloists AilishTynan, Alice Coote, Allan Clayton and MatthewRose. The conductor was Stephen Cleobury.

The cinema experience added major newdimensions to the traditional concert: cinema-goerssaid they were ‘overwhelmed’ by the immediacy ofseeing musicians close-up and ‘deeply moved’ byseeing the beautifully-composed shots of theinterior of the Chapel.

The Chapel was specially lit for the occasion,cameras were camouflaged against the pale stoneof the Chapel interior and small but powerfulmicrophones kept discreet. Scaffolding was madealmost invisible. Audiences had views rarely seenbefore: wide angle shots of the Chapel as well asclose-ups of the fan vaulting filled the enormouscinema screen. Close-up views of soloists and

musicians showed their concentration andendeavour, and the emotion on their faces.

“The production team were superb. They areartists in their own right,” said Stephen Cleobury.“There was a very special atmosphere in the Chapel,and the new experience of being filmed live createda frisson. There is no question that all our adrenalinewas flowing.”

“We were thrilled to bring this wonderful pieceof music to people who would not be able to cometo the Chapel,” said concert organiser GillianPerkins.

CD produced in two weeksA CD of the live performance was produced in justtwo weeks by EMI. The Independent gave it four outof five stars saying: “It’s not just rock groups thatrush-release live albums… Cleobury’s interpretationticks all the boxes, with choir and orchestraimpeccably balanced, and soloists glowing”. It isavailable fromThe Shop at King’s on King’s Parade,or online at www.kingsfriends.org. A DVD is alsobeing produced in time for Christmas.

Christmas showingsThere are plans for further screenings of theMessiah in cinemas in Europe, Australasia andNorth America this December. For details go towww.artsalliancemedia.com

The Chapel was specially lit, including the side chapels. Cameras were camouflaged against the stonework.

KING’SNEWS

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Market Hostel redevelopment moves ahead

Pat Bateson and Darwin Festival

THE REDEVELOPMENT of Market Hostel on King’sParade is moving ahead with the appointment of abuilding firm in June.Market Hostel consists of two parts: a Victorian

building that was originally a hotel and a moremodern building that the College built in the 1960s.These two parts need to be better co-ordinated andthe rooms need to be made more up to date. FormerBursar Martin Reavley worked on pushing the schemeforward, and it is hoped that the project will becompleted by September 2010.“We want to be in a position to provide good

accommodation for all students, and to have all ofour buildings in a sound state of repair,” said newFirst Bursar Keith Carne. “This development will

Library opens to allFROM 300-YEAR-OLD alchemical papers to thelatest in environmental science, King’s CollegeLibrary holds a wide range of science papers. King’sis to display them as part of a new Universityinitiative ‘Open Cambridge’ which gives the publicthe chance to see behind the doors of collegiateCambridge.Those following the ‘Open Libraries Trail’, on 11

and 12 September, will be able to visit the King’sLibrary and view original papers of Cambridgescientists Sir Isaac Newton, purchased by J MKeynes, and Alan Turing as well as the up-to-the-minute books of the Global Warming Collection.

KING’S FELLOW and eminent biologist PatrickBateson (KC 1957) has been a key player inorganising the upcoming Darwin Festival to mark the200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth. The Festival,which took five years of planning, runs 5-10 July andbrings together world experts for an anthology ofevents about science, society, literature, history,philosophy, theology, art and music arising from thewritings, life and timesof Charles Darwin.The Festival is just

one of the manyDarwin celebrations inCambridge this year.You can also seeexhibitions at theMuseum of Zoology,the Botanic Garden,the FitzwilliamMuseum, the SedgwickMuseum and theUniversity Library.

Members who live inCambridge may be interestedin a new social event forCambridge alumni: CambridgeAlumni Drinks is an informalmonthly drinks get together,launched in May at the B-Bar.There are no less than 11,000Cambridge alumni living in thecity – nearly 10% of the city’spopulation. Details of futuredrinks at: www.foundation.cam.ac.uk/regionaleventdetails.php?id=412

King’s has won top marks in anew set of awards run byConference Cambridge, thecentral organisation forconference venues. In the firstever Conference CambridgeAwards, clients rated 36 venuesacross the University. King’s won‘best kept conference venue’ andcame second to Murray Edwardsin the ‘comfiest chairs’ category.Queens’ won ‘favourite venue’,with the Møller Centre offeringthe ‘best customer service’. The‘best overall venue’ was StJohn’s. Conference Cambridgewas established in 1998 andrepresents 36 venues including28 Cambridge colleges.

NEWSIN BRIEF

KING’SNEWS

provide only a few more rooms but significantlybetter ones, with a much better use of space. Therewill also be a Common Room that opens onto a firstfloor courtyard, and Fellows’ sets and guest rooms onthe top floor.”

The main changes to the building will beinternal, but the roof line will alter and the architects,Bland, Brown & Cole, also intend to improve theexternal appearance. They will investigate whether itwould be desirable to remove the paint and return toa brick façade. During the building work, 45 studentrooms will be lost. Some of these will be replaced inother parts of the College but 25 rooms will berelocated to houses belonging to Robinson Collegeoff Mill Road.

While Charles Darwin’sconnections to Cambridge andChrist’s College have been welldocumented in this hisbicentenary year, readers maybe unaware of his relationship toKing’s. Although he claimed hewas ‘so utterly destitute of anear, that I cannot perceive adiscord,’ Darwin very muchenjoyed listening to the music inKing’s. His biography recordshow, as his taste for music grew,he would time his walks fromChrist’s into town to hear themusic from the Chapel waftingthrough the air and how his‘backbone would shiver’. Darwinalso hired the choristers to singin his rooms.

Order new King’s Register

King’s College is publishing a newedition of the King’s Register. This is acomprehensive ‘Who’sWho’ of King’sMembers. The last edition waspublished in 1998 and coveredmemberswhomatriculated at King’s 1919 to1990.The new edition goes up to 2006.To compile the profiles in the

Register, now that the new King’s Members website isup and running, we will be contacting membersasking them to go online and either revise the profilethat appeared in the last edition or to compile a newone. This will start this summer. Members without acomputer will be contacted by post. We will help bygiving the information that we already have somembers don’t have to start from scratch.The hardback ‘purple book’ will be available in

Spring 2010 and the College is now accepting pre-subscriptions. The special pre-subscription price is £25plus handling and postage.Once published it will sell for£35.Order your copy at www.members.org, and see theleaflet in King’s Parade.

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DR MELISSA LANE, Fellow in History, is leaving totake up a post as Professor of Politics at PrincetonUniversity. Melissa is University Senior Lecturer in theFaculty of History, where she has taught since 1994.She is also Associate Director of the Centre forHistory and Economics at King’s.

At King’s she supervised students in History andClassics and, occasionally, SPS, Philosophy andEnglish. She did a great deal to promote the cause ofwomen in the College, serving asWomen’s Tutor andfounding the successful annual King’s Women’sDinner. As Tutor for Special Events, she organisedcareers events with NRMs and study skills sessions.

Born in New York, Melissa grew up in Californiaand came to King’s from Harvard, to read philosophyunder Ross Harrison, staying on to do her PhD. Herwork has focussed on political philosophy and thehistory of political thought, including questions ofsecurity, democracy, and authority, and practicaltopics such as the role of corporations in democratictheory and the ethics of surrogate motherhood. Shehas special expertise in Plato’s political thought andhas made media appearances.

She has played many roles within the University:she helped create the annual Cambridge GenderStudies Symposium in 1998, the seed of the newCambridge Centre for Gender Studies. She was activein the Cambridge Programme for Industry (now theCambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership),

JOELLE DU LAC LEAVES this summer after nearlythree years as Director of Development to go to theJudge Business School, Cambridge, to be Director ofExternal Affairs.

