Our sonic cabinet of curiosities exploring forgotten piano repertoire written by women, Minervan Miniatures, presents five preludes by American composer Nannie Louise Wright (1878/9 – 1958), from her collection 12 Preludes Op.25.
This selection ranges from Wagnerian grandeur to dazzling Saint-Saens-esque virtuosity that disappears in a flash, and a fascinating prelude ‘For The Left Hand Alone.’ The entire set is a marvellous addition to the canon of prelude-writing, in the tradition including Chopin, Rachmaninov and Debussy, and surely deserves to be better known. We’ll be rectifying this as part of a planned recital series next year…
Our new Music department magazine, Music Matters, is now online, bringing you all the latest news from Colyer-Fergusson as live music-making returns to the concert-hall and we prepare for Summer Music Week.
Rehearsals for Summer Music Week were especially welcome this week, as the ensembles returned to the concert-hall for the first time since last November.
Orchestra returns to the hall
All week, the hall has been reinvigorated with the sound of Concert Band, Big Band, Chamber Choir, String Sinfonia and Orchestra rehearsing for the series of events in a few weeks’ time; and several of the Music Scholars have been working on chamber music as well.
Concert Band back in actionString Sinfonia
It’s a welcome return to live music-making, hearing the building resound to ensemble music once more.
Our series highlighting some of this year’s Music Performance Scholars continues with first-year Kent and Medway Medical School Music Performance Scholar, Michael Lam, playing Schumann.
In this single-take performance, Canadian pianist Michael performs a selection of movements from Schumann’s Album für die Jugend(Album for the Young) , Op. 68.
Filmed in Colyer-Fergusson by KMTV.
Watch performances by other Music Scholars and Award Holders in the dedicated Playlist here.
Musical nostalgia from Brazil in today’s #MinervanMiniatures piece rediscovering forgotten piano repertoire written by women composers.
Today, it’s ‘Souvenirs du Passé‘ by Emilia P Dormund, published around 1904; the piece appeared in O Malho, a satirical weekly publication in Rio de Janeiro between 1902 and 1954; until 1926, the magazine regularly published a piano composition as part of its content.
Enjoy this lyrical, slightly melancholic waltz, a musical memory of the past…
For the first time since December, we’re able to resume in-person rehearsals once more, as we come together in preparation for this year’s somewhat smaller (but no less welcome!) Summer Music Week.
It’s the first week of term, and at first the Chamber Choir and String Sinfonia have begun rehearsals, as well as some of this year’s Music Scholars in preparation for various recitals.
Photo: Flo Peycelon
Wednesday night saw Concert Band and Big Band back in action:
Photo; Jonathan Stott
And Thursday saw the Symphony Orchestra coming together tutti for the first time since March 2020:
Photo: Ian Swatman
rbt
It’s a very welcome return to music-making! Follow the pictorial story through the term over on our Pinterest board here; Summer Music Week is on its way…
It’s time to don your dancing-shoes for today’s episode of Minervan Miniatures, our series dedicated to exploring forgotten piano repertoire by women composers: ‘Odilia’ (tango) from ‘Mis pequeños amigos’ by Maria Lluisa Ponsa (1879-1919), published around 1918.
The series exploring forgotten piano repertoire by women composers, #MinervanMiniatures, unearths this finely-wrought gem by Otillie Heinke (1823-1888), the Sonatine in F major, published around 1876. Enjoy the almost Valkyrie-in-miniature passage in the development, as a gently heroic theme in thirds echoes between the left- and right-hand.
Watch performances by other Music Scholars and Award Holders in the 
