The University Camerata and Cecilian Choir teamed up for yesterday’s final lunchtime concert of the term, with Vivaldi’s Winter and Purcell’s ‘Frost Scene’ from King Arthur.
University Camerata with Jeremy Ovenden
Soloist in the Vivaldi, Jeremy Ovenden brought out the brittle, biting aspect of the piece in a strong, confident reading, and the Camerata responded with suitable fragility in the sul ponticello passages.
Making her debut at the Gulbenkian, Music Scholar Paris Noble cast a bright flame as Cupid, scolding the Cold Genius (a welcome return for alumnus Piran Legg) and bringing on a chorus of Cold Revellers to warm them up and spread love throughout the arctic countryside.
In rehearsal: Piran Legg (bass), Paris Noble (soprano) with the Camerata and Cecilian Choir
The Cecilian Choir, looking suitably chilly in winter hats and coats (there had been a fire-alarm that morning, so the musicians ended up waiting outside the Theatre for a while – true method-acting, as one of the altos wryly observed), shambled on before casting aside their winter attire for a heroic closing chorus.
Pictured also is the fine harpischord brought in for the concert (Christmas truly came early for me this year), a Ruckers-Hemsch copy by Ian Tucker, based on an instrument from 1763, which had a soundboard decorated identically to one owned by Handel. Many thanks to Edmund Pickering for delivering and tuning the instrument.
Tucker, after Ruckers-Hemsch
Bravo to all involved: a concert to ‘warm’ the heart…
With their ears still resonating from their ‘Music for Advent’ concert at Blean Church last Friday, news arrives that the Chamber Choir’s first concert this year raised £570.
You can read the review on the choral blog, ‘Cantus Firmus.’ The Choir are now getting into shape to participate in the University Carol Service in Canterbury Cathedral on the 12 December, always a highlight of their performing calendar.
Many thanks to everyone who came along to the Gulbenkian Theatre at lunchtime, and joined in to sing Handel and raise money for this year’s Children in Need appeal.
The Yellow Bear turned up and conducted the massed ranks of visitors and musicians in a rousing rendition of the ‘Hallelujah Chorus,’ whilst members of the Music Society charged around with buckets and balloons to take the collection.
After some lively warm-ups and a run-through of key moments in the piece, the performance was delivered with gusto and vibrant enthusiasm.
Pudsey with violinist Jo Pearsall
Afterwards, Pudsey was almost swamped by a crowd of eager…err… grown-ups all clamouring for a picture with the Great Bear: and not a child in sight!
Our thanks to Pudsey for coming along, to the Gulbenkian for throwing its theatre doors open to the massed and eager rabble, to the ever-enthusiastic Music Committee for being on hand to help (and rattle collection-buckets), and to everyone who turned up, made a donation, and took part. We raised £270 for a very worthy cause.
Keep an eye out on local BBC at 6.30pm and possibly 8.30pm tomorrow night: that’s all I’m saying…
Be My Guest: an occasional series featuring guest posts and contributions. This week, Music Society President Chris Gray reviews yesterday’s lunchtime recital by Benjamin Frith.
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Frothy Frith: Pictures a plenty!
Top brass: Chris Gray.
During the ever popular Lunchtime Concert series, sponsored by Furley Page, I sat and listened to what was an absolutely outstanding performance by Benjamin Frith of Mussorgsky’s Original Pictures at an Exhibition. The concert not only forward looking to a performance of Ravel’s orchestrated version by the University Symphony Orchestra, but also provided a warming and gratifying experience on an otherwise cold and bleak day on the Canterbury campus.
This iconic piece opens with a simple Promenade played at a quicker tempo than the ear is used to, having been a veteran of many interpretations of the Ravel orchestration. Frith provided a very lyrical and sensitive performance of this renowned motif. The movement was in two sections; the chorale opening bars and the rich density of the harmony to follow, and this was apparent in Frith’s playing as he offered two beautiful passages of playing. Throughout the concert, the pianist had a way of creating different timbres of sounds from the piano, which provided even greater colour throughout the performance.
The next movement, Gnomus, shows off the grotesquery of the toy nutcracker present in this picture. The piano was alive with stunning misshapen motifs that installed terror into the listener. Frith had a brilliant tendency to unleash fury without losing control of his instrument which was apparent throughout the performance.
Following another Promenade between pictures the piece progresses to Il Vecchio Castello which depicts an old castle by night. The continuous pedal note in the left hand imitates the sombre and distant nature of this movement, whilst the reminiscent playing certainly transported the listener to another land.