Joelle is the first professional fundraiser in the roleat King’s and during her tenure the number ofdonations to the College and the total amount givenhave increased: last year 35% of donors gave for thefirst time, and the College received the highest levelof donations in the last five years. “Our recent successis a testament to King’s serious commitment tofundraising and the good work of my predecessorsand the staff in the Development Office in fosteringties with NRMs over the years,” said Joelle. “Develop-ment is essential work as King’s, like all of highereducation, will increasingly depend on benefactors.”

The Provost, Ross Harrison, paid tribute to Joelle:”I would like to thank Joelle for her vigour,professionalism, and dedication.” A formerChair of the Development Committee, Tony Doggart,said: “She brought a professional approach and practicalfundraising experience to King’s. Beneath her velvet

PEOPLEIN BRIEF

Catherine Dougherty (picturedright) leaves King’s after two anda half years as Schools LiaisonOfficer (SLO) and AdmissionsOfficer. As the first SLO to be aqualified teacher her workinvolved creating long-termrelationships with teachers aswell as short-term links withstudents. Catherine is nowreturning to the classroom toteach history at GodolphinSchool, Salisbury. “It has been apleasure meeting interesting andbright students from both thestate and private sector,” shesays. “It is made all the easierwhen you are representing aCollege that has a genuine,deeply-ingrained belief inadmitting the best studentsirrespective of background”.

Kristy Guneratne (picturedleft)takes over from Catherine asSLO. She graduated with anMPhil from Clare College and BAfrom Downing, going on toteach in France and CambridgeSummer Schools. Kristy comesfrom Stockport where sheattended Ridge Danyers SixthForm College. “Many peoplehave misconceptions aboutCambridge being too expensive,or not for them socially. I wantto prove them wrong.”

Katrina Thornton has alsostarted in the Admissions Officeas Administrator for Admissions.Katrina studied Art and Design,and then taught art in inner cityLondon comprehensives. Shewas then tempted back toCambridge, where she had livedas a teenager. After a spell in theCambridge Admissions Officeshe applied to King’s: “I liked themore open and imaginativeapproach King’s has as to whichstudents it takes,” she said.“Many pupils don’t know how tofind a place at university but,with a little push they can fly!”

KING’SPEOPLE

a Syndic of the University Press, and an electedmember of the University Council.

“Her expertise in Classics and Philosophy as wellas Politics makes her almost irreplaceable,” said RossHarrison. Ashley Moffett, Fellow in Medicine said:“As well as a excellent scholar, Melissa Lane has beenamong the most collegial of colleagues. Her interestin others is reflected in a great curiosity in a range oftopics from ethics, art, literature andmusic to religion,philosophy and politics. Her warmth has brightenedthe SCR and her genuine concern for others isunusual when combined with such a formidableintellect.”

Melissa Lane leaves for Princeton

Joelle du Lac moves toJudge Business School

gloveswas steel which earned her respect.”Joelle has spoken of her mixed emotions on

leaving: “I relish the challenge of working at the Judge,a dynamic and relatively young business school, butwill sincerely miss King’s. It has been a privilege to playeven a minuscule part in its long history.”

Joelle has been responsible for manyinnovations since her arrival, including the launchof kingsmembers.org, the website dedicated tomembers, and the development of a roadmap forKing’s fundraising. She will remain a member of anew working party forming a DevelopmentAdvisory Board.

Melissa Lane: ‘Almost irreplaceable’.

Joelle du Lac: ‘vigour and professionalism’.

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NEWS IN BRIEF On being BursarSix months into the job of First Bursar,Keith Carne spoke to Charlotte Sankey

How would you describe the role?There are many different aspects to it but asignificant part is conveying information. In someways being Bursar in a Cambridge College is a bit likebeing a town crier: you are constantly givinginformation to the Fellows and the rest of the Collegeso that they can make informed decisions.

What has surprised you about the job?The extent to which there is a real sense of workingcollaboratively with other Bursars across theUniversity, who will stop at nothing to help you, andalso the constructive way in which the CollegeOfficers work as a team. It’s not so much aboutmaking decisions as jointly providing a sense ofdirection for the College.

What is different now that you are a CollegeOfficer?You see at much closer quarters the commitmentand hard work of the staff in making the place runsmoothly. I have more reason to see many of thestaff and Fellows. It is also very good to have JaneReadman as an assistant, and to organise my diary.

What about the new financial challenge?Obviously this has been a great deal harder than Ihad thought, as so many projects were due to befunded by our endowment, which is down by 30-35%.We face difficult decisions over the coming yearas we need to adjust our spending to suit our means.My job is to present the Governing Body with thechoices they need to make and to explain theconsequences. Of the £18 million we need to runKing’s each year, about £4.5 million comes fromreturn on the endowment, the rest from fees andcharges. The endowment thus covers a significant

PEOPLEIN BRIEF

Fellow Simon Goldhill,Professor in Greek Literatureand Culture, and Director ofStudies in Classics at King’s,has been elected to theAmerican Academy of Arts andSciences, an independentpolicy research centre whichconducts multidisciplinarystudies of complex andemerging problems.

FellowCaroline Humphreyhas been awarded theAmerican PhilosophicalSociety’s prestigious HenryAllen Moe Prize in theHumanities for her paperAlternative Freedoms. AnAnthropologist, Carolinespecialises in Soviet and post-Socialist Russia and Asia.

The College is delighted toannounce the appointment ofthe first Bob AlexanderFellow in Law. Brian Sloan,currently holds theW MTappStudentship in Law at Gonvilleand Caius. He has impressiveacademic credentials and iscurrently completing his PhDwhich is looking at the legalposition of carers, and howsociety ‘cares for carers’. Healso supervises students inProperty and Family Law. King’swishes to express sincerethanks to those who supportthe Bob Alexander Fund. TheCollege still hopes to endowthe fund in perpetuity andwelcomes further donations.

King’s musicians wereprominent among theprizewinners at the recentRoyal Philharmonic SocietyAwards. George Benjamin(KC 1978), Ed Gardner (KC1993), Mark Padmore (KC1979) and John Eliot Gardiner(KC 1961) all won awards.

TREVOR EDE HAS LEFT after 12 years as ChapelClerk, a role in which he prepared the Chapel forservices and explained the Chapel to visitors."One of the pleasures of the job," he explained, "hasbeen meeting people of all nationalities." Trevor hasbeen made an honorary member of the Choir, whopresented him with a special Coll Reg scarf.

"Trevor’s contribution to the smooth running ofthe Chapel has been invaluable, " said the ActingDean, Richard Lloyd-Morgan. "It is always offeredwith the greatest good humour and generosity.We are extremely grateful, and we will miss him verymuch indeed."

Trevor, who comes from Hampshire, was achurch warden before coming to King’s, as well as

working in the RAF in electronics. In his retirementhe is planning to do a grand tour of the cathedrals ofthe UK.

proportion of our expenditure and changes to thatwill have a great effect on what we can afford to doin support of our aims: “education, religion, learningand research”. Unfortunately, we will need to makesome reductions in areas very dear to the College.

What would you like to see changed in King’s?I would like us to have a greater sense of the wholeCollege being a community, and for there to bebetter communications to and among the students,fellows and staff about the real issues that theCollege faces.

Does being a mathematician help you in the job?Mathematicians are not distressed by balancesheets but there is still a lot that I need to learnabout the financial processes at the College. I haveexcellent advisors: Schroders on our investments,and Bidwells and Savills on the property side. SimonBillington, the Assistant Bursar, has been a greathelp in understanding and developing the Collegeaccounts.

I have known the College for many years andcan understand the aspirations and requirements ofthe fellowship and of University departments. Ihope that this will help me to keep priorities clearand to assess advice well.

Trevor Ede retires after 12 years

KING’SNEWS

My answer to both these questions is aresounding “yes”. Keynes thoughteconomics was a moral science thatexplained how economies function

and, if they malfunction, designed humane cures.He also knew that if there was not a persuasiverationale for economies’ behaviour, policies,however appropriate, would not be accepted.

