The Director of Music writes:
We should all go round whistling something from William Tell or the Barber of Seville today, as it’s Giaochino Rossini’s birthday.
As far as I know, he is the only composer to have been born on 29 February. Not counting all the ‘substitute’ birthdays on February 28, how many birthdays would he have celebrated – or, how old would he have been today ?
As the cellists know, it’s green-light for this weekend’s all-day rehearsal on Haydn’s The Creation with the Choir and Orchestra ahead of the Cathedral Concert a week on Saturday.
Sunday will see the combined forces gather in Eliot Hall to rehearse together for the first time, in preparation for the concert; next week sees a particularly busy time for the University’s musicians, with rehearsals on Monday, Thursday and Friday; not to mention the rehearsal in the Cathedral itself on the morning of the day.
Details of the concert on our online diary here. It should prove to be a memorable occasion…
For anyone who can’t wait until March 23 to hear the Brodsky Quartet when it comes to the Gulbenkian Theatre, news just lands on my desk of their fortieth anniversary concert at the Wigmore Hall in a few weeks’ time, on Sunday 11 March.
In an intriguing programme, the Quartet will present their own arrangement of Ravel’s Blues, the third movement of a work originally falling as part of Ravel’s Sonata for Violin and Piano. Post-war American jazz was rife in Paris in the ‘twenties, and the second movement of Ravel’s chamber sonata revels in added-notes, ‘blue’ notes and jazz-inflected rhythms.
The programme also includes Schubert’s enigmatic Quartettsatz, Puccini’s Cristantemi, Wolf’s sunlit Italian Serenade, whilst the second half continues the French theme, given over to Debussy’s majestic String Quartet.
The concert also marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Quartet’s Wigmore Hall début, and shows that, at forty years old, the Quartet retains all the vigour and dynamism of its youth and its unique approach to programming. Expect a concert delivered with verve and panache, although there’s no mention about cake and candles. As yet…
Further details and tickets online here.
(Preview excerpts via LastFM).
New photographs from last Friday’s site visit, where construction on our new Colyer-Fergusson music building is progressing apace.
Views now of the corridor of practice rooms on the ground floor, and the developing reception foyer and social space as visitors walk in the entrance.
There’s also a photo of the new band rehearsal room: see all the new photos online by clicking the album below.
A new feature, profiling this year’s new crop of University Music Scholars: this week, saxophonist Tim Pickering.
—-
My name is Tim Pickering and I come from Littlehampton in West Sussex, and I am studying for a BSc in Forensic Chemistry. I studied at the Littlehampton Community School, and then took A-Levels at the 6th Form there (although for some reason, not in music!) I have been playing the alto saxophone eleven years, and have recently picked up the tenor saxophone as my primary instrument. I hold ABRSM Grade 7 on Alto Sax, and I am currently working towards Grade 8 on the Tenor.
I have played with many different groups and set ups – from quintets, pop bands and the local ‘Littlehampton Concert Band’ through to a seventeen-piece big band I assembled with the help of a few friends.
My school never really had a great music department; in fact when I joined, the ‘orchestra’ consisted of myself on alto sax, a flute and two violins! It did improve gradually, and one of the music teachers Steve Winter (a veteran himself of the UKC Big Band and Concert Band) got a small jazz group off the ground, which was great as it got some musicians in the music department some much-needed gigs! Although when the new head of music arrived in my second year, classical music lost the emphasis and steel pans became all the rage (much to the other musicians’ disgust!). Our school wasn’t involved in the county music side of things either, so this meant if I wanted playing opportunities in larger groups, I had to create them myself!
I am currently working on putting together and rehearsing a quintet here at Canterbury, with the aim of tackling styles from straight ahead jazz to rhythm and blues, and maybe even some classic rock ‘n’ roll. I’m looking forward to hopefully performing at some of the Jazz @5 sessions , and generally what music here brings for me! I am also playing first Tenor Sax in the Concert Band and Big Band. However, I still would like to play more, so if anyone is looking for a sax player for their band…
I feel I have been very privileged in being picked as a music scholar here at Canterbury, and the musical side of life is fantastic – in fact it was the music department that really swayed my decision to apply here! To go from playing in small jazz quintets and the very occasional Big-Band get together, to rehearsing solidly once a week with decent gigs booked is an exciting change for me! I really want to use my time at university to push myself to be the best sax player I can possibly be, and I hope with the scholarship and the help of my teacher Peter Cook, I hope I can continue to progress.