Once again the listener is transported via an assertive Promenade towards the next painting Tuileries based on a picture of the park of the same name. The dexterity in articulation and delicate tempi changes conveyed the playful nature of the children depicted in the painting. This was in stark contrast to the following movement Bydlo, a huge cart drawn by oxen. The power of the piano itself was apparent throughout this movement and the dynamical contrast reflected the passing of the cart; heavy and unwieldy the playing was a relentless trudging through the thick mud lining the cart’s route, and the dense chords in the left hand mirrored this.
Via a yet another Promenade, Mussorgsky reflects on the previous picture with a reflective and sombre recapitulation of the main theme. Ballet of the Chicks in their Shells lifts the oppressive feeling of the previous movement. Ben showed great skill in not only the speed of his playing but also the accuracy at which he danced across the ivories. It was a great interpretation and the tempi at which Frith played seemed perfectly natural and transported the listener into the gallery. The next painting follows on immediately into an argument between two Jewish gentlemen: Samuel Goldberg and Schmulye. The two characters were exhibited during the movement, with great dynamical contrast between the sections and the different personalities within the music. The next painting Limoges depicts a busy market place and a discussion between a group of women. Again Frith interpreted this brilliantly with dynamic busy playing and reflected the lively nature of the market place. A dark and dank Roman Catacombe is represented by a sheer mass of noise from the piano, daylight could be seen between the piano stool and the pianist himself(!), as the solid columns of sound emitted from the instrument.
Following on from this picture, Mussorgsky reflected on the loss of his close friend with a chant-like, haunting Promenade which leads to an ephemeral ‘Amen’ reminiscent of his friend’s rise to heaven. The penultimate painting The Hut on Fowl’s Legs is of a clock in the shape of the hut of Baba Yaga. This painting provided two distinct sections ranging from evil, demonic and massive playing representing the drama that surrounds the witch Baba Yaga, and the mysterious and suggestive aura that represents the sorcery of the witch.
An eddying chromatic scale propels the user into the Great Gate of Kiev, which is the manifestation of the whole piece. Magnificent spread chords imitate the tolling bells of the Great Gate and the theme returns as a trident triumphant tune very fitting as a memorial to Mussorgsky’s great friend.
As an orchestral player, I felt the piece lacked body, which was probably due to the piano, and the fact that Ravel wrote such a wonderful orchestration of Mussorgsky’s original work. However this did not detract from the simple fact that this was an outstanding performance by a genuinely talented performer. Benjamin Frith transported us to Mussorgsky’s side as he walked around the gallery, and this concert will go down in history for me as an incredibly important one. Not only did it provide an insight into Mussorgsky’s original pursuance of timbre, dynamic and tempi and will prove invaluable to my experience as an orchestral tuba player playing this piece as part of the University Symphony Orchestra.
I hope the next concert is good, it has got a lot to live up to!
Over on ‘Cantus Firmus,’ the Chamber Choir is preparing for its first concert commitment this year, the Advent concert in Blean – this week’s post sees the Choir developing a mixed-formation ensemble sound… Whilst on ‘Playing Up!‘ the tuba-playing Society President Chris Gray muses on the impact of last weekend’s workshop with the Symphony Orchestra. The Medway Music Society also had the first round of their epic ‘Battle of the Bands’ which kicked off in Coopers on Tuesday night.
The months have reached November, and it’s the start of a busy period for music at the University.
Over the next few weeks, we’ve lots of events coming up, of which the the first is a lunchtime recital by the internationally-acclaimed pianist, Benjamin Frith, returning to the Gulbenkian with Mussorgsky’s mighty Pictures at an Exhibition.
Then it’s time to raise your voice for charity, as the Gulbenkian opens its doors to the annual ‘Sing for Children in Need;’ turn up with a donation and sing Handel’s rousing ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ in aid of a very good cause.
Towards the end of the month, the Chamber Choir will launch the Advent season in their ‘Music for Advent‘ concert in Blean; a sequence of music and readings to begin the Advent period, with proceeds for the concert in aid of Blean Church Restoration Appeal and Blean School Playground Improvements.
This Sunday, the Symphony Orchestra has its weekend workshop in preparation for its December concert with the Chorus. Also this week the Cecilian Choir forms for the first time this year, as we begin our rehearsals for the ‘Cold Concert‘ at the start of next month.
Details of each of these nearer the time, but in the meantime you can see the full brochure on-line here. Get ready for some exciting events to come…
(And just to whet your appetite, here’s Evgeny Kissin in a section of the solo-piano incarnation of Pictures at an Exhibition. If you’re excited by this, wait until you hear Frith’s performance…)
Another packed house last Friday greeted several of the University’s Music Scholars, in their annual lunchtime recital at the Festival Club, accompanied by Deputy Director of Music, Dan Harding.