This moral approach guided his life-longcontributions. His major insight, the theme of hismagnum opus, The General Theory ofEmployment, Interest and Money (1936) led us, asa close colleague and follower James Meade put it“to shift economists from thinking… in terms of amodel of reality in which a dog called savingswagged his tail called investment to thinking interms of a dog called investment [wagging] his tailcalled savings”. This means that to have high levels

of employment in an unregulated capitalisteconomy business people must plan high levels ofspending on capital goods, to create high levels ofincome from which would come the saving tomatch this investment.

Keynes’s view of capitalism reversed our viewof it as something driven by individuals who madesavings available for investment to occur – to acontrary view that it was the swash buckling,ruthless business people (sometimes,paradoxically, timid and lacking confidence) whodrove the whole system, and regarded profit-making and accumulation as ends in themselves,with everyone else dancing to their tune. No doubthe would have used the epithet ‘swashbuckling’ oftoday’s (un)apologetic bankers.

Keynes inherited the former view from histeachers (especially Alfred Marshall) together withanother key argument: that, at least in the longrun, what happened in the real economy waslargely independent of what happened inmonetary and financial sectors. According to thetheories of Marshall and others, in these sectorsthe general price level was set by the quantity ofmoney – the (in)famous Quantity Theory ofMoney (QTM). They recognised that inflations anddeflations – over and under-employmentsituations – occurred, but considered them to be

Keynes, the most influential economic thinker in thefirst two thirds of the 20th century, is back in voguewith a vengeance. Keynes expert Geoffrey Harcourt(KC 1955) asks whether Keynes would really have beenable to help us understand today’s crisis, or to dosomething about it?

J M KEYNESHIS TIMEAGAIN?

Geoffrey Harcourt is EmeritusReader in the History of EconomicTheory, Cambridge, EmeritusFellow at Jesus College andProfessor Emeritus, Adelaide.

KING’SMEMBERS

The sketch of Keynes abovewas recently discovered inthe King’s Archive. Itoriginally appeared inBasileon the Collegemagazine for June 1914.

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mere fluctuations around a long-term trendtowards full-employment output, in a world inwhich all who wanted to work under existingconditions could find a job.

Keynes moved increasingly away from thisview in The General Theory (and was not alone in

doing so). He emphasisedthat all major economicdecisions are taken in anenvironment of inescapableuncertainty about the future.We have to analyse howpeople, sometimes sensible,sometimes not, makedecisions influenced

overwhelmingly by theirperceptions of the states ofshort-run and long-runexpectations about futureevents.

Keynes’ theory was a theory for all possibleeconomic situations – not confined simply toexplaining depressions. His biographer, RobertSkidelsky, called him “the last of the great Englishliberals”. Keynes was a man who respectedpersonal choice in consumption and employmentbut advocated the following: governmentintervention in the economy; monetary policydesigned to affect the levels of interest rates andavailability of credit; fiscal policies to increaseexpenditure directly through public works andindirectly by using taxation changes to influenceconsumers’ ability to spend. These sorts of policieswere advocated at the recent G20 meeting,together with policies to regulate financial sectors.

I believe he would also have supported hisclosest followers’ post-war emphasis on the needfor permanent incomes policies to restrain theincrease of money incomes if full employment wasto be sustained without undue inflation andbalance of payments problems.

He also argued that if all countries aimed to beat full employment, international trade (but notcapital flows) could be more free, with exchangerates fixed (but with provisions to change them ifthey affected the ability of economies to maintainfull employment).

At Bretton Woods in 1944, he proposed aworld central bank, a world currency andmeasures to make countries with balance ofpayments surpluses reduce them, so removing a

major source of contractionary bias in the worldeconomy. Alas, he did not carry the day and theBretton Woods system broke down in the 1970s,partly because it carried within it the seeds of itsown destruction.

Variants of Keynes’s proposals on thesematters are again entering the public domain.

Keynes had way-ahead-of-his-time views onthe stock exchange, which painfully presagetoday’s crisis. He warned that if, as has been amajor cause of our present troubles, people’strades on the stock exchange – ‘speculations’ –are based on guesses about what others thinkprices will be, rather than on the expectedprofitability of underlying real assets behind thefinancial instruments then, “when the capitaldevelopment of a country becomes a by-product ofthe excesses of a casino, the job is likely to be illdone”.

Keynes wanted to use taxation to encourage“marriage for life”, and to induce people to holdplacements for long periods rather than movefunds in and out of different companies. Thiswould have helped prevent stock exchangevolatility from amplifying the inescapable real upsand downs in our economy and could havereduced the scale of the current crisis.

If Keynes were alive today he would have beenscathing about the role of professional andamateur speculators in the current system offloating exchange rates, which has greatly added totheir volatility. He would have designed ‘carrotand stick’ tax measures to induce economically-desirable behaviour as he would have tackledspeculation in housing markets.

He would also have designed measures toinduce banks and other financial intermediaries tobehave more responsibly during upturns anddownturns, by sticking to well-thought-out creditassessment rules in the upturn, and supportingborrowers with short-term cashflow problems but

sound long-term prospects in the downturn. Ofcourse, Keynes would have supported Brown,Obama, and Rudd’s increased governmentspending on infrastructure.

Unfortunately, over the last 30 years andmore, many economists have departed fromKeynes’s view of how economies operate and havereturned to what another of Keynes’s closestcolleagues, Joan Robinson, (an Honorary Fellow ofKing’s) called ‘Pre-Keynesian theory after Keynes’

“ When the capitaldevelopment of a countrybecomes a by-product ofthe excesses of a casino, thejob is likely to be ill done”.

If Keynes were alive today hewould have been scathingabout the role of speculatorsin the current system offloating exchange rates

KING’SMEMBERS

9 | king’s members

in the guise of monetarism and its offshoots,including the Washington consensus.

Keynes’s analysis of how economies work is theappropriate background for a wide range of‘package deals’ of policies, from mildlyconservative to quite radical. My fervent hope isthat, like a wheel, things will now turn full circle.

I believe Keynes’s fundamental ideas, broughtup to date by his immediate followers many ofthem associated with King’s – Richard Kahn,Nicholas Kaldor, Joan Robinson, Wynne Godley,Jamie Galbraith, Luigi Pasinetti and theirsuccessors – offer the best hope to tackle theterrible malfunctioning of modern capitalism.

If his essay heagreed withKeynes, he wasgiven an alphaminus or, withluck, an alpha.If not he wasgiven a betaminus

I believeKeynes’fundamentalideas... offerthe best hope totackle theterriblemalfunctioningof moderncapitalism

KEYNES CAME UP to King’s in 1902, having beena King’s Scholar at Eton. He got a First inMathematics, and was then elected a Fellow inEconomics in 1909.

Keynes was a dedicated supervisor for theEconomics Tripos. Most of his pupils were fromKing’s, but there were occasionally some brilliantstrays from other colleges such as D H (later SirDenis) Robertson from Trinity.

A highly-regarded teacherTwo great King’s economists stand out. By far themost brilliant of his pupils was Richard (laterLord) Kahn who, having switched from theNatural Sciences Tripos, won a First in Economicsin just one year. Keynes would come back fromLondon on Friday nights in time for High Table,and then supervise Kahn on Saturday mornings.Kahn went on to devise the critical macroeconomicconcept of “the multiplier”, a concept withoutwhich Keynes could not have written The GeneralTheory of Employment, Interest and Money. TheHarvard economist Schumpeter averred that Kahnwas, in effect, co-author of two majorbreakthroughs in economic theory: The GeneralTheory and Joan Robinson’s (KC 1979) TheEconomics of Imperfect Competition (1933).

The second outstanding pupil was W BReddaway (1931), who, right up to his death a fewyears ago, kept his essays marked by Keynes. At aseminar in 1996, Reddaway produced these essaysand read out his tutor’s comments. Reddaway’sview regarding the grading of these essays wassimple: if he agreed with Keynes, he was given analpha minus or, with luck, an alpha. If not he wasgiven a beta minus. Yes, Keynes was pretty cock-sure, but he commanded the utter devotion of hisKing’s students.

