Concerts and events reviews.
The University Chamber Choir in rehearsal prior to its concert at the Galvanising Shop, at the Historic Dockyard, Chatham, last Wednesday.
Images: © Matt Wilson / University of Kent
After their mesmerising lunchtime concert last week, sitarist and composer Jonathan Mayer and tabla-player Mitel Purohit stayed on to lead a workshop with some of the University students, exploring aspects of Indian classical music.
Our thanks to two stellar musicians for sharing their insights with our students.
Images © Matt Wilson / University of Kent
Images from last week’s annual Colyer-Fergusson Cathedral Concert, with the University Chorus and Symphony Orchestra, together with soprano Sally Silver.
Images: Matt Wilson / University of Kent
Pictures from the afternoon rehearsal for the concert by the University Concert and Big Band, conducted by Ian Swatman; here, ace trumpeter Mike Lovatt, making a guest appearance that evening, works with the Big Band, and singers Ruby Mutlow and Steph Richardson in action.
Images © University of Kent / Matt Wilson
The University Cecilian Choir and Music Scholars came together in an evocative and dramatic lunchtime concert on the foyer-stage last week, as part of a month-long series of events across the campus to mark LGBT Month.
Conducted by your loyal correspondent, the Cecilian Choir opened the concert with several movements from Britten’s Friday Afternoons, delivered with great vigour. Following this were two of Britten’s folk-song settings; Down By The Salley Gardens (sung by soprano Kathryn Cox) and O Waly, Waly (from soprano Paris Noble). These two moving, initimate reflections on love and loss were performed with real commitment, drawing the hushed audience so close that it was as though the listeners were hunched right around the stage.
The Cecilian Choir returned to the stage, together with third-year harpist Emma Murton, to close the concert with four movements from the Ceremony of Carols, moving from the high drama of ‘This Little Babe’ to the lyrical, evergreen simplicity of ‘Spring Carol,’ through the declamatory ‘Deo Gracias’ and ending with the plainchant of ‘Hodie Christus natus est.’
An engaging concert, and a great opportunity to make a musical contribution to the month’s events. Bravo, team.
Images: Matt Wilson (c) University of Kent
Remember, classical pianists: practice regularly, and you too could end up, err, playing alongside Metallica at the Grammys…
*heads off to a practice-room*
The University Big Band, with a little help from the Man in Red, brought the term to an ebullient conclusion yesterday evening, rounding off a day of seasonal music-making in the Colyer-Fergusson building.
Lunchtime saw a festive ‘Watch This Space’ with music from the Chamber and Cecilian Choirs, Tutti Flutties, The Canterberries, the Dance Orchestra and jazz on the foyer-stage.
In the evening, Ian Swatman led the Big Band in some seasonal swing, including vocal contributions from Steph Richardson, Ruby Mutlow and Sophie Meikle amidst some jazz takes on Jingle Bells and other seasonal favourites, together with the Brass Ensemble in communal carols. The evening was crowned with the arrival of the Man in Red himself, greeted with a roof-raising round of applause that almost eclipsed any musical heights the Big Band had scaled during the gig.
We’re back again in the new year with our new concert-diary (published towards the start of term), which will include details of all the lunchtime, Cathedral and informal concerts happening from January to April. From all of us in the music department – a merry Christmas!
Images © Matt Wilson / University of Kent
The University Chorus and Symphony Orchestra brought their term to a rousing conclusion on Saturday night in the Colyer-Fergusson hall.
But the music doesn’t end there; this Wednesday, there’s a seasonal ‘Watch This Space‘ on the foyer-stage, with festive contributions from the Chamber and Cecilian Choirs, the Lost Consort, Tutti Flutties, The Canterberries and the Dance Band starting at 1.10pm; then there’s live jazz from 2-3pm.
Then at 5.15pm, the University Big Band invites us to Swing-along-a-Santa, including communal carols with the Brass Ensemble. Sadly, all the tickets for the event have now gone – it promises to be a packed and festival finale to the term.
