The heady excitement generated by the run-up to the University Cecilian Choir‘s appearance on Heart Kent Radio this morning – and if you’ve missed it all, where HAVE you been ?! – finally peaked when the station broadcast the recording this morning.
To the delight ot listeners, commuters and those on the school-run throughout the county, the air-waves resounded to staff and students singing ‘England’s Gateway To The World,’ the mock anthem celebrating the glories of our county, arranged for mixed choir by Your Loyal Correspondent.
If you missed this stirring moment, watch the video here; thanks to all the students and staff involved in the project; how about taking it to the Albert Hall ?!
Thanks to HeartKent Radio for the film.
Like something out of the Italian Job, a fleet of cars left the University campus and trekked deep into the darkest recesses of the north Kent coast, to arrive at the radio station where the excitement was palpable: we were really here! Ushered into the atrium, we met the presenters and production team, before recording the anthem; soprano Charlotte Webb and tenor Joe Prescott were also interviewed about their experience learning the piece.
A terrific experience for all the students and staff involved, and a chance to see into the life of the radio station where all the magic happens. Thanks to James, Becky, Producer Matt and the rest of the team for making us welcome; tune in to Heart Breakfast tomorrow (Thursday) morning between 8 – 8.30am to hear the final result…
So, here we are; I’ve now made a start on converting the piece to a full arrangement for mixed choir, which the Cecilian Choir will then need to learn. We’ll keep you posted as to how it’s progressing. It’s my children’s fault…
Fresh from its concert at Studio 3 Gallery last week, the University’s auditioned upper-voices chamber choir will bring the Crypt to shimmering life on Friday 26 February with Vivaldi’s masterpiece, in a programme that also explores repertoire from the medieval to the present day. The first half of the concert will include works by Hildegard von Bingen, Mozart and Brahms, as well as Veljo Tormis’ filigree Spring Sketches and Bob Chilcott’s radiantly colourful Song of the Stars. It’s a terrific opportunity to hear Vivaldi’s radiant, celebratory Gloria in an upper-voices edition which may well have been familiar to audiences during Vivaldi’s lifetime, written as it was for the young voices of the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice.
The Radiance Trio was formed in the summer of 2013 by violinist, Lydia Cheng (University of Kent), cellist, Angel Ji (University of Toronto), and pianist, Marcus Chiam (University of Toronto) after their trio debut of Butterfly Lovers at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China. The name is taken from the debut composition with the same title by the trio’s pianist and composer, Marcus Chiam.