University Challenge 2022: Repechage 2: Emmanuel, Cambridge v. Royal Northern College of Music

The Teams

Emmanuel, Cambridge

Nicole Pullinger

Nicholas Thatte

Cara Malcolm

James Wrathall

Royal Northern College of Music

Keelan Carew

Dominic Wills

Lila Chrisp

Alex Robarts

Shall we take a quick glance at the form guide, dearly beloved? Last time out Emmanuel lost by a mere 5 points to St. Andrews. RNCM were beaten more conclusively by Dundee, but only by 10 points, having scored exactly the same as Emmanuel did in their match. So on paper, there looked to be nothing in it, however I do always feel that a specialist institution such as RNCM is always going to be at a disadvantage in as much as their opposition are likely to have in depth knowledge about a greater range of subjects. Time would tell.

You had to wait with the first starter, and then strike like a coiled cobra the moment it became clear. That’s what Keelan Carew did –  for me he was the pick of the RNCM buzzers last time out. Roman Emperors gave them two bonuses – I was pleased with myself for recognising Vespasian for the last. I understand Alex Robarts going for Gladstone as the soon to be PM who supported the mild expansion to the franchise in the 1867 Reform Bill, but I was actually Disraeli who stole a ride on the coat tails of this particular measure and rode it to the top of the greasy pole. James Wrathall opened his team’s account with this one. Place names in England ending with – ham – brought a single bonus. Respect to James Wrathall for knowing a couple of cities in Mauritania – for me, if it ain’t Nouakchott, then a Scooby I ain’t got. Words beginning with v and ending with l brought two correct answers. So to the picture starter. We saw titles of a particular author’s work in different languages. It was Lila Chrisp who recognised the work of Agatha Christie. Three more of the same – albeit with different authors – brought them an impressive full house. There is such a thing as knowing too much. Recognising the names of two of Les Six composers, Lila Chrisp jumped in too early for the next starter and lost 5 when the question took a wee bit of a swerve since it was just asking for the word marimba. Cara Malcolm plucked that piece of low hanging fruit. A set of bonuses on kinetic art was announced- bet Alexander Calder comes up here, I muttered. He kind of did, too. Emmanuel managed 1 bonus. This meant that on the ten minute mark, we had what seemed to be a nicely balanced contest with Emmanuel just ahead on 50 to RNCM’s 40.

I’m pretty certain that I have never before heard of chirality, but it brought Nicholas Thatte the next starter. Chirality begins at home? Pioneer species of trees brought them just one bonus. Neither team had Arte Povera for the next starter. Nope, me neither. My third successive nul points starter came with ‘nocebo’. Haven’t heard of that one but Nicholas Thatte had. Now, Astronomy is one of the few areas of Science that there is ever any slight chance of me knowing the answer, so albeit that knowing that Titan was the 6^th moon of the Solar System to be discovered is not the most impressive display of knowledge, I was grateful to take a lap of honour for this one. Emmanuel only took 1, but they were extending their lead. James Wrathall put them close to triple figures recognising some landmarks in Tamil Nadu. They didn’t quite break through the barrier on this visit to the table, but their lead had grown to 55 points, and RNCM really needed to get a starter. Well, the music starter certainly offered them an opportunity. Keelan Carew identified th composer as Mozart, and they were away. They duly took a full house on three more composers, and JP was moved to ask ‘Is it ridiculously easy?’ which I thought was, well, I don’t know, but if another team had a full set on let’s say, physics, I’m sure he wouldn’t ask the same question. Any road up, nobody knew that the Berne convention began moves to establish a system of international copyright for the next starter. Cara Malcolm won the buzzer race to identify Doggerland as submerged beneath the North Sea. Emmanuel then duly followed with a full set on Hindu festivals. Cara Malcolm took her second starter in a row knowing that Rottnest Island off the Australian mainland is known for its population of quokkas. Keelan Carew was penalised for a buzz which can’t have been much more than a nano second too early. Another full house on psychology saw Emmanuel take a lead of 145 – 60 at the 20 minute mark, and it was starting to feel as if they had a choke hold on the contest now.

Alex Robarts offered his team a lifeline recognising the discontinued Olympic sport of Tug of War. Autarchy (they made their debut in the Doctor Who serial ‘Spearhead from Space’ in 1970) offered little but RNCM still managed 2 bonuses. Cara Malcolm was in very quickly to recognise author Chimamanda Nigozi Adichie for the second picture starter. Other winners of the UK Women’s Fiction Prize in its various forms brought one bonus. Didn’t matter. For my money Emmanuel were already beyond the event horizon. Nonetheless, Lila Chrisp won the buzzer race for the next starter to recognise Fantine, Cosette and Marius from Les Miserables. Now, for the electricity bonuses I had to award myself another lap of honour for guessing silver has the lowest resistivity. I didn’t know it, but I did know that silver has the highest conductivity, so guessed this would be a good shout. I didn’t have a scooby about the other two questions and neither, sadly did RNCM. Still, they took the next starter when Dominic Wills knew that the National Forest is partly in Staffordshire. This put RNCM into triple figures, and the bonuses fell kindly for them on Franz Liszt. They duly took a full house. I took the science starter that came next , since it’s an old chestnut that magnetite is one of the main ores of iron – haematite being another. Nicholas Thatte took that one, and Emmanuel were marching away again. A couple of bonuses on the Arctic Ocean meant that they were just one set away from a second hundred. Neither team knew faience for the next starter. Neither team knew Spiro Agnew – all too young – and nobody recognised a definition of the word clone. Me neither. I did know the next starter, that the constellation Monoceros is also called the unicorn, as did Nicholas Thatte. That was it – the contest was gonged, and Emmanuel took a clear win with 180 to 115.

I thought RNCM did well. As I said at the start of the review, specialist institutions must be at a disadvantage, but this team have a knowledge that goes well beyond their own subject. Guys, you gave a fine account of yourselves. Well done to Emmanuel, though. With three members of the team supplying quick buzzes for starters, I don’t think that any team will find them a pushover in the next round.

Interesting Fact That I Didn’t Already Know Of The Week

The German word for Mermaid is Meerjungfrau