Freshers’ Fayer in Eliot Marquee this afternoon.
Freshers on Friday: an in-tents experience
Category Archives: Notes on Music
The philosophy of music: or the music of philosophy ?
All the fun of the (Freshers’) Fayre
With Freshers’ Week in full spate, today and tomorrow sees the Freshers’ Fayre, when all manner of societies across the University will be endeavouring to convince and cajole new students into joining the vast swathe of societies that makes up University Life.
The Music Society is no exception, and is currently ensconced in the foyer of the Colyer-Fergusson Building, as various committee members meet-and-greet new members of the University, talk to them about the various musical ensembles and opportunities on offer, and even bribe them with sweets…
There’s even been live jazz from some of the University Music Scholars on the foyer-stage, the first live musical event of the year.
Come and find them tomorrow, when they’ll be in the Freshers’ Fayre over in Eliot; see what’s on offer musically here at Kent, and maybe there’ll even be some sweets left…
Pinning your hopes: guest post #3 on the Employability blog
As both readers of this blog may have seen, I’ve recently written several features for the University’s Employability blog on musicians, transferable skills and musical Life After Kent.
The latest post, Pinning your hopes, takes a look at the virtual pinboard I run on Pinterest, reasons for setting it up and what (and whom) it’s there for.
Read for yourself over on the Employability blog here.
Where’er you Work: guest post #2 for the Employability blog
My second article for the University’s employability blog, aside from using a cringe-worthily punning title, focuses on careers followed by musically-involved alumni of the University, and the various types of employment paths they have pursued.
Read the article online here.
New Autumn events now online
Drum-roll please….our new Autumn music events details are now online!
Kicking off in October with the Marici Saxes, the Lunchtime Concert series also sees music from Covent Garden Voices and the KD Jazz and Dance Orchestra. The Brodsky Quartet returns with a concert celebrating the musical anniversaries of Wagner, Verdi and Britten, and there’s also Britten from the award-winning Kent College Choristers in Friday Afternoons. We are very excited that the Doyenne of Wagner, Dame Anne Evans, will be giving a singing masterclass and also appearing ‘In Conversation’ to talk about her career on the stage in November.
The University Chamber Choir will celebrate the beginning of the Advent season at Blean Church, and the December concert with the Chorus and Orchestra includes Vivaldi’s ever-popular Gloria alongside Respighi , Verdi and Cimarosa.
Our informal series of foyer-gigs, Watch This Space, will burst into life again on the foyer-stage, starting with live jazz in October, and the University Big Band will be providing some seasonal entertainment to round off what promises to be a very busy term.
We’re pleased to welcome the Canterbury Festival, who will be bringing the English première of a new opera by Sally Beamish in a double-bill with Britten’s Curlew River, and pianist Mikhail Rudy exploring Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Other visitors to the Colyer-Fergusson concert-hall include John Harle and the Festival Chamber Orchestra, Ashford Choral Society, Simon Langton Girls’ Choir and Caritas Chamber Choir.
See for yourself online here; you can also download the new brochure (PDF) here.
Canterbury Festival: festival with in-tent
This year, the Canterbury Festival celebrates its thirtieth birthday from 19th October to the 2nd November with its usual dizzying array of music, theatre, comedy, literature, lectures and family events, and tops its usual pot pourri by bringing the travelling dance-hall, the Spiegeltent, to the county cricket ground as well.
Highlights to watch out for this year include:
- the new opera from composer Sally Beamish, Hagar in the Wilderness, from Nova Music Opera (recently premiered across the Severn at the Presteigne Festival) in a double-bill with Britten’s Curlew River;
- pianist Yevgeny Sudbin in a programme including Debussy’s vibrant L’Isle Joyeuse and Scriabin’s Sonata no.5;
- Canterbury choral society continues the Britten centenary celebrations running throughout the Festival with a performance of the War Requiem in Canterbury Cathedral; whilst Mid Wales Opera bring Albert Herring to the Theatre Royal, Margate;
- oboist Nicholas Daniel (recently appointed Artistic Director of the Dartington International Summer School in 2014) and pianist Julius Drake in a programme including Bach, Britten, Thea Musgrave and Helen Grime;
- the Tallis Scholars bring the Festival to a glorious finale with music by Byrd, Tavener, White and Tallis;
- ventriloquist Nina Conti and comedian Adam Hills;
- poet Dan Simpson and a crowd-sourced poem celebrating the city of Canterbury;
- historian and BBC regular Lucy Worsley explores the history of home life;
- Science Centre Stage – ‘where science meets the arts!’ – returns for a third year, supported by the University;
- Perfect Lines: Old Master in Print at the Beaney presents rare Canaletto etchings;
The Speigeltent itself will host Sunday morning events, morning concerts, and Knee Deep, an acrobatic display from Casus.
We wish the Festival a happy thirtieth birthday – may there be many more…
Talking heads: our interview in The Teacher Training Journal
I’m pleased to reveal that an interview with Yours Truly and the Director of Music, Susan Wanless, appears in the latest pages of The Teacher Training Journal.
Click here to read the interview.
Battle of the Sexes in Music Theatre final showcase
If Summer Music Week isn’t enough for you next week, then brace yourself for the ultimate battle of the sexes, as the Music Theatre Society’s final showcase, Boys VS Girls, arrives at The Gulbenkian!
On Monday 10 June, the MT Society will round out another successful year with songs from Footloose, Grease, Oklahoma! and more.
Tickets are a mere snip at £8 (concessions £6), and the evening promises to be a fitting finale to the society’s year. More details here; see the event’s Facebook page here.