Heart and Sole: Paris Noble and Sarah Davies display their concert footwear
A rare opportunity to hear not one, but two tubas, with third-year Architecture student Chris Gray, accompanied by his teacher, Steve Wassall, giving a deft reading of a Bach Two-Part Invention and the Minuet and Ecossaise from Catelinet’s ‘Suite in Miniature.’ Not only is Chris a member of the Symphony Orchestra, Concert Band and Chorus, he’s also President of the Music Society this year: as he said to me in rehearsal, ”It’s like I’m doing Music with some Architecture on the side.’ A busy man indeed…
Soprano and second-year Drama student Paris Noble swept on-stage to portray three different damsels in distress: O mio babbino caro from Puccini’s ‘Gianni Schicchi,’ Granados’ coquettish El majo discreto, and finishing with Loewe’s dizzying I Could Have Danced All Night from ‘My Fair Lady.’
Second-year Historian, Kathryn Redgers, principal flautist with the Symphony Orchestra and section leader in Concert Band, then gave a dazzling reading of Chaminade’s Concertino, the piece for which Chaminade is chiefly remembered; a child-prodigy, Chaminade once played some of her compositions to Bizet. Kathryn gave an accomplished performance, showing great skill in matching the challenge of the piece’s virtuosic demands, including a finely-crafted cadenza.
Top brass: Steve Wassall and Chris Gray
Final-year English Literature student Sarah Davies, also in Orchestra and Concert Band and Treasurer of the Music Society this year, gave a suitably poised performance of the second movement of Saint-Saëns’ neo-Classical Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, followed by Gershwin’s jazzy Walkin’ the Dog, which had a swggering, sassy swing.
Chris and Steve then showed the tuba can be as fleet of foot as both the flute and clarinet, in the March and Fugue for two tubas by the prolific Derek Bourgeois.
To end the concert, Paris was joined by soprano Marina Ivanova, in her second year and reading Economics, for two operatic duets, the lyrical Flower Duet from Delibes’ ‘Lakmé’ and the lulling barcarolle, Belle Nuit from the ‘Tales of Hoffmann’ by Offenbach.
As the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Keith Mander observed in his closing remarks, the University has a fine crop of musicians and a vibrant musical life, with the Music Scholars at the heart of all its music-making. With the new Marlowe Theatre having just opened, and the Colyer-Fergusson centre for Music Performanc opening next year to house all the University’s music-making, together with the Turner Contemporary gallery in Margate, it really is an exciting time for the cultural life of East Kent and the wider community.
Sarah Davies and Kathryn Redgers
Congratulations to all the performers, and thanks to Sarah Passfield from the Festival team who made us all so welcome.
Last week, the all-male vocal group ‘Blake’ gigged at the University’s Gulbenkian Theatre, and featured one of Kent’s musical alumni in the line-up. Director of Music Susan Wanless sneaked into the back row to see how he’s getting on…
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One of the delights of being the Director of Music is to follow the subsequent careers of all our musical alumni when they leave Kent and go out into the big bad world. None has had a higher profile than tenor Humphrey Berney (E99). Having been a music scholar at Kent, conductor of the Chamber Choir and star of the summer operas, he went on the Royal Academy of Music and then worked with opera companies such as Glyndebourne and Garsington. In 2009 he joined the Classical BRIT awarding-winning group, Blake and now performs all over the world.
Last Wednesday, as part of the Canterbury Festival, Blake gave a concert here on campus. It was really great to see Humphrey again, and he was clearly delighted to back at his alma mater and the Gulbenkian Theatre, reminding the audience that the last time he appeared on its stage he had actually been hanged when he starred in The Beggar’s Opera! The concert was packed out and the group clearly appeals to all age groups … and particularly the ladies!
I confess that I thought that the programme would be too ‘cheesy’ for me, but I was swept away by the group’s consummate professionalism, musicianship and chemistry with the audience and loved every minute of it! They received a standing ovation at the end and were swamped by adoring fans in the foyer afterwards to sign programmes and CDs. As you can see, I did manage to catch up with him briefly, before he left Canterbury to head out to the Philippines tomorrow to continue his musical jet-setting career.
Because it does. Doesn't it ? Blogging about extra-curricular musical life at the University of Kent.
Then it’s time to raise your voice for charity, as the Gulbenkian opens its doors to the annual ‘Sing for Children in Need;’ turn up with a donation and sing Handel’s rousing ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ in aid of a very good cause.
Last Wednesday, as part of the Canterbury Festival, Blake gave a concert here on campus. It was really great to see Humphrey again, and he was clearly delighted to back at his alma mater and the Gulbenkian Theatre, reminding the audience that the last time he appeared on its stage he had actually been hanged when he starred in The Beggar’s Opera! The concert was packed out and the group clearly appeals to all age groups … and particularly the ladies!