Category Archives: Keeping It Real: reviews.

Concerts and events reviews.

Jazz Booth, Keeping It Real: reviews., Notes on Music

General Tomfoolery visit St Christopher’s School celebrations

June 18, 2014 Daniel Harding Leave a comment

There was sunshine, song and some sophisticated swing yesterday afternoon, as General Harding’s Tomfoolery (or the University Dance Band, depending on how you might have heard of them!) played at the annual VE Day celebrations at St Christopher’s primary school in Canterbury.

Amidst a back-drop of a bunting-bedecked playground, patrolled by pupils and staff in period costume, the event included theatrical, musical and poetic contributions from the school pupils, after which the band launched into Tuexdo Junction and a vibrant set to entertain the children, staff, parents and visitors.

There’s more from the band this Friday lunchtime at 1.10pm, as they take to the Gulbenkian cafe cabaret stage for ‘One Last Dance;’ make sure you’re there!

Keeping It Real: reviews., Notes on Music

Summer Music Week: our Pinterest gallery

June 18, 2014 Daniel Harding Leave a comment

With Summer Music Week finally over – and what a week it was! – you can re-live some of the moments over on our Pinterest board. From the opening burst from the Big Band in the sunshine on the Deal Bandstand to the final, stirring strains of Elgar on the second Sunday, it was a fantastic week of music-making, in which many of the University’s students, staff and members of the local community came together to celebrate music at Kent.

Visit the pinboard here: more photos will follow later in the week as well.

Keeping It Real: reviews.

Summer Music Week: the story so far

June 12, 2014 Daniel Harding Leave a comment

It’s been a busy week – and it’s not over yet!

Since last we posted, we’ve had a lunchtime recital from some of the Music Scholars on Tuesday, and yesterday’s jazz-themed bonanza was bursting with vigour. First of all, General Harding’s Tomfoolery had the crowd on its feet in a lunchtime gig recreating ‘The Golden Age,’ with the vocal talents of Steph Richardson and Rob Cliff, ably compered by Adam Murgatroyd. Hot on the heels of this came live jazz-funk on the foyer-stage, with an interlude from vocal trio The Canterberries.

Last night finished with the annual Big Band Gala under the direction of conductor Ian Swatman – and more dancing!

There’s plenty still to come: find out all that’s happening over the next few days here.

Keeping It Real: reviews., Notes on Music

Summer Music Day Two: Scenes from Mozart

June 10, 2014 Daniel Harding Leave a comment

You know that something rather special is going on when you find yourself having to put out additional seating before a concert to cope with the level of audience which is turning up. Such was the situation yesterday at just before five o’clock, when the storage cupboard was being pillaged for further seating, to accommodate the surprisingly large (yet very welcome!) turn-out for Scenes from Mozart, featuring some of the University Music Scholars accompanied by your loyal correspondent.

An enthusiastic crowd was treated to a selection of moments from three of Mozart’s operas – Clemenza di Tito, Cosi fan tutte and The Marriage of Figaro. With no expense spared on lavish production values, the minimalist approach to staging involved replacing a bed and a chaise-longue with chairs, a cupboard door become – wait for it – a lady’s fan, and Cherubino’s dramatic jumping out of the window involved…well, let’s just say you had to be there…

Paris Noble, Kat Cox, Marina Ivanova, Matt Norman, Livy Potter, Vicky Newell

Ranging from the intimacy of Deh vieni through the high emotions of Dove sono to the feverish drama of Come out, Susana, the programme took in a snapshot of operatic gems, and demonstrated not only Mozart’s wonderful facility for writing the state of the characters and the tone of the moment into the fabric of the music, but the versatility of the singers too.

Well done to everyone that took part. Day Three of Summer Music Week continues today with a Lunchtime Recital from some of the University Music Scholars in the concert-hall at 1.10pm.

Jazz Booth, Keeping It Real: reviews.

Image Gallery: Summer Music Week: Big Band at the Beach

June 9, 2014 Daniel Harding Leave a comment

Congratulations to the dynamic duo of Ian Swatman and the University Big Band, who launched this year’s Summer Music Week in tremendous style yesterday afternoon.

Glorious sunshine, open skies and sizzling temperatures were all matched by some searingly hot music from the band, together with singers Ruby Mutlow and Steph Richardson, on the Memorial Bandstand at Deal. With the gig due to start at 2.30pm, the band arrived for a soundcheck at 1pm and by 1.15pm a sizeable crowd had already developed; I don’t think I’ve ever seen a soundcheck so well attended…!

