Category Archives: Keeping It Real: reviews.

Concerts and events reviews.

Students get the opportunity to work with jazz duo Trish Clowes and Ross Stanley

Several of this year’s students had the opportunity to work with saxophonist and composer Trish Clowes, following her mesmerising Lunchtime Concert on Weds 13 March.

Together with pianist Stanley Ross, Trish gave a marvellously inventive, lyrical performance as part of our Lunchtime Concert series, in a programme filled with colour in works including pieces by Marcel Dupré, Nikki Iles and Lili Boulanger. The duo came to Colyer-Fergusson as part of their UK tour promoting the release of their new album, Journey to Where.

After the concert, Trish and Ross stayed on to work with some of the students exploring improvisation, rhythm, and the physicality of the ‘groove;’ players included several of this year’s Music Award Holders.

“I had a fantastic time at the workshop with Trish,” reflects Sara, singer-songwriter and Secretary to the Music Society this year (pictured below), reading Philosophy and Religious Studies . “We focused on getting into the rhythm and groove of music, using our bodies as metronomes of a sort – a key component in jazz. It was really nice to let loose, and explore ways of creating rhythm in ways we wouldn’t usually as classical musicians.

It was an incredibly fun hour spent making music alongside instruments I wouldn’t usually connect with. It was an extremely insightful and entertaining workshop, with lots of take home messages I can’t wait to put into practice in the future!”

Thanks to Trish and Ross for both a fabulous performance, and for sharing their experience and insights with the students.

Easy like Sunday morning: Chorus and Orchestra warm up for the Cathedral concert

A busy weekend for the Music department; following the Saturday concert at St Mary of Charity in Faversham with the String Sinfonia, Sunday brought together the combined forces of the Chorus and Symphony Orchestra in an all-day rehearsal, as we prepare for our concert in Canterbury Cathedral this coming weekend.

A morning devoted to Faure’s sublime Requiem was followed by an afternoon working on Brahms’ epic Symphony no.4 with the orchestra alone.

It was a pleasure to welcome back a few familiar faces as some alumni who will be joining us for Saturday’s concert came back to Colyer-Fergusson to take part in the rehearsal.

Join us this Saturday to see how all the hard work pays off…

Coffee concert with the String Sinfonia

Congratulations to the University String Sinfonia on the standing ovation at the close of their Coffee Concert at St Mary of Charity in Faversham at the weekend.

Directed by Floriane Peycelon, the ensemble delivered a programme focusing primarily on women composers, with a scintillating Suite for Strings by Libby Croad; a movement from the wonderfully colourful Piano Quintet by Louise Farrenc, for which the ensemble was joined by first-year pianist, Ronja Haller; an enigmatic compositional response to Tallis’ If Ye Love Me by local composer Juliet Lewis (who also conducted the piece); before the programme closed with a full-blooded string orchestral ‘reimagining’ of music from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, with the closing Lament featuring final-year student, Jack Chan, on solo viola.

A great programme and an enthusiastic audience; many thanks to the church’s Coffee Concert series for welcoming us.

Image Gallery: December concerts round-up

Our seasonal programme has brought the musical term to a richly-colourful conclusion, ending a busy term for the University’s extra-curricular music provision.

The Cecilian Choir, comprising staff, students and alumni, travelled to St Michael’s church, Hernhill, at the start of the month to sing a sequence of Advent plainsong and carols to usher in the festive season.

Our Wild Musical Revelry Weekend presented a pair of concerts exploring themes of myths and legend; the first evening with String Sinfonia, directed by Floriane Peycelon, and Concert Band with Ian Swatman:

Concert Band backstage before the second half

and the second evening with the University Orchestra, Chorus and soloists,

Chorus and Orchestra in rehearsal
Members of University Chorus deploying the selfie frame ahead of Saturday’s performance

The upper-voices chamber choir, Minerva Voices, sang as part of the University Carol Service in Canterbury Cathedral, conducted by second-year Wildlife Conservation student and Music Performance Scholar, Charlotte Farmer:

Minerva Voices, conducted by Charlotte Farmer, rehearsing in the Cathedral

and the term came to a rousing conclusion with the Big Band’s annual Christmas Swingalong, conducted again by the evergreen Ian Swatman sporting a Christmas Hull City jumper.

