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Trinity College, Oxford

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For other institutions named Trinity College, see Trinity College.
Trinity College
Full nameThe College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope (Knight)
Established1555
Named forThe Holy Trinity
Colours
Sister collegeChurchill College, Cambridge
PresidentSir Ivor Roberts KCMG MA
Undergraduates288
Postgraduates119
WebsiteHomepage
Boat clubBoat Club

The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope (Knight),[1] or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol and Blackwells, and opposite Turl Street. It is enclosed by an iron palisade, rather than a wall, giving the college a more open and accessible appearance than many others in Oxford. The college occupies a spacious site, including four major quadrangles, and is particularly known for its large lawn and attractive gardens, which include a small area of woodland. Despite its size, the college is relatively small in terms of student numbers, with about 400 students.

As well as being generally attractive, Trinity's buildings also have many notable features. On the top of the West Tower sit four female statues, which represent Astronomy, Geometry, Medicine, and Theology (however, in the Humanist Quadrivium they are Astronomy, Mathematics, Geometry and Music). The Chapel, though relatively modest in size compared to some of its Oxford counterparts, is also of particular note, being the first College chapel to be designed entirely in the neoclassical style. The noted architect Sir Christopher Wren is said to have assisted in its design.[2] Christopher Wren only made a few adjustments to the final design plans, which included changing the urns on top of the chapel to burning torches to represent the eternal thirst for knowledge.

As of 2006, Trinity had an estimated financial endowment of £68 million.[3]

Durham College

The site where Trinity College now stands was originally occupied by Durham College. This college had been founded in 1286, at around the same time as the oldest colleges that survive until today. Durham College was built for Benedictine monks from the Cathedral Church in the city of Durham, and was built around a single quadrangle, now known as the Durham Quadrangle. The only major surviving building from the Durham College foundation is the east range of Durham Quad, containing the Old Library, which dates from 1421, although elements of the pre-Reformation fabric also survive on the opposite side of the quad, at either end of the seventeenth-century Hall. Durham College was originally dedicated to the Virgin, St Cuthbert, and the Trinity, and it is thought that Trinity College took its name from the last element of this dedication.

History

Trinity College was founded in 1555 by Sir Thomas Pope, on land bought following the abolition of Durham College during the period of Protestant Reformation, whose buildings housed the original foundation. Pope was a Catholic who had no surviving children, and he hoped that by founding a college he would be remembered in the prayers of its students. It is, in fact, quite difficult to forget him, as his remains are still encased beside the chapel altar. The original foundation provided for a president, twelve fellows, and twelve scholars, and for up to twenty undergraduates. The fellows were required to take Holy Orders and to remain unmarried.

Sir Ivor Roberts, formerly HM Ambassador to Italy, succeeded The Hon. Michael Beloff QC as President on 26 September 2006. Peter Brown, Tutor in Classics, assumed the position of Pro-President during the interregnum, as indeed he had during Hilary Term 2006 when the ex-President was on sabbatical.

Chapel Choir

The Trinity College Chapel Choir consists of up to eight choral scholars and over thirty voluntary singers. The College has one of the largest chapel choirs in Oxford with the majority of members from within the college. The choir sing a weekly Evensong on a Sunday with occasional weekly services to mark college events. Trinity College has no music director, and responsibility falls to the organ scholars and is overseen by the chaplain. The choir goes on annual tours, recent tours include Dublin in 2008, where they sang concerts and a Sung Eucharist in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. In summer 2009, the choir went to Italy. In 2009, the choir released a new CD, called A Voice from Afar.

Notable former students

See also Former students of Trinity College.

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Fictional former students

Notable fellows and Presidents

Dining hall at Trinity College
Trinity College from Broad Street looking towards the front Quadrangle and Graduates Garden.
See also Fellows of Trinity College.

List of organ scholars

Organ Scholars

References

  1. ^ Clare Hopkins, Trinity : 450 years of an Oxford college community (Oxford, 2005). ISBN 978-0-19-951896-8.
  2. ^ "Trinity College Chapel". College website. Retrieved 2007-04-14.
  3. ^ Oxford College Endowment Incomes, 1973-2006 (updated July 2007)

External links

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