He was appointed Second Bursar (occasionallycalled “the Bursar in charge of investments”) in1919, and First Bursar in 1924, the office he held

It was as a Fellow at King’s that Keynesdeveloped his revolutionary economicideas. Current Fellow in Economics,James Trevithick, outlines Keynes’sconnections with the College

until his death in 1946. Despite his Collegeresponsibilities he nevertheless managed todevote an enormous amount of time and effort tonational and international policy making.

And successful BursarKeynes’s record as manager of the Collegeportfolio is well-known. During the period 1940-1946 the real value of the College’s investmentsmore than doubled. In Ian Barter’s speech as FirstBursar to the Annual Congregation in 1995, heremarked on the fact that, by 1968, and despitethe cost of building the Keynes Buildingcompleted a year earlier “…it is virtually certainthat King’s endowment was then greater thanTrinity’s”.

Despite his success with the ‘macro’ aspects ofhis Bursarship, he was not averse to dabbling in‘micro-management’. “Dadie” Rylands (1921) wasDomus Bursar alongside Keynes for most of theWar. On a few occasions Keynes would chideRylands for his generous treatment of the needytenants of College properties, matters whichwould not normally be regarded as being withinthe remit of the First Bursar.

More controversially he would meddle inmatters which were totally outside the remit ofthe First Bursar. The most notorious example ofthis was his view, which became College policy fordecades, that King’s was no place for the study ofLaw. What he had against Law and lawyers is amatter of speculation, but it is only within the last15 years that the College has admittedundergraduates for Part IA of the Law Tripos.Previously, aspiring King’s lawyers had had toapply to read other Triposes in their first yearhere. With beautiful irony, their alternativesubject of initial choice was almost alwaysEconomics!

Keynes and King’s

Keynes (left) at Eton shortly before coming to King’s.

KING’SMEMBERS

10 | chapel repairs

CHAPELREPAIRS

FEWWOULD DISPUTE the fact that the Chapel, now almost 500years old, is one of the world’s most awe-inspiring buildings.However the Tudor roses have been eroded by acid rain and thestone window frames are cracking.

King's takes very seriously its duty to care for and maintain theChapel. A new programme of works is moving gradually around thebuilding, starting on the South side, the rest depending on fundsraised. The whole project will last around five years, with each ofthe 26 bays taking around two months to complete.A project of this size is not possible without the generosity of

REPLACINGTWOCROWNSTwo new crowns have been created, using aprocess similar to that used to form the newanimal figures (see right). Stone masons createthe new crowns by copying the design of originalcrowns inside the Chapel. It takes around a weeko carve a new crown.

TREATINGTHEWINDOWBARSMany of the wrought iron bars which support thestained glass have rusted badly, exploding in thestone frames, and causing significant damage.Rust can expand up to ten times in size and exerta force strong enough to crack individual stones.This repair is made particularly critical by the factthat the tall windows support a very heavyweight. The picture shows new rust-free iron bars.

With thanks to Henry Freeland of architects Freeland, Rees Roberts, who has been Architect to the Chapel since 1990

RESTORINGAMASTERPIECEThe Chapel is undergoing a £3 million programme of essential repairs.What exactly is being done behind the netting?

supporters. Income from visitor admissions helpsconsiderably with running costs, but does not coverrefurbishment, and the College receives no grants or externalfunding for the Chapel. A significant part of this work hasbeen funded by the generosity of Robin Boyle (KC 1955) andSunny Pal (KC 1955). The work is coordinated by well-knownarchitects Freeland, Rees Roberts: “This is an essential projectto conserve historic masonry,” said Henry Freeland. ”It is aparticular pleasure to be involved in the conservation ofKing's Chapel.”

11 | chapel repairs

CHAPELREPAIRS

CLEANINGTHE STONEThe stonework has been given a ‘conservation’clean, meaning a gentle clean that is sufficientlyabrasive to unblock dirt from the pores of thestone so it can breath but not so aggressive as todamage the all-important ‘face’ of the stone. Thisis formed by the sap in the stone which emergesfrom the stone when it is quarried, then hardens.The cleaning is done by using clay poultices whichsoften the dirt, then absorb it.

STARTINGABOVETHE PORCHThe work started with the bay above the southporch and working eastwards, as the buttresseson these bays have carved decorations andfigures where repairs were considered mosturgent.

REPAIRINGTHE FIGURESThe animal figures have been repaired and in onecase replaced altogether. This involves sculptorTim Crawley of Fairhaven andWoods recreatingthe figures afresh using zoological drawings to getlife and movement into the sculpture. He firstforms a maquette in clay, then scales it up andcarves it in stone.There are a total of eight animals on the exterior

of the south side: dogs, griffins, lions and yales.

CLEANINGTHEGLASSThe glass is being conservation cleaned by HolyWell Stained Glass Studio, Somerset, who arealso carrying out a detailed survey of the glass.The environmental conditions inside the Chapelare also being monitored to see the conditionsthe glass is experiencing.

12 | research

DrWyn Evans Reader in Astronomy andFellow in Mathematics at King's since 2003(Professor of Astronomy fromOctober 2009)

In my research at the moment…...I have discovered a ‘new’ group of galaxies thattogether form an enormous gravitational lens, andare in the shape of a grinning human face. It is oneof the brightest images of a galaxy from the earlyuniverse and is around 11 billion years old –formed around two billion years after the birth ofthe universe 13 billion years ago.We have dubbed the lens ‘Mr Smiley’. I worked

with my colleague Vasily Belokurov using datafrom an enormous survey, the Sloan Digital SkySurvey. The telescopes we use are in New Mexico,Hawaii and Chile. It is notmuch good observing fromEurope as there is toomuch cloud and pollution here.

What is the face made up of?The eyes of the lens are two enormous, reddish-yellow elliptical galaxies in the foreground. Behindthem is a distant blue galaxy, which is seen as aseries of elongated arcs and makes up Mr Smiley'ssmile, ears and eyebrows. Light from the distantgalaxy is bent by the red galaxies in the foregroundand appears like giant arcs. The reason it is blue isthat gas is being furiously turned into young stars.Former students may remember Einstein’s famouscalculation of the bending of light by the Sun.These arcs are caused by the same gravitationaleffect, but on a stupendous scale.

How large is it?You could describe it as the largest gravitationallens ever discovered. On a physical scale, the arcseparation is tens of kiloparsecs (quadrillions of

kilometers across). This is about the same lengthas a mole (6 followed by 23 zeros) of King's CollegeChapels laid end-to-end.

What makes your work difficult?The work is very competitive, as we are battlingwith two other groups in the Unites States to studythese huge separation lenses. Also your intuition isconstantly being challenged as you cannot use theeveryday assumptions about physical conditionsthat apply here on Earth. You are using lots ofmaths, physics and chemistry, and there are many,many variables. You can’t do experiments either asit is impossible to replicate the extreme conditionsfrom billions of years ago!Once you understand things, though, it is verysatisfying; you can set a programme to search forblue arcs and red objects near each other, which ishow we found Mr Smiley.

How will this further our knowledge?It will contribute to knowledge about theformation of galaxies in the early universe andtheir physical properties. As lensed galaxies arehighly magnified, they provide us with some of theclearest views of the epoch of galaxy formation.

How do people react to your work?People generally find it very appealing. It helpsthat the astronomical images are extremelybeautiful. Galaxies are amongst the most gracefulof all objects in the universe.

KING’SRESEARCH

‘Mr Smiley’ is quadrillions ofkilometres across.