Up the Tigers! Ian Swatman gets in the festive mood ahead of the gig…

And making her debut with the big band was first-year singer, Tayo Fanifosi, whi delivered several crowd-pleasing festive numbers.

A fitting conclusion to an industrious term; with thanks to everyone who took part!

Premiere of new commission by Cecilian Choir and Consort

Congratulations to all the members of the University Cecilian Choir and Consort on last Friday’s night’s premiere of the new commission piece by Russell Hepplewhite.

The combination of words, music and images brought the new setting of the Magnificat, in which the sacred text was interspersed by new poetry by Nancy Gaffield, to vivid life. The Choir and strings, comprising students and staff from across the University, came together in vibrant form to deliver an accomplished performance of a brand-new work, always a  challenge and especially in front of a live audience including both composer and poet!

If you missed it, the piece will be performed again on Friday 9 June as part of this year’s Summer Music Week, our annual music festival bringing the musical year to a close.

Kent Gospel Choir wins UGCY competition

Many congratulations to Kent Gospel Choir, who won the 11th University Gospel Choir of the Year Competition at the weekend!

Competition winners, Kent Gospel Choir

Pictured here in Colyer-Fergusson, the Choir travelled to Croydon to compete in this year’s final, one of seven choirs competing for the trophy. The choir fought off competition from Warwick, University of Birmingham, the BIMM Institute, UCL, Keele, Durham and our neighbours, Canterbury Christ Church, to lift the trophy on Saturday night at Oasis House.

Every Monday evening, Colyer-Fergusson resounds to the sound of the choir rehearsing in the concert-hall and various practice rooms each week, and it’s fantastic to see all the group’s hard work pay off as they are crowned this year’s winners in the eleventh year of the competition. The choir comprises students from across the university, taking part as part of many extra-curricular music opportunities at the University alongside their course of studies.

“UGCY was an unforgettable experience, and being a part of KGC made my first year of university incredible!”  reflects one of the choir, Favour Joseph.  “I am so grateful to be part of a choir that feels like a family and where God is at the centre of our music and lives, and I can’t wait for what we are going to do next. I’ve made so many memories that I will cherish, like our shared laughter during rehearsals, how supportive the other university choirs were, witnessing the amazing talents of the other choirs and just seeing how we were all unified by our love for gospel music.

Our choir’s dedication and hard work paid off and We poured our hearts into the performance, from the choreography to our harmonies. I’m so proud that we were able to bring home the trophy.  However, our achievement was not entirely our own; all praise must go to God. ”

The choir has worked hard: many congratulations on their success!

String Sinfonia at Faversham with John Woolrich

Congratulations to the University String Sinfonia, who on Saturday headed to the Market Town of Kings, to perform at St Mary’s, Faversham, as part of the Coffee Concert series.

Directed by Floriane Peycelon, the players gave a spirited reading of Arensky’s Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky (a theme most often heard in the carol ‘A Crown of Roses’), followed by a performance of John Woolrich’s evocative Ulysses Wakes, featuring postgraduate Music Performance Scholar reading Chemistry, Kira Hilton, as soloist.

Music PErformance Scholar and Chemistry postgraduate, Kira Hilton, and composer John Woolrich after the concert

Woolrich’s hushed, agile responses to Monteverdi cast a shimmering spell as it lifted into the church’s generous acoustic, and the composer, who was present for the performance, talked before the piece about his music and the spirit behind his reimagining music of the past.

The String Sinfonia is back in action on Friday 31 March in Colyer-Fergusson Hall; more details here.

Minerva Voices singing at Canterbury Cathedral: watch on demand

Congratulations to Minerva Voices and organist John Wyatt, who yesterday sang Choral Evensong at Canterbury Cathedral. Conducted by Your Loyal Correspondent, the choir presented contemporary settings by Jeremy Woodside and Justin Breame as part of the music sung during the service.

The service was livestreamed on the Cathedral’s YouTube channel, and can be viewed below:

(The choir begins processing in just after the four-minute mark)

Well done to all the students involved; the Choir will be in action again at the start of June, singing as part of the choral concert in the Cathedral Crypt on Friday 2 June as part of Summer Music Week.