Hot on the heels of the recent release of their debut EP, the Music Department hosted a live webchat with the members of HollowHead about the challenge of releasing an EP in the COVID era, their inspiration and influences, and what we can expect next from this unique trio.
The group includes third-year Drama student, Amy Tokel, and postgraduate Joshua Mitchell, reading an MA in Film Studies, both from the School of Arts.
Hosted by Dan Harding, the interview includes the band talking about their approach to writing and recording, exploring new ways of collaborating during lockdown, and brief extracts from the EP.
A remarkable event next week, in our first ‘virtual’ Lunchtime Concert – first-year international pianist from Canada and Music Performance Scholar at Kent and Medway Medical School, Michael Lam, will mark the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Beethoven next week with a filmed performance of the mammoth Piano Sonata in A major, Op.101.
A keen enthusiast of Beethoven’s rich repertoire for piano, the performance, which was filmed in Colyer-Fergusson Hall earlier today on the University’s Steinway piano, will be Premiered on the Music Department’s YouTube channel as part of this year’s Beethoven anniversary celebrations.
Michael’s performance will be a continuous, unedited take, of the first of Beethoven’s Late Period piano sonatas, rich in complexity and a formidable challenge to pianists everywhere.
The Premiere is free to watch online on YouTube on the Music department’s channel here: to whet your appetites, you can watch Michael performing three pieces from Bach’s Anna Magdalena Notebook, filmed earlier this term, online here.
Recordings have been coming in further still over this week; many thanks to alumnus with Kent Law School and former Music Performance Scholar, Doug Haycock, seen here in festive mood recording the bass part for the project – bonus points for a sparkly tree in the background as well…
Bass desires: Doug Haycock
You can hear an early (pre-Doug) excerpt from one of the carols, In the bleak midwinter, featuring voices and strings from several University alumni here:
Keep the recordings (and selfies) coming in, everyone…
The Virtual Music Project is in action again this festive season, as University students, staff, alumni and families are invited to contribute towards a series of carols being recorded this term.
Many thanks to Erasmus student and multi-instrumentalist and singer, Laura Osswald, seen here in suitably festive mood recording from her home in Germany;
Laura Osswald
To alumna from the School of Biosciences, alto Catriona Bradley, whose career in seamstressing has come in handy for her medieval-themed seasonal selfie:
Catriona Bradley
And to Melody Brooks, former Music Performance Scholar and alumna from the School of Psychology, and Jeni Martin, alumna from the School of Economics, seen here recording string-parts from Hertford and Bedfordshire respectively.
Two-part MelodyString specialist and alumni from the School of Economics, Jeni
Filming of some of this year’s Music Scholars and Music Award Holders has continued this week, featuring third-year Film Studies student and pianist, Kiyan Agadjani:
and second-year Physics student and Indian classical singer, Ridima Sur.
Both students will be appearing in a special filmed performance by some of our student musicians which we will be presenting online shortly.
Part of their sessions were also livestreamed over on our Instagram IGTV account, a charming piano piece by Schumann and a mesmerising raga, both of which you can see here:
In the final film of the short series featuring Kent and Medway Medical School’s first Music Performance Scholarship student, Michael Lam, the Canadian first-year student plays the Musette in D from the Anna Magdalena Notebook.
You can watch all three performances in the series on YouTube here.
Filmed in Colyer-Fergusson Hall on the Canterbury campus by KMTV.
Former Erasmus student and musician, Laura Osswald, recently spoke about her experience at Kent, and her involvement in extra-curricular music during her time at the University, in an interview with the Dean of Internationalisation, Anthony Manning.
Laura in the cello section of the Symphony Orchestra, performing in Colyer-Fergusson Hall
Laura’s interview is part of a series, My Journey to Kent, in which students share their experience; Laura highlights the value of the threated Erasmus programme, and how being involved in music helped form friendships which still endure.
It’s been a busy period here in the Music department; on top of the usual online rehearsals and coaching sessions that have been running throughout the term, we’ve recently started filming in order to bring you some online programming during the current lockdown and over the remainder of this term.
Last week, Your Loyal Correspondent was busy recording some weird and wonderful pieces on the stage of the Gulbenkian theatre for an event combining music and landscape photography and a bonkers piece for piano and digital delay unit; it promises to be quite something…
This week, we’ve also been filming for a lockdown presentation of the Cellular Dynamics project, combining high-resolution photography and film from cutting-edge research from the School of Biosciences with live piano music, with Professor Dan Lloyd and a sequence of music by Debussy, Philip Glass, Tarik O’Regan and John Cage.
Today and next week, we’re also filming some of the University Music Performance Scholars and Award Holders performing individually, and we’ve also formed a new department ensemble, the Almas Ensemble, bringing together some of the visiting music staff, to film a performance including seasonal Baroque music by Vivaldi and Corelli.
Thanks to the hard-working technicians, Thomas and Luke; it’s all coming your way over the next month, as we work to provide a programme of digital content to engage and entertain you – stay tuned as the projects unfold…
Because it does. Doesn't it ? Blogging about extra-curricular musical life at the University of Kent.