Tag Archives: Children in Need

Sing for Children in Need!

Next week, on Thursday 17 November, the Gulbenkian Theatre opens its doors at 1.10pm for a very special musical event: the chance to sing the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ from Handel’s Messiah, to raise money for this year’s Children in Need.

Even if you’ve never sung before, or don’t read music: come along and bring your voice and enthusiasm (and a donation!), and take part.

Rumour has it that a certain Yellow Bear may also be making a special appearance…

Join up on the Facebook Event here: join the Music Department and the Gulbenkian Theatre, and come and support a worthy cause. See you there!

A busy month ahead…

The months have reached November, and it’s the start of a busy period for music at the University.

Over the next few weeks, we’ve lots of events coming up, of which the the first is a lunchtime recital by the internationally-acclaimed pianist, Benjamin Frith, returning to the Gulbenkian with Mussorgsky’s mighty Pictures at an Exhibition.

What's OnThen it’s time to raise your voice for charity, as the Gulbenkian opens its doors to the annual ‘Sing for Children in Need;’ turn up with a donation and sing Handel’s rousing ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ in aid of a very good cause.

Towards the end of the month, the Chamber Choir will launch the Advent season in their ‘Music for Advent‘ concert in Blean; a sequence of music and readings to begin the Advent period, with proceeds for the concert in aid of Blean Church Restoration Appeal and Blean School Playground Improvements.

This Sunday, the Symphony Orchestra has its weekend workshop in preparation for its December concert with the Chorus. Also this week the Cecilian Choir forms for the first time this year, as we begin our rehearsals for the ‘Cold Concert‘ at the start of next month.

Details of each of these nearer the time, but in the meantime you can see the full brochure on-line here. Get ready for some exciting events to come…

(And just to whet your appetite, here’s Evgeny Kissin in a section of the solo-piano incarnation of Pictures at an Exhibition. If you’re excited by this, wait until you hear Frith’s performance…)

Pudsey comes to Sing for Children in Need!

Well, alright, Pudsey actually conducted, rather than sang, if the headline misled you slightly.

Musicians and visitors at the University of Kent sang for Children in Need last Thursday, and raised £155 in thirty minutes as they performed ‘O Fortuna’ from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff.

Photo credit: Spencer Scott, University of Kent

Complete with two electric pianos and an array of percussion, volunteers arrived in Eliot Hall at lunchtime to piece together the famous theme to ‘The X-Factor,’ and raise money to support this year’s Children in Need appeal. The event was featured in the hourly cyclorama of county events during the Friday night broadcast on the BBC.

Many thanks to all who participated and made a donation, to Hannah Perrin who assisted, and to Pudsey himself for turning up!

Carmina Burana for Children in Need! Or some of it…

The Music Department is once again girding itself to participate in this year’s  ‘Children in Need’ appeal, in an event which takes place on Thursday 18 November in Eliot Hall at 1.10pm.

This year, we’ll be singing ‘O Fortuna,’ the rousing introduction to Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana which is the theme to the X-Factor or, depending on your generation, the music to the ‘Old Spice’ television advert!

With two pianos and percussion, plus a rousing choir, it’ll be an event to remember! You don’t even have to be able to sing – just bring your enthusiasm (and a donation!) to help raise money for a great cause.

You can sign up to the Facebook Event page here.

Come along and get involved!