A term distinguishing such winning compositions for University prizes as were recited in whole or in part in the Senate House, viz. the Greek and Latin odes and epigrams for which Browne medals were awarded, the Greek verse translation winning the Porson Prize, and, later, the Latin hexameters of the Montagu Butler and the English poem awarded the Chancellor’s medal. The classical verses were collected at sundry times (as, e.g. a collection for the years 1814 to 1837 printed at Cambridge for W. P. Grant in 1837, and from 1827 to 1970 the verses to be recited were printed in booklets given away free on the occasion of the recitations. The recitations were originally at Commencement, and, when that ceased to exist by that name (in 1899) at an ordinary congregation at the equivalent time of year, viz. early June. On the abolition of the early June congregation in 1987 the recitation was moved to the May congregation. It was now a recitation rather than a set of recitations as from 1970 the classical compositions were no longer publicly recited, leaving only the Chancellor’s English Medal.
