It’s that time of year when the University Music Theatre Society is bracing itself for its annual production – previous shows have included ‘Into the Woods’ (read the review here) and ‘Carousel,’ and this year, the Society is really breaking new ground.
In this, the twentieth-anniversary year of its original performance, Musical Theatre Societyis presenting ‘Rent,’ Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical based upon Puccini’s tragic opera, La bohème.
The production runs from 27th – 29th March at the Gulbenkian Theatre, with shows starting at 7.30pm; tickets available online here.
It’s the first time that the Music Theatre Society will bring its annual production to the Gulbenkian, and it will leave you crying, laughing and loving every minute, so don’t miss out! Find out more on the production’s Facebook page here.
The University Concert and Big Bands will be given a licence to thrill next week, in their annual roof-raising concert on Friday 15 March in the Colyer-Fergusson concert-hall.
Double-O heaven ?
Entitled From Bond to Basie, the concert will include popular big band classics and music from the James Bond franchise, as well as showtunes.
Steph Richardson
At the helm will be conductor Ian Swatman, joined this year by third-year Music Scholar and Drama student, singer Steph Richardson (read an interview with Steph on the Big Band blog here).
The concert starts at 7.30pm in the Colyer-Fergusson Hall; we’re delighted to say that, in a new twist, tickets for seating in the choral risers are available to University of Kent students for a mere £5.
More details online on our ‘What’s On’ events diary here.
Don’t’ miss it: the event truly promises to be an All Time High…
Continuing the series profiling this year’s Music Scholars. This week, saxophonist Mathilde Farnabe.
My name is Mathilde and I am currently doing my Masters Degree in Psychology here at Kent Uni. I came from France in September 2011, so a lot of my music experience relates to my years in France.
I started taking music lessons when I was six because my dad always wanted me and my sister to play an instrument, as he is a guitarist. The following year I could choose to start an instrument so I went to have a look in different classes to see what I wanted to do.
For some reasons, saxophone attracted my attention and I started right away. For about ten years I was working with the same teacher, Jean-Henri Roan and I do owe a lot of my progress to his very committed and serious work with me. We worked on a lot of different classical, romantic or baroque pieces which to this day are still my favourites. I developed a lot of musical skills listening to him play and understanding what was written and how to interpret it.
In 2006 he brought me to a competition called “Concours National du Jeune Musicien” where I achieved my best performance and won a soprano saxophone, which was a great encouragement and reward for my work. I also took part in music camps every summer for four years, in the “’Académie Internationale d’Eté : Musique au Pays de l’Affiche ” in which I had the chance to play in amazing quartets and concert bands, as well as what stays my preferred formation to this day: a sax ensemble. I met a lot of different people in these summer camps and in particular my teacher’s teacher: Patrick Saltel. I was then encouraged to take lessons with him instead, which taught me a lot. I joined his concert band, saxophone ensemble and even orchestra where I was playing the oboe part with my soprano.
It was very sad when I had to leave everything behind in September 2011 to come and study in England. However I am now very pleased to be part of the music players and moreover scholars at the University of Kent, and I am very much enjoying the Big Band and Concert Band concerts and rehearsals in this new magnificent building. I have also started playing with a saxophone quartet which sounds great!
Over on Storify, we take a look back at the voyage towards the University’s annual Colyer-Fergusson Cathedral concert last Saturday night, including photos and tweets about coffee and chocolate…
The production runs from 27th – 29th March at the Gulbenkian Theatre, with shows starting at 7.30pm; tickets available online here.