CSankey

13 | research

From tadpoles to debt:lectures to interest everyone

One of the features of King's intellectual life overthe past couple of years has been the way that allsorts of academics from all over the world havemade an appearance in King's giving informallectures. The reason? King's recently appointedFellow in Linguistics, Bert Vaux, who organisesmost of these lectures which have attracted largeaudiences and lively discussion. NRMs are alsowelcome to attend. Since January they haveincluded topics such as:

> Neural circuits with special reference to thetadpole (Professor Alan Roberts, BristolUniversity)

> DoesD H Lawrence have a sense of humour?(Dr Catherine Brown, St Hilda's College, Oxford)

> Sovereign defaults (Michael Waibel, BritishAcademy Postdoctoral Fellow at the Faculty ofLaw)

> Five breakthrough reforms in healthcare(Neal Hogan, BDC Advisors, and Michael Wagner,The Health Care Advisory Board Company)

Biologists’ Seminars:not just for scientists

“It is a rather wasted opportunity to have Fellowsand students all working in one subject andrubbing shoulders over lunch but with little chanceto talk,” said Mike Bate, Fellow in Biology. “TheBiologists’ Seminars are an attempt to establish avertical community within the College.”The seminars have been going for a couple of

years and attendance is around 20 to 25 people,half being King’s students, and many from othersubjects. “It is a great opportunity forundergraduates to have contact with Fellowsoutside their normal supervisions,” says Mike. “Ialways hope the speaker won’t get away withtalking for more than five minutes without beinginterrupted!” he adds. Recent topics have been:

> Infection and autoimmunity: cohabitation maybe a good thing (Anne Cooke)

> The evolution of self: a biological perspective(Francesco Colucci, Babraham Institute)

> Disease in a changing landscape (ChrisGilligan)

Are scientific claims true? Or simply imagesmanipulated to suit our social needs? Could our rush tofind solutions to climate change be distorting thefacts? Is there a deep fact about who you are? Or doesthe idea of personal identity rest on an illusion? Doescalling something a work of art make it so? Do we havea duty to create people as intelligent as possible?

Eleven people sit in rapt silence in a room high upin the Gibbs’ Building. They are listening intently to asecond year undergraduate, Reuben Binns, who sitsperched on the edge of a worn leather chair. He poses aseries of questions on the philosophy of science inanimated, rapid succession. He talks confidently yetfalteringly, and succeeds in engaging his audiencewhich is composed of undergraduates, graduatestudents, two Fellows and the mother of a student.

The event is one of the ‘Philosopher King’s’evenings, an extra-curricular activity for philosophystudents. It goes back to the 1970s when it waslaunched by Ross Harrison. Today it is HallvardLillehammer who hosts the sessions in his rooms on Hstaircase where during Full Term Fellows, students andtheir friends from other subjects, get together over a

glass of wine and talkphilosophy.

“There are enough studentsfor it not to be just anothersupervision,” Hallvard explains.“It’s a great opportunity forstudents to present a piece ofcoursework to each other, toget feedback and to debate.”

After Reuben’s presentation, a murmur ofcomments and questions arise; the discussiontakes off. Reuben may havebeen nervous but he hasaccomplished something: hehas publicly exposed hisgreatest and latest intellectualefforts to both his peers andhis Director of Studies. Nomean feat.

The light fades as the sunsets over Gibbs’ and thediscussion broadens in thedirection of the nature of truth.

The power of thoughtKing’s has a strong tradition of academic exchange within its own walls andencouraging people to share ideas across subjects. Here are just a few Collegeinitiatives that are stretching our understanding of the world

> For future talks in theinformal lecture series goto www.talks.cam.ac.uk/show/index/14883

Philosophising until the sun sets

“I always hopethe speakerwon’t get awaywith talking formore than fiveminuteswithout beinginterrupted!”

KING’SRESEARCH

Above: Hallvard LillehammerBelow: Reuben Binns

CSa

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14 | king’s members

Madeleine Lovell (KC 1996, Music)Madeleine remembers her time at King’s fondly as a relaxed, supportivecommunity – with a welcome and distinctive lack of gowns – in which she saysshe was able to hone her professional skills and musical interests. She took adouble starred first in Music and went on to an MPhil in Musicology. Today sheis one of the few women conductors working in the UK, and also one of itsyoungest. She remains involved in the Cambridge music scene, serving as theDirector of Music at Queens’ College. Despite her young age, Madeleine hasworked with some of the biggest choruses in the country – the BBC SymphonyChorus, London Philharmonic Chorus and the Philharmonia Chorus (to namebut a few). She has also been involved with the London Lyric Opera since itsfoundation, and conducts its upcoming performance of Strauss’s DieFledermaus at Cadogan Hall on 16 June.

Dr Peter Burman (KC 1963, Architecture and Fine Arts)Since reading Architecture as an undergraduate at King’s, Peter has dedicatedmore than four decades to the protection and promotion of the country’scultural and architectural heritage. Citing the influence of the pioneering effortsof the 19th century author and artist John Ruskin, Peter was a founding trusteeof SAVE Britain’s Heritage in 1977. Peter further promoted the field of heritagestudies while serving as the Director for the Centre for Conservation Studies (inboth Architecture and Archaeology) at the University of York from 1990-2002.This academic position led him to become Director of Conservation andProperty Services of the National Trust for Scotland, where he served until2007. Currently he is Professor of Cultural Heritage at Brandenburg TechnicalUniversity, Germany, where he works closely with German counterparts onconservation-related topics and oversees academic exchanges.

Hazel MarIon Smith (KC 1972, Maths)As one of the first women undergraduates at King’s, Hazel remembers her firstterm at King’s as a fairly traumatic one. Coming from a grammar school, the9 to 1 ratio of men to women students made for quite a change in her socialenvironment. Her unease eventually passed and Hazel remembers warmly hertime on the punt committee and coxing the women’s boat in May bumps – sheprogressed from the King’s 5th boat to the King’s 2nd boat (bumping, amongstothers, the University women’s 2nd boat). Hazel currently works as a computerprogrammer at Cambridge Electronic Design Ltd, based on the CambridgeScience Park. She is also an extremely active member of the local community,serving on the board of the Duxford Saturday Workshop and as an Observer forConservators of the Cam. Since 2004, Hazel has been a local Liberal Democratcouncillor for Milton on the South Cambridgeshire District Council.

Dr Hugo Radice (KC 1965, Economics)While a student at King’s in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, Hugo was active inradical politics. As a member of the Socialist Society, a contributor to the weeklyShilling Paper, and an advocate for University democracy and co-education,Hugo established himself as a committed socialist, which he remains to this day.Recently Hugo won the Daniel Singer Millenium Prize for 2008 for his essay“1968 and the Idea of Socialism” that he presented at the annual Left Forum atPace University, New York City, in April. After leaving King’s Hugo became aLecturer in Economics at the University of Leeds before changing to Politics atLeeds. He taught and researched mostly in industrial economics, the politicaleconomy of Eastern Europe, transnational corporations and Marxist theory.He retired from teaching in 2008 and frequently contributes opinion pieces tothe Yorkshire Post.

KING’SMEMBERS

WHEREARETHEY NOW?

15 | king’s women

A ‘DINNEROFONE’SOWN’What was it like entering the maleworld that was King’s in 1972? KCSUWomen’s Officer Diane Doliveuxreports on discussions at the 2009Women’s Dinner

80 YEARS AFTER Virginia Woolf’s A Room ofOne’s Own was first published, a vote on whetherthe tradition of ‘a dinner of one’s own’ for womenin King’s should continue resulted in a resounding‘yes’ at this year’s Women’s Dinner.

Rounding off a day of events, Fellow MelissaLane – who is off to take up a chair in Princeton –reflected on the continuing importance of thedinner in reclaiming a space that had beenexclusively male for so many years – a dinner thatshe founded on her arrival 13 years ago.

The afternoon ‘Personal Histories’ panelbrought home the fact that women have only beenattending King’s for 37 years compared to men’s578. It featured three King’s alumnae, includingProfessor Anne Dell (KC1972), who was the firstever female student to arrive at King’s. She arrivedseveral months too early and was told she wouldhave to find somewhere to live until term started.

Judith Weir CBE (KC 1973), thought that beingone of the few women at King’s had been aprobably pleasant experience than later, when themale:female ratio was closer and the man feltmore threatened. Anne Hathaway (though “notthat one” she explained cheerily) (KC 1975)questioned what it meant to be brought back tospeak as a successful Kingswoman, since althoughshe felt successful, she couldn’t claim to be so byconventional criteria. When Susan Tomes (KC1972) – who performed three piano pieces duringthe dinner – applied to King’s she got the bestmark in the Cambridge music entrance exam butwas told the scholarship would have to go to thestudent who came second, as there was noprovision for giving it to a woman.

