Category Archives: Notes on Music

The philosophy of music: or the music of philosophy ?

New year, new term: new What’s On

The new What’s On online diary of musical events has just gone live this morning, with details of all the musical events between now and July.

From the grandeur of the Colyer-Fergusson Cathedral Concert to the intimacy of the Chamber Choir Crypt Concert, music embraces a range of events, including celebrations of Mozart and, in his centenary year, Benjamin Britten. The University Concert and Big Bands come together for From Bond to Basie, and we’re also launching a new series of ‘Watch This Space’ gigs on the new foyer-stage, which includes live jazz.

Canterbury CathedralThere are also visits from several local orchestras and choirs, and later on in June, we’ll be celebrating the end of the academic year with ‘Summer Music,’ about which details will emerge in April.

Check out all the events on the online diary here.

Welcome back.

That was a week, that was…

It’s been an action-packed final week; from Thursday through to Sunday, many of the University’s musicians were involved in rehearsing for, and performing in, the Gala opening concerts on Saturday and Sunday; the University Carol Service took place in Canterbury Cathedral on Monday night; there was a ‘Winter Wonderland’ lunchtime concert at which the Estates Team Choir made its debut yesterday; and finally Carols Round the Christmas Tree yesterday night.

Chorus and Orchestra in the Gala weekend, Image: Miles Banbery

We’re still recovering, both from the number of events in so short a time, but also from the heady success of the formal opening of the wonderful Colyer-Fergusson music building. You can see extensive photographs from the entire weekend on our special Pinterest board here.

The weekend saw two works premièred: one with the Chamber Choir by your loyal correspondent, the other with Concert Band in James Rae’s Platform One, which you can read about on their blog, ‘On The Beat’ here.

The Chamber Choir sang at the University Carol Service in Canterbury Cathedral on Monday night; find out how they got on in a feature over on the choral blog, Cantus Firmus, here.

University Chamber Choir

Wednesday’s festive lunchtime concert saw music from the Cecilian Choir, the Canterberries, and the debut performance from the Estates Team Choir; read about how it went (and there’s even some footage too…) on Cantus Firmus here.

The Estates Team Choir

And finally, members of the University community and friends gathered in the chilly night to bid a musical farewell to the term at ‘Carols Round The Tree.’

Image: Jim Higham

We’re taking a break for Christmas, but will be back again in the New Year to report on all the events we’re lining up for next term through to the week-long Summer Music in June; it’s going to be an exciting period. Festive good wishes to all our readers: see you in January.

In memorian: Jonathan Harvey and Dave Brubeck

The musical world has lost two giants this week; British composer Jonathan Harvey has died at the age of seventy-three, and American jazz pianist and composer Dave Brubeck, aged ninety-one.

Jonathan HarveyHarvey, who has suffered from motor-neurone disease for some time, will be remembered as the composer of music, often clothing instrumental and orchestral textures in a tapestry of electronics, that maps new worlds of deeply spiritual and sonic, almost mystic, contemplation, nowhere more so than in one of my favourite pieces, one of his very late works, Messages.

From the eletronics-and-bells of Mortuos plango, vivos voco to later works such as The Madonna of Winter and Spring which cracks open like Stravinsky’s Rite, or the meditative breathing ensemble in Tranquil Abiding, Harvey’s music combines a deep religious sense (his outlook embraced both Christianity and, later, Buddhism) with a unique musical language, one with a wonderful ear for ravishing sounds. (There’s a very moving interview with The Guardian‘s Tom Service that appeared in January this year, which you can read here).

Dave Brubeck will forever be remembered for Take Five, a recording graced with the liquid tone of saxophonist Paul Desmond. Classically trained, his music invested jazz in the 50’s and 60’s with classical techniques, including a mischevious delight in unusual time-signatures.

Here’s the band making 7/8 popular in Unsquare Dance:

Both will be much missed.

Head down until the weekend

We’re almost mid-way through the final rehearsals for the two Gala concerts coming up across this weekend; programmes have been signed off to the Print unit, final tests are being run on the acoustic curtains in the concert-hall, and the Christmas tree in the foyer went up at the end of last week, so that’s the key features dealt with.

Concert and Big Bands are about to rehearse in an hour or so for the last time on the James Rae commission, Chamber Choir raised the roof of the concert-hall in exuberant fashion last night, and Chorus and Orchestra will come together tomorrow night in Orff’s epic Carmina Burana.

Hot on the heels of the two concerts, there’s also the University Carol Service on the Monay, for which the Chamber Choir will be providing some of the carols; and then there’s the Estates Team Choir lunchtime debut on Wednesday lunchtime, with the Cecilian Choir and The Canterberries also singing; and then Carols Round The University Christmas Tree on Wednesday evening, together with the University Brass Ensemble.

Thursday: and relax… See you at some point before then…

Making waves at Medway: the Medway Chamber Choir

President of this year’s Medway Music Society, Jack McDonnell, reports in with news of a new musical initiative at Medway this year…

 


Under the management of 2nd year Popular Music Student Rhian Powell with the UMSA Music Society, Universities at Medway Chamber choir are back in full swing of rehearsals for a string of upcoming performances.

On Tuesday 13th of November, the choir took part in an evening of a pilot filming for a TV show called ‘The Venue’ at the Beacon Court Tavern in Gillingham (see picture, below). The Choir performed an arrangement of popular carol “Ding Dong Merrily on High” as well as the national anthem to an audience of film makers and Medway Locals which were well received by Director Lee Philips. The film is due to go online at the beginning of December.

The Medway Chamber Choir

UMCC are currently meeting on Monday evenings at 6pm in the Medway Building Studios, working towards the UMSA Carol Service on December 3rd.

Jack McDonnell

Good luck to our counterparts over in Medway – let us know when the film goes online!

Ring for Children in Need this Thursday

A unique music premiere in support of this year’s BBC ‘Children in Need’ appeal will take place in the  new Colyer-Ferguson Hall this Thursday at 1.10pm.

Pudsey BearCombining the sixtieth anniversary of John Cage’s silent, yet controversial, musical masterpiece, 4’ 33’’, the event encourages audience participants to use their mobile phone ringtone as part of the one-of-a-kind performance. Each of the three movements will see participants ‘playing’ a different ring-tone from their mobile phone.

Three Movements in Ring-Tonality, written by your loyal correspondