New building comes alive with music for Open View

Yesterday’s Open View event, hosted by architects Tim Ronalds, saw the new Colyer-Fergusson Building come alive with music, visitors and guests, as musicians performed in all the available spaces throughout the building.

Guests in the new foyer

Between 3-8pm, the entire place was abuzz with jazz, choral music, solo percussion and piano, acoustic guitar and string quartet music, an aural backdrop as invited guests toured the new facilities, and saw (and heard!) it in action. It was also the first opportunity to test-drive the new performance stage in the foyer, which proved to be a fantastic space with terrific acoustics, ranging from the delicate close-harmony singing of vocal trio ‘The Canterberries’ to the liquid soprano-sax improvisations from sax teacher, Peter Cook. There was even a guest appearance from Ned, the acoustic consultant from the firm Arup Acoustics, on sax (and congas) as well; truly an occasion in which music could be made by many.

Percussion Scholar Carina Evans
Pianist Scholar Sharon Yam puts the Steinway through its paces
Saxophonist Scholar Tim Pickering and your loyal correspondent try out the new foyer-stage
Guitarist Andrew Kitchin
Pianist Scholar Susan Li gets to grips with Rachmaninov in the concert-hall
Through a glass; darkly: string players in one of the upper rehearsal rooms
The Canterberries in ‘All I Want for Christmas’
Second-year Emma Murton rehearsing the Chamber Choir

With thanks to all the musicians who took part, and brought the entire building to life.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.