The discussion between students and alumnaethat followed was a rare opportunity to see how farwomen at King’s have come since, and to see thenew challenges they face today. Though it may betempting to think sexism has been consigned tothe dustbin of history, it is heartening that bysupporting such events, King’s chooses not to putits head in the sand but to consider instead how itcan continue to celebrate diversity while tacklingthe prejudices that affect many students’ lives. Thewomen’s event this year was just one such attemptto do so, as, in the words of William Faulkner:“The past is not dead. It is not even past”.

“MY KING’S CAREER started before Iarrived at the College in that, having beenoffered a place in 1971 – the first womanto be offered a place as I sat the examearly – I had a year to wait before thedoors were opened to women. It was acurious position to be in.

"I worked to save some money andthen travelled, firstly on the Trans-Siberianrailway in 1971-2 before the end ofCommunism, so it was a closely controlledtrip in terms of who I could talk to. Thenon to Japan, again raising a degree ofcuriosity, on to Thailand and then King’s.

"Here too there was curiosity, as youmight expect, but as much from fellowstudents or teachers, as from visitors. I hadground floor rooms and remember a grouppressing their noses to the window indelight at seeing a student – a female one– working. Rather than retreating tactfullythey called their friends over to look!

"The press were also curious. One day

a reporter at the gate was trying to findout which of the passing women was astudent. He stopped two women in frontof me and asked if they might have beenthe first woman to have been accepted. Hemissed me and asked the woman behind.

"Some found it strange to be cateringfor women after so long with only men.Walking behind a couple of bedders oneday I heard them muttering about whetherit was quite right to be clearing up forwomen: shouldn’t they be doing it forthemselves? It was alright for the men,but… An extraordinary thought to us now.

"In my first Anthropology lecture, thelecturer asked a question of the womenthere. How did they function and whywere they studying Anthropology?Rankling even then, it prompted theresponse: “To find out why anyone wouldask such a question!” Today it seemsunthinkable that such a question shouldeven be thought of."

The first woman to be admittedAngela Jackson (KC 1972) recalls being an object of curiosity asthe first female student admitted to King’s

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KING’SWOMEN

Angela in 1972 (left) andtoday (right). Since leavingKing’s Angela (now Browne)did research in MedicalSociology then set up abusiness making noveltycakes, before qualifying as alawyer. Latterly she makestraditional stained glass.

16 | students

Doing good adifferent way

IN THE LAST ISSUE outgoing KCSU President,Lucy McMahon, tackled the elusive question of theCollege’s identity. She suggested students shouldsee the College’s identity as a “blank page”.

I agree: today King’s is more socially andpolitically diverse than perhaps it ever has been.I would like to offer my own account of this blankpage.

I chose to apply to King’s in large part becauseof its reputation as a place of left-wing liberalpolitics and political activism. This was notnecessarily because I felt this reflected my ownoutlook – at the time my political views were‘centrist’, although three years of reading politicshave left me with a muddle of political beliefs –but because I considered it a healthy environmentin which my views would be challenged ratherthan reinforced. As I am now planning a career inthe Metropolitan Police, it might appear as thoughthe College failed to offer the challenge I expected.

There is in fact very little apathy at King’s.Student politics may seem less active than it oncewas, but it would be a mistake to equate therelative infrequency of demonstrations or sit-inswith a lack of political interest or engagement.There is a growing campaign for collegedivestment from the arms trade and several King’s

students were key organisers in the ‘occupation’ ofthe Law Faculty in protest at Israel’s actions inGaza. But the latter, while in the vein of traditionalstudent protest, is the exception rather than therule. Student politics has certainly become far lessideologically driven.

We no longer think that the solutions to theworld’s problems are simple, or that they can beunderstood simply through reading more Marx orMill. With these realisations comes the downsidethat some problems can seem insurmountable.My view is that freedom from the polarising anddivisive effects of political dogma opensopportunities for reasoned debate and soberplanning which, while far less glamorous, offer realhope for progress. Lucy’s article shows that thecurrent generation of King’s students can mobilisepopular opinion to bring about change. Today, inKing’s: Fair Trade beverages. Tomorrow, in thegreat wide world: who can say?

I believe that King’s continues to be a home forpeople who strive to improve the world. They mayno longer do so in the name of ‘socialism’ but theyget the job done. Starting with a blank page may beharder than falling back on ideologies, but forthose with the courage to write their own story itoffers the best opportunity to do good.

Is King’s radical? Responding to anarticle by Lucy McMahon in the lastissue, third year Daniel Lanczi-Wilsonargues that progress is possiblewithout Marx or Mill

a team spirit that transcends the netball court andan infectious enthusiasm that makes the early startso worthwhile.

I often joke that we look like the communityteam as we walk up to meet our competitors, andpossess one of the finest team spirits – somethingthat cannot be bought, borrowed or made inChina. It is a unique camaraderie that is foundedupon fast-stuck friendship and fast-paced talent, awillingness to push oneself above and beyondone’s limitations and a capacity for success both onand off a gravel court. At King’s, it’s not just asports team; it’s so much more than that.

Wing attackCat Rogerson reports on the spirit of the King’snetball team, despite a lack of hair elastics

AT 9AM EVERY SATURDAY and Sunday, in frontof a backdrop of scenery that is fit to be printedupon (the King’s Back Gate), the King’s netballteam gather for matches.

There are often no matching clothes, a playerwho is late – apologies panted out through aruthless enthusiasm to ‘get there’ – and nearlyalways a kerfuffle as hair bobbles are borrowed totie rebellious hair back. There is always, however,

“For those withthe courage towrite their ownstory, startingwith a blankoffers the bestopportunity todo good”

STUDENTVIEWSC

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17 | students

THERE HAS BEEN TALK of how King’s canrenew its radicalism. As the College develops forthe future, an issue that can’t be ignored is ourenvironmental impact.

In fact, many College departments have beenquietly taking green initiatives for many years.From locally-sourced food to donating oldfurniture to charity, there is a strong beliefamongst staff all around the College thatconsidering the planet is important. King’sstudents are also active in a number ofuniversity-wide initiatives, such as theGo Greener campaign which calls for emissionreductions; taking part in the inter-college‘Green League Table’; and the campaign forethical investment.

Recently, several department heads, staff,Fellows and students realised the need forcoordination. We have now formed a committeeto draw up a potential College environmentalpolicy, which should bring together existing bestpractice and push for King’s to go further andlead to progress. Whether this means turningdown heating or constructing our ownrenewable power project, strong environmentalinitiatives provide a way for King’s to reclaim aradical agenda.

King’s Drama createsnew FestenA NEW ADAPTATION of the critically acclaimedmodern play, Festen, was staged in King’s Hall thisMay by King’s students, directed by second-yearstudents Julien Domercq and Balaji Ravichandran.Balaji also produced the play, adapting it for thestage from the original Danish film, and its firstEnglish adaptation by David Eldridge.

King’s Drama provided much of the fundingand actors were from across the University, plusone from Anglia Ruskin University.Festen (Danish, The Celebration) is often

credited with the rebirth of tragedy in moderndrama. Above and beyond being the dinner partywhere things go awry, it provides a powerfulcommentary on the moral ineptitude of whichsociety is capable, addressing undercurrents ofsexual abuse, racism, the class system andhomophobia. The play is about our response tosocietal failures rather than an examination ofits causes.

The staging in King’s Hall was done in a way

What King’s is doing already

>Much of the food consumed at King’s is sourcedlocally. Clear labelling in the canteen means dinerscan choose between food using local ingredients vsthat made with imported ingredients.

>Old furniture is donated to charity rather thanthrown into landfill while mattresses are strippeddown and recycled by our environmentally-mindedsuppliers.