Still reeling from the vibrancy of last week’s Gulbenkian gig with the Concert and Big Bands, thoughts turn to a more contemplative state for the Chamber Choir concert next week.
On Friday 24 February, the Chamber Choir will present From Morn to Midnight, an evocative programme exploring the differing colours in a single day. In a blend of sacred and secular pieces, and including works for solo piano by Chopin and Liszt, the programme moves from Eric Barnum’s Dawn to Eric Whitacre’s Sleep. There are also works by Vaughan Williams, Saint-Saëns and Brahms, Italian madrigals, Elizabethan part-songs and plainsong.
The journey from the Choir’s first rehearsal to its current final preparations for next week’s performance have been charted over on its blog, Cantus Firmus, where you can read about how the Choir has been exploring the repertoire and developing its sound, as well as important matters such as deciding what to wear and phoning out for pizza. It’s all part of the process…
In the sonorous acoustics of Canterbury Cathedral’s historic Norman Crypt, the Choir will release a multitudinous array of colours, ranging from birdsong in Monteverdi to sunlight in Barnum and the deep colours of Whitacre’s mesmerising masterpiece: it promises to be a memorable occasion.
Further details and ticket details online here.
There’s now just one week to go until the annual roof-raiser at the Gulbenkian with the University Concert and Big Bands, on Friday 10 February.
Starring in the concert will be second-year Music Scholar and jazz singer Ruby Mutlow, who’ll be familiar to those of us who went to the concert this time last year, as well as to those who chilled out at various Jazz @ 5 sessions, and the Big Band Gala in the summer term. Possessing a characterful and wonderfully graceful voice, Ruby will be joining the Big Band for a selection of vocal pieces.
In the first half, amongst other pieces, the Concert Band will explore selections from Wicked,whilst music in the second half from the Big Band will include Duke Ellington.
Conductor Ian Swatman is his usual unflappable self so close to the gig, and he’s looking forward to his usual banter with the audience, perhaps the occasional reference to a certain Northern football club whose fortunes lie close to Ian’s heart, and maybe one or two surprises as well.
The concert starts at 7.30pm, and there’ll be live music in the Gulbenkian Foyer from 6pm with a selection of a cappella vocal groups and instrumental jazz.
Details online here: tickets are disappearing fast!
Continuing the series profiling this year’s crop of Music Scholars at the University. This week, soprano Kathryn Cox.
—-
After an absolutely fantastic (and very jam-packed) first term at university, I’m excited to be back again. Just three weeks in to the new term and rehearsals for numerous concerts are already well underway. Last term involved numerous musical highlights including the first Chamber Choir concert, ‘Music for Advent’ which was a real success, with the choir collectively deciding to sing in a mixed formation! The sound was much more rounded and rich, and did not fall victim to the extensive repertoire. Other highlights included singing Finizi’s For St. Cecilia with the University Chorus and Orchestra, and not forgetting of course the University Carol Service in the Cathedral. The Carol Service demanded much multi-tasking; trying to sing whilst concentrating on not tripping on a floor- length dress or setting somebody’s hair on fire with your candle is a rather tall order.
I feel I should write a small amount about my musical background, why I’m interested in music, and what I’m involved in musically with the university, so here goes: I have been engulfed with music throughout my upbringing and definitely ‘got the bug’ so to speak. Family friends jokily call my family the ‘Von Cox’s’…….. minus the mountains and the narrow escape, they’re not far off!. Alongside working towards ABRSM and LAMDA qualifications, I was a member of Taplow Youth Choir who won the title of ‘BBC Radio 3 Youth Choir of the Year’ in 2008. Being a part of such a dynamic and friendly choir was a real privilege, and involved singing in an international choral competition in Estonia, and singing ‘Elijah’ at the BBC Proms in 2011 with the Gabrielli Consort and singers.
Singing in Chorus, Chamber Choir and the Cecilian Choir is both challenging and rewarding. Being involved with music as well as reading a Joint Honours degree in Psychology and Law can be a large workload at times, but there’s no rest for the wicked!
