All posts by Daniel Harding

Head of Music Performance, University of Kent: pianist, accompanist and conductor: jazz enthusiast.
Notes on Music

Full of Eastern promise: lunchtime concert next Monday

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Hot on the heels of yesterday’s inaugural Music Scholars’ lunchtime concert in the new concert-hall (about which more anon), comes the second in this term’s Lunchtime Concert series.

Jonathan Mayer
Jonathan Mayer (sitar)

The Gulbenkian Theatre will host a visit from sitar-player Jonathan Mayer, together with tabla-player Mitel Purohit, in a lunchtime of Indian music.

Son of John Mayer, founder of the Indo-Jazz fusion movement in the 70’s together with British saxophonist Joe Harriott in the great Mayer-Harriott Double Quintet recordings, this is a particularly exciting visit from an eminent international performer.

Jonathan is currently one of the most versatile sitarists in the world, having studied both Indian & western music. From these traditions he has created a unique creativity towards the sitar, seeing it as a instrument and not a genre. He has worked with a diverse range of artists, including Paul Weller, Kathryn Tickell, BBC Concert Orchestra Kumar Bose, Kavita Krishnamutri, Kuljit Bhamra, Erich Gruenburg, Rohan De Saram, Kenny Wheeler, The Orlando Consort, John Wilson, Bombay Dub Orchestra, Future Sounds of London, Sarah Brightman, Noel Gallagher, and Sir Paul McCartney.

The concert starts at 1.10pm; admission is free, with a suggested donation of £3. See also the online diary of events here.

Furley Page logo
Sponsors of the Lunchtime Concert series
Notes on Music

Hall-mark of excellence: Music Scholars lunchtime concert next week

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Next week, Weds 7 November, sees the first lunchtime concert given by some of this year’s Music Scholars, accompanied by Yours Truly as we try out the new concert-hall.

The new Colyer-Fergusson concert hall

From Mozart to Sonny Rollins, several of the Scholars will be giving an informal lunchtime concert in the brand-new Colyer-Fergusson hall, in a programme that includes Mozart’s sublime aria, ‘L’amerò sarò costante’ from Il Re Pastore, Monti’s string-showpiece, Czardas, music for piano duet (also by Mozart) and for solo marimba, ‘Think of Me’ from Phantom of the Opera, and two tunes, Tenor Madness and Doxy by Sonny Rollins from a jazz trio.

Admission is free, and the concert lasts from 1.10-1.50pm; more details online here or on the event’s Facebook page here.

Come along to hear the new hall in action, and to hear some of the stars of the University music scene.

And to whet your appetites, here’s the aria by Mozart sung with delicate grace by Kathleen Battle.

Notes on Music

Make ‘Em Laugh! First showcase with the Music Theatre Society

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This year’s Music Theatre Society promise to ‘Make ‘Em Laugh!’ at their first showcase of the year next month.

To be held in Darwin’s Missing Link, the shows will include songs from Spam-a-lot, Hairspray, Shrek: The Musical, Chicago and many more.

Tickets are a mere £5, and can be booked in advance from the Mandela building, and will be available on the door on each of the nights; there are more details on the event’s Facebook page here.

Prepare to be both amused and amazed!

And to whet your appetites, here’s the classic song itself, inimitably performed by Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor.

Building for the future

Chorus of approval

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Last night saw the last of the ‘first’ rehearsals in the new Colyer-Fergusson concert-hall, this time the turn of the University Chorus.

There was a general air of wonderment as members came through the entrance lobby into the new hall, waiting to be seated on the new choral risers.

Everyone waits to be seated

First to be seated were the tenors and basses, ably regimented by ‘Director of Choral Seating,’ Steve;

Seating the tenors and basses

Followed by the ladies of the alto section:

The alto section

And finally the ladies of the soprano section:

The Sopranos

And with everyone seated:

Tutti: this year’s Chorus

Now the hard part is over, the work can begin! 🙂

Building for the future

First rehearsals: a look back with the conductors

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As the first week comes to an end, the conductors of the various ensembles reflect on their first rehearsals in the new concert-hall;

  • conductor of the University Concert and Big Bands, Ian Swatman, takes a look at Wednesday night’s session and ponders acoustics and the urge to wear slippers over on the Big Band blog, ‘On the Beat.’
  • conductor of the University Chamber and Cecilian Choirs, Dan Harding, considers the joys of singing Britten and stepping in sedate circles over on the choral blog, ‘Cantus Firmus;’
  • conductor of the Symphony Orchestra, Susan Wanless, reviews last night’s rehearsal on the Orchestra’s blog,’Playing Up!’.

Stand by for the last ‘first’ rehearsal with the University Chorus on Monday night…

Building for the future

A week of firsts…

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So far, it’s been a week of firsts.

Moving into the new building on Tuesday, Tuesday night saw the first Chamber Choir rehearsal in the new concert-hall.

University Chamber Choir

Yesterday, Day Two of the move, saw the Sirocco Ensemble meeting for the first time this year in one of the upper rehearsal rooms:

Sirocco Ensemble

Following this was the inaugural rehearsal of the newest departmental ensemble, the University String Sinfonia, which became the first instrumental ensemble to use the new hall.

Strings attached: the String Sinfonia

And finally, in the evening, Concert Band and Big Band came into the new building for each of their first rehearsals here.

Band substance: Concert Band

Today is Day Three, which will see the Cecilian Choir rehearsing in the hall this afternoon, followed by the Symphony Orchestra tonight. Which will leave Chorus to meet in the hall on Monday of next week for the first time, and we’ll have run the gamut of all the current ensembles trying out the new building. Plus the development of the building’s social spaces as its furniture is installed.

What an amazing week; and it’s not over yet…

Building for the future

The big day: we’re on the move

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The day is here, and we’re moving into the new music building as I write – literally. I’m standing amongst various items of furniture in the new foyer, which we’re gradually dispatching to the various practice-rooms, watching the modular staging being put together that will form a performance area in the new foyer.

As is customary, we’ve been carrying chairs hither and yon; I’m sure that’s in our job descriptions somewhere. And former Music Society President and tuba-player alumnus Chris is back, helping oversee moving equipment from Eliot into the new hall.

Rehearsals will start in the new building forthwith; exciting times beckon… Follow pictures from the day on Twitter.

(Now back to the chairs…!)