I can’t help it: Gareth Malone’s series of ‘music for the masses by numbers’ programmes drives me nuts.
What do you think: is it still driven by the desire to educate and widen people’s musical experiences, or by the desire to make good televsion ?
My article about it has been published to Bachtrack this morning: read it here, and join the debate!
I’m delighted to say that a review of the BBC’s current opera season, penned by your humble servant, has just been published on Bachtrack, a classical music listings website.
Bachtrack draws information about concerts and performances from all over the world together, to be the definitive site that brings together every aspect of classical music into a single place.
With just over twenty-four hours to go until ArtsFest kicks off, the final stages are going up on the campus.
It’s all looking good: even the weather (at the time of writing!) is looking good for tomorrow.
The acts have been booked, refreshments organised, programmes printed, and all is in place ready to start at 1pm tomorrow.
If you’re an alumnus of the University, don’t forget to head to the Alumni tent when you arrive to meet old friends. The Gulbenkian is standing by to entertain families and children throughout the afternoon, and free programmes for the day will be available from the Information Point near the Main Stage. Don’t forget to download your copy of the pocket-size guide to the event.
It’s not too late to get your tickets for the Music Society Prom Concert in Eliot Hall at 8pm, or for Mimirichi in the Gulbenkian at 7.45pm. Prom tickets will be on sale at the Information Point throughout the afternoon, and also on the door. Tickets for Mimirichi are available from the Gulbenkian Theatre.
We’ll see you there.
The University’s Canterbury campus has started sprouting stages ahead of this year’s ArtsFest extravaganza on Saturday.
The Marlowe tent will play host to jazz, classical and barbershop performances throughout the afternoon, including the new staff, student and alumni Cecilian Choir, a string ensemble, and various other student groups. Various musical alumni from previous years will also be appearing, so keep an eye out for some familiar faces and some old friends.
The Eliot stage will showcase community Irish dancing, student stand-up improvised comedy, salsa dancing, performing from the Musical Theatre Society, and Sing!
Rutherford stage will see performances from community and school groups including St. Stephen’s School, Kent College, the Maridadi Singers and Strode Park Foundation, as well as the University’s own CPAS and Capoeira socieities and more improvsed comedy from student-group Raspberry Crumble.
This year, students in the School of Architecture competed to create the design of the Registry stage; pictured here is the winning design, by Nicholas Sexton, being built. The theme of the stage is recycling: all the materials employed in the stage’s construction were gathered from around the campus, including wood coppiced from near the bomb-crater along the Eliot footpath, and roofing posts from old goal-posts.
It’s going to be another fantastic event: make sure you’re there!
ArtsFest: don’t miss out, just turn up!
Opera prima donna Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has reacted rather dismissively to the SuBo phenomenon in an interview in the Radio Times.
As an article in The Daily Mail reveals, the Dame believes Susan Boyle’s achievements are not worth talking about, saying she is ‘not interested’ in talking about Boyle’s success.
‘I’m doing something classical, not whizz-bang. Whizz-bang disappears. It goes ‘whizz’ and then ‘bang’.
”You insult me by even wanting to bring it into this conversation. I’m not interested.’
It’s refreshing to find someone who is unafraid to meet the topic of cross-over classical artists and television song-contest winners achieving success in the same sphere as international classical performers, such as Dame Kiri or Luciano Pavarotti, head-on. Then again, when your career and your vocal instrument are as stratospherically brilliant as Dame Kiri’s, you probably have the right to discourse with such frankness on an industry in which you’ve been a international star since 1968.
She’s not afraid to distinguish between artists such as herself, Renee Fleming and Angela Gherorgiu, and those such as Katherine Jenkins and Andrea Bocelli – the former being performers who sing “glorious, serious, grand opera without microphones. There aren’t many of us.”
Ouch. But true, though.
Sarah Reed is a singer-songwriter with three albums of original songs released to date.
Her songs, mainly based around vocals and acoustic guitar, are intense, lyrical and melodic, with influences of folk, rock, blues and country, amongst other things. Reviewers have described her as “an understated Kate Bush” and as having “the clarity of Dido and the soul of Eva Cassidy”.
Sarah is also a Research Facility Manager in the School of Biosciences, University of Kent.
Find out more about Sarah’s music and preview some of her tracks on her website.
ArtsFest: don’t miss out, just turn up!
Profiling performers and activities coming up at this year’s ArtsFest.
Based in Canterbury, St Stephen’s Junior School has been busy devising a performance from scratch based on telling the Australian Dreamtime story called ‘The Wagalak Sisters’.
The performance combines music, dance and drama to guide the audience through the story about the girls who are creation sisters.
The sisters carry their power in their dilly bags. When they walk they use the contents of their dilly bag to create beautiful and lush landscapes. But one day they become distracted…
It’s certain to be a beguiling event: make sure you’re there!
ArtsFest: don’t miss out, just turn up!
Fresh from celebrating its fortieth birthday last year, the University of Kent’s Gulbenkian Theatre is proud to be the focus of family fun and children’s activities at ArtsFest this Saturday 12 June, from 1pm onwards.
With plenty of tables and chairs, a café bar, children’s menu and baby-changing facilities, the Gulbenkian for the first time offers a dedicated area especially for children and families on the day. Dee Ashworth, Gulbenkian Director says he is delighted at the prospect of extending the Gulbenkian welcome to all families.
Ukrainian comedy act Mimirichi will delight and entertain children (both young and old!) with ‘Plastic Fantastic’ which combines pantomime, improvisation and lots of cellophane and ‘PaperWorld.’ There will also be face-painting, a BBQ, candy-stall and ice-cream machine, and the spacious café will be providing a variety of children-friendly meals to keep youngsters happy.
Stage Spiders will be performing Hansel and Gretel, a 15-minute play for children, on the Gulbenkian Foyer Stage at 4pm, 5pm and 6pm.
Elsewhere around the campus, all manner of family-friendly live music, drama, comedy and entertainers will be taking place: there’ll be something for everyone.
Further details about the entire day can be found on-line here.
ArtsFest: don’t miss out, just turn up!