The musicians of the university are nothing if not adventurous. The culture of ‘flashmob’ events, where performances arise, apparently spontaneously, in public places to entertain (or bemuse) unsuspecting members of the public, who go from being passers-by or shoppers to audience-members, is a growing phenomenon. Singers from the University entertained (or bemused) assembled visitors and diners in Rutherford College yesterday, to bring Christmas cheer and highlight the musical culture of the University community.

Singers from the Chamber Choir, Cecilian Choir and Sing! (plus the Director of Music) amassed in Rutherford College courtyard earlier today, grabbed carol books, and scurried in to the dining-hall, where they crouched, like Agents of Subversion, leafed through the books to find the right page, and then leapt up as one to sing an array of carols in rich, four-part harmony.

A lady from Rutherford Reception burst in, issuing a demand: that we go out into the courtyard and sing where staff in Reception and offices arrayed around the courtyard could also hear. Thus summoned, we duly gathered around the palm-tree (what season are we in ?!) and sang for the college staff.

The flash-mob style was then developed one stage further: in the break between one batch of Open Day visitors departing and the next set arriving, we went back down into the dining-hall and sat at tables, as though we were visitors ourselves. At a pre-arranged signal, when most of the visitors were similarly seated for lunch, we rose from five of the tables to sing the last selection of carols, to an enthusiastic reception.

Great fun; a way of making music on an informal footing for fun, and to showcase some of the music-making that goes on at Kent to prospective applicants.

Well done to everyone who participated: same thing again next term – without carols, obviously – keep your eyes peeled for details in the Spring…