Under Ian’s vigorous direction, the band delivered an afternoon of tremendously vibrant music, much appreciated by the large crowd taking in the sun and the songs. The event not only launched this year’s week-long celebration of music to mark the end of the academic year, but was also a part of the yearl-long party for Porchlight, the Kent-based charity that supports homeless and at-risk people across the county; we’re delighted to have taken part.

The week continues today with Scenes from Mozart on the foyer-stage at 5pm, and the Big Band will return this Wednesday for its final musical ‘huzzah!’ in the Colyer-Fergusson Hall at 7.30pm.

Images © Peter Cook / University of Kent

Keeping It Real: reviews.

Lost Consort makes its debut performance

April 4, 2014 Daniel Harding Leave a comment

The department’s newest (or oldest, depending on how you look at it) ensemble, the Lost Consort, made its debut yesterday in a lunchtime concert in the evocative Roman Undercroft of St Thomas’ Hospital, Canterbury.

Formed by Your Loyal Correspondent back in November in order to explore the music of Hildegard von Bingen, the group gave its first performance to a packed audience, with a programme including an evocative setting of the Kyrie and the luminous Columba Aspexit.

After the concert, the Choir moved out onto the high street in order to sing to one of the members of the audience who was unable to come into the Undercroft because of their wheelchair. Members of the public drew to a standstill to listen to a twelfth-century flashmob bringing medieval music to the ancient stones of the city.

Welcome to the newest, oldest, departmental ensemble; expect to hear more from the Lost Consort in the future.

Jazz Booth, Keeping It Real: reviews.

Speake the Truth: workshop with British jazz giant

April 4, 2014 Daniel Harding Leave a comment

After a mesmerising lunchtime concert from the Martin Speake Trio on Wednesday, some of the University students had the opportunity to work with the musicians in the workshop that followed.

Led by saxophonist Martin Speake, the students shared insights into aspects of jazz and improvisation with guitarist Mike Outram and drummer Jeff Williams, exploring in particular Secret Woods, one of the pieces the trio had played in the lunchtime concert. The musicians examined what working together as a group involves, the role of different instruments and aspects of space and silence in music; as Mike Outram put it, “I think of space [in music] as active, rather than passive. You’re actively putting it out there.”

A terrific opportunity for some of our musicians to learn from three of the finest musicians working in the world of jazz. Our thanks to the trio.

Keeping It Real: reviews., Notes on Music

Leading British composer in rehearsal with the Chamber Choir

March 31, 2014 Daniel Harding Leave a comment

Students from the University of Kent had the opportunity to work with one of the country’s leading composers last week; composer Paul Patterson was in attendance at the University Chamber Choir concert in Canterbury Cathedral Crypt last Friday, to hear the Choir perform his sacred motet Salvum Fac Populum Tuum Domine, and earlier in the afternoon came to the rehearsal to work on his piece with the Choir.

Born in 1947, Paul Patterson was a pupil of Elisabeth Lutyens and Richard Rodney Bennett. He is currently Manson Professor of Composition at the Royal Acadmey of Music. Major compositions include his Mass of the Sea (1983), Stabat Mater (1986), Te Deum (1988), Magnificat (1993), Hell’s Angels (1998) and the Millennium Mass (2000).

Time Piece (1972), was written for the King’s Singers, and has been performed extensively ever since as a staple part of their repertoire. His Cracowian Counterpoints (1977) was toured worldwide by the London Sinfonietta, and the phenomenally-successful Little Red Riding Hood and Three Little Pigs continue to be performed. In 1997, in celebration of his 50th birthday, he was the featured composer on BBC Radio 3’s long-running series ‘Composer of the Week.’ He has also been Artistic Director of the Exeter Festival (1991-97), and Composer-in-Residence of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (1997-2010).

It was a wonderful opportunity for the students to work with someone of Paul’s calibre. A major figure on the British music landscape, the chance to work with him was a great privilege. Paul leads a hectic life following his music being performed all over the world (he was recently in Holland attending a concert combining his Magnificat with works by Eric Whitacre, and is shortly off to Denmark), and we are tremendously grateful that he found the time to come to the concert, and to be a part of the rehearsal earlier in the day.