>Water is used sparingly: only new plants and thosein tubs or in distress are watered. The Front Court isthe only lawn watered, and only when it yellows.

> 100 tons of green waste are composted each yearwith none going into landfill. Weeds are taken to bespecially composted at higher temperatures thatkill the weed seed.

>Much more general waste is being recycled year onyear. We now produce 7,500 litres of waste a week,down from 9,000 a week last year.

Watch the new University video which compares the energyconsumption of driving a car with taking a hot bath etc, justproduced as part of the Cambridge Ideas series for the 800thcelebrations: www.800.cam.ac.uk/page/122/cambridge-ideas-how-many-lightbulbs.htm

that allowed the audience to participate actively inthe production. They toasted, clapped and dancedwith the cast during the performance. Theproduction also followed a modified version of theDogme 95 conventions for filming – a minimalisticfocus on props and lighting, and heavy emphasison script and acting. King’s Drama hopes to go onto support more theatrical performances staged inKing’s during the next academic year.

King’s goes from red to greenBryony Hopkinshaw, KCSU Ethical Affairs Officer, reports on a new College-wide green initiative

STUDENTNEWS

18 | book reviews

Miracles of Life:An autobiography

by J G BallardCelebrated novelist and short storywriter J G Ballard came to study Medicineat King’s in 1949, then found his literaryvocation and studied English at theUniversity of London. He had beeninterned during the war by the Japanesein the Lunghua detention camp, whichinformed his best known novel Empireof the Sun. His died in April this year

J G Ballard’s last book was thisautobiography. It is a must-readnot only because he was one ofthe most original authorialvoices of the last century, butfor his scabrous verbal assaulton England, Cambridge andKing’s (in that order), alienworlds to him after hisinternment in Shanghai bythe Japanese. Fascinated bythe study of dissection in thelab, but appalled by ‘heritage’Cambridge, he lasted two yearsat King’s.

According to Ballard, theProvost was ‘a pantomimeparody of the eccentric don’,and the undergraduates stillplayed at being publicschoolboys. Apart from this,he admitted that he had fungetting drunk with the nursesfrom Addenbrookes anddabbling in short-story writing.

Harper Perennial, paperback£7.99

Whowas Sophie?The Lives of MyGrandmother,Poet and Stranger

by Celia RobertsonCelia Robertson (KC 1986) lives inLondon and has been an actor since1994. She has appeared on stage in JoePenhall’s Love andUnderstanding, MarkRavenhill’s Handbag and Airsickby Emma Frost

In this her first book, CeliaRobertson details the verydifferent ‘lives’ of hergrandmother, Joan AdeneyEasdale. She was a poet whowas mentored by Virginia Woolfand whose work was publishedby the Hogarth Press while shewas still in her teens. Afterenjoying success at a young age,she married and had threechildren before moving toAustralia. As the years passed,however, Joan became aparanoid schizophrenic andsemi-vagrant who eventuallychanged her name to SophieCurley, the first name meaning‘wisdom’ in Greek and thesecond referring to pubic hair.Using her grandmother’soriginal letters and notes, aswell as her own diary entries,Celia charts the life of a personwhose creative career wasderailed by the war andpost-war emigration to Sydneyand illuminates the psychiatricpractices of the 1950s, and thedifficulties of British city life inthe 1990s.

Virago Press Ltd, paperback£8.99

Science and Religion: AVery Short Introduction

by Thomas DixonThomas Dixon (KC 1991) is SeniorLecturer in History at Queen Mary,University of London

This addition to thedistinguished Very ShortIntroduction series wasdescribed by the late King’sFellow Peter Lipton as an ‘idealintroduction to a fascinatingsubject’ and by TheObserveras a ‘bracing initiation’ into theoften-contentious relationshipbetween science and religion –a relationship strained, forexample, during the trial ofGalileo and the Scopes ‘MonkeyTrial’ in the US in 1925. Yet, asDixon stresses in hisintroduction, harmony has alsoexisted between these twogreat social and intellectualforces. To demonstrate this,Dixon goes beyond thephilosophical questionsunderlying the debate, byexamining the social, ethicaland political contexts that havemade the relationship between‘science and religion’ such aninteresting topic today. Thiswork is intended to appeal toa wide range of readers, andparticularly those seeking‘a more balanced account’ ofscience and religion than ispresented in Richard Dawkins’sbest-selling TheGod Delusion.

Oxford University Press,paperback £7.99

Evidence and Evolution:The Logic Behindthe Science

by Elliott SoberElliott Sober (KC 1970) is HansReichenbach Professor and WilliamF Vilas Research Professor in theDepartment of Philosophy at theUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison.A philosopher of science, he gainedhis PhD from Harvard and has taughtat Stanford and LSE

This is a scientific andphilosophical book investigatingthe claims of Intelligent Designand the theory of evolution.Using various theories ofprobability, such as the Bayesiantheory, he shows the weaknessof the evidence supportingIntelligent Design, but alsoconcludes that the evidence forthe theory of evolution may notbe as strong as manyevolutionary scientists mightbelieve. Neither of theseoutcomes either proves ordisproves the existence of God.He examines in detail the manydifferent viewpoints – otherthan evolution and IntelligentDesign – about the existence, ornot, of God. Michael Ruse,another philosopher of science,hails Sober as “a leader inepistemology and ethics”, andsays the book “shows why hecommands our attention”because of his interest inlooking at the evidence forscientific theories.

Cambridge University Press,hardback £15.99

BOOKREVIEWS

19 | book reviews

Intellectuals andthe People

by Angie SandhuAngie Sandhu (KC 1985) is a ResearchAssociate in the Department of Englishand Cultural Studies at SheffieldHallam University

Is intellectual autonomybeneficial – either forintellectuals or society? AngieSandhu reckons it is positivelyharmful and sets out to showthat discussions of theintellectual focus upon thevulnerability or decliningauthority of the intellectual,and overlook the extent towhich supposed differencesbetween intellectuals and ‘otherpeople’ support widerinequalities. She is supportive ofunder-privileged groups who areoften politically, socially andeducationally deprived by thosein power. In an attempt to showhow these trends can bereversed, she cites promisingdevelopments in Latin Americaand especially the case of theZapatistas in Mexico, who arechallenging inequalities withintheory and practice.

Macmillan Palgrave,hardback £52

Hearts Exposed:Transplants and themedia in 1960s Britain

by Ayesha NathooAyesha Nathoo (KC 2002) is a ResearchFellow at Clare Hall and a member of theDepartment of History and Philosophyof Science

The post-war years were anexciting time in medicine, andwhen the first heart transplantsbegan in the late 1960s, themedia’s interest in medicinegrew substantially. In this herfirst book Ayesha examines therelationship between modernmedicine and the media in1960s Britain. Using sourcesnot previously available, thisbook examines the role of themedia in shaping the public’sattitude to these early riskyprocedures, and how theresulting press and televisioncoverage of the highmortality rate in hearttransplant recipients changednot only transplant surgery, butalso professional ethics and thegrowing importance ofmanaging medical-mediarelations.

Palgrave Macmillan,hardback £52

Works by King’s Fellows arecentral to new series

Several King’s Fellows have becomeinvolved in the start-up of thepublisher Profile Books. The publisher iscurrently running series entitled ‘WorldEvents’ and ‘Wonders of the World’ inwhich they respectively discuss importantmoments and buildings from worldhistory. Pete de Bolla and ChrisPrendergast have each contributed to theEvents’ series, with pieces onJuly 4, 1776 and the American Declaration ofIndependence and July 14, 1789 and thestorming of the Bastille in Paris; Iain Fenlonand Simon Goldhill have contributed to the‘Wonders’ series, with works on St Mark’sSquare and the Temple Mount in Jerusalemrespectively.

French bestChris Prendergast’s book The Classic: Sainte-Beuve and theNineteenth-Century Culture Wars (featured in the July2008 issue of King’s Parade) has been awarded the 2008R H Gapper Prize by the Society for French Studies as thebest book to appear on French studies. The Society called it‘an impressively comprehensive and original study of amajor figure in French literature and criticism and of theintellectual, socio-political and cultural contexts in which[Sainte-Beuve] wrote.’

BOOKREVIEWS

June 13CUMS ConcertCUMS Chorus, sings Beethoven’sChoral Symphony and newcommission by Sir Peter MaxwellDavies for the 800th Anniversary ofthe University. Conductor: StephenCleobury. 7.30pm. Tickets from CornExchange, tel: 01223 357851June 15King’s College Musical SocietyMayWeek Concert King’s CollegeChoir and King’s Voices with KCMSOrchestra. Music by Haydn, Wagnerand Puccini. 8pm. Tickets fromPorters’ LodgeJune 22City of London Festival Concert,Southwark CathedralKing's Choir, CUMS Chorus andOrchestra, Christopher Gillett tenor,John Harle saxophone. Haydn, andnew commissions by Peter MaxwellDavies and John Harle. Conductor:Stephen Cleobury. Book at:www.colf.org/June 23King's College Choir sing FestalEucharist at St John's Wood Church,Lord's Roundabout,St John's Wood NW8 7NEJuly 13King's College Choir,St Albans International OrganFestival, St Albans Cathedral. MusicbyWalton, VaughanWilliams, Purcell,Mendelssohn. www.organfestival.comJuly 19Cambridge Summer RecitalsMixed choirs of the Universityincluding CUMS and CambridgePhilharmonic Orchestra, LauraMitchell, soprano, Ruth Jenkins,soprano, John McMunn, tenor, SamJenkins, bass, 8pm.Music by Mozartand Mendelssohn.Conductor:Stephen CleoburyJuly 22Cambridge 800th Prom,Royal Albert HallSee Members’ Events (right)July 26King's College Choir,Singapore EsplanadeMusic by Bach, Purcell,Mendelssohn, Handel, Haydn, Bach.Conductor: Stephen Cleobury.www.esplanade.comJuly 28 and 29King's College Choir,Hong Kong Cultural CentreMusic by Bach, Purcell,Mendelssohn, Handel, Haydn, Bachetc. Conductor: Stephen Cleobury.Book at: www.lcsd.gov.hk/cpJune 29Cambridge Summer RecitalsDaniel Hyde, organ, 7:30pm. Music byWagner,Widor, Durufle, Mendelssohnand GermaniJuly 31King's CollegeChoir,Taipei, Taiwan. Music byTye, Tallis,Byrd, etc. Conductor: Stephen Cleobury

August 8Cambridge Summer RecitalsThe Clerks & His Majesty’s Saggbuttsand Cornetts, 8pm. Music from thecourts of Kings HenryVII andVIII andQueens Mary and ElizabethSeptember 12King's College Choir,BremenMusic Festival, GermanyMusic byTye, Byrd, etc. Conductor:Stephen CleoburySeptember 12Archdeaconry of CambridgeChurchMusic SocietyTraditional evensong, Oliver Brett,organist, 5:30pm. Conductor:Canon David PritchardSeptember 20 –October 4King’s CollegeChoir, WindsorFestivaltel: 01753 740 121.www.windsorfestival.com /ticketsNovember 8Remembrance SundayRequiem 6pmNovember 11Haydn’s CreationKing’s College Choir, Academy ofAncient Music. Opening concert ofCambridge Music Festival, part ofConcerts at King’s, 7.30pm.Conductor: Stephen Cleobury.www.cammusic.co.uk. Tickets from24 August tel: 01223 357851November 17FarTheatricals of DayUniversity Festival Chorus, OnyxBrass. Dove, Britten and RutterCambridgeMusic Festival concert,8pm. Details atwww.cammusic.co.uk. Tickets from24August tel: 01223 357851November 25Michael Chance, Nicholas Daniel& FretworkMusic by Purcell, Gibbons and JohnTavener. 8pm.www.cammusic.co.uk.Tickets from 24Augusttel: 01223 357851November 29Procession forAdventNRMs may apply for two tickets tothe service once every four years.Contact the Dean’s office by 24October at dean@kings.cam.ac.uk orTel: 01223 331419Date to be confirmedCambridgeshire Schools’ CarolServiceDecember 4Chapel Services endDecember 5Founder’s Day andCommemoration ofBenefactors serviceDecember 13BBC TV broadcast ‘Carols fromKing’s’December 19King's CollegeChoir, BudapestBéla Bartók National Concert Hall,Palace of Arts, 7:30pm. Conductor:Stephen Cleobury.www.muveszetekpalotaja.hu

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King’s music: concerts by King’s Choirplus other concerts in the Chapel

June 27KCA Day: AGM,Open Day andTheatre at King’sFind out what the King’s CollegeAssociation is up to at the AGM. YearRepresentatives are especiallyencouraged to attend. After lunchthere will be talks and theatricalperformances and ‘open day’sessions for the children of King’smembers soon leaving school whomight be interested in applying toCambridge. Peter Jones, (KC 1973),Librarian and Fellow in History willtalk about the “Rylands Years”.The KCA AGM, open to all, takesplace 10.30am for 11am.£35 perperson (Attending the AGM only isfree of charge)July 4KCA Family Garden PartyAn informal garden party in theFellows’ Garden for all King’smembers and their families andfriends. Entertainment for youngchildren provided.£5 per adult, free for under 16sJuly 22 The Cambridge PromJoin fellow King’s Members tocelebrate the University’s 800thAnniversary at a special BBC Promsconcert at the Royal Albert Hall.Music by VaughanWilliams,Wigglesworth, Weir, Harvey,Stanford, Saint-Saens. Broadcast liveon Radio 3. The Development Officehas a limited number of seats forKing’s Members. Those attending willalso be invited to a reception at the

Royal Geographical Society.£23.78 (centre stalls), £21.95 (sidestalls), £20.33 (2nd tier box -5 seats). For tickets go towww.kingsmembers.org/eventsSeptember 25 – 27University AlumniWeekendA weekend of events and festivities.More at: www.foundation.cam.ac.ukContact CARO atalumni@foundation.cam.ac.uk or+44 (0)1223 332288September 26 – 27Non Residents’Weekend foryears 1975-1978Afternoon tea from 3pm, eveningreception from 7pm, dinner 7.45pmfor 8pm.October 7The London Event, ‘FinancialCrisis’ at the Royal Society, London,on the current economic climate.Open to all NRMsOctober 10Legacy lunchIf you are thinking of making King’spart of your will you are verywelcome to attend this event wherelegacy information will be availableand staff on hand to answerquestions. Please contact theDevelopment Office on +44 (0)1223331 443 or events@kings. cam.ac.ukto let them know of your interest. Ifyou have already notified theCollege you are leaving a legacy toKing’s you will receive an invitation.29October (date TBC)Provost Seminar, ‘TheValue ofHypocrisy in Politics’November 211441 Foundation DinnerSupported by The Hon GeoffreyWilson CVO (KC 1949), by invitationonly.

Please note there will be noCelebration of Christmasconcert this year.

King’s CollegeKing’s ParadeCambridgeCB2 1STTel: +44 1223 331100Email: info@kings.cam.ac.ukwww.kings.cam.ac.uk

December 21Choir ChristmasConcertRoyalAlbert HallConductor: Stephen Cleobury.www.raymondgubbay.co.ukDecember 24Festival of Nine Lessons andCarolsBroadcast live on BBC Radio 4, 3pmCarols fromKing’sTV broadcaston BBC2December 25Christmas DayFestival of Nine Lessons andCarolsRepeat broadcast on Radio 4

Moremembers’ events details and online booking atwww.kingsmembers.org, or contact Amy Ingle, in the DevelopmentOffice,events@kings.cam.ac.uk,Tel: +44 (0)1223 331443. Coming fromoverseas andinterested in attending an event that is not specific to your year or subject?You are always welcome, but please get in touchwith us first.More concert details at www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel/choir/concerts

EVENTS&CONCERTS

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Members’ events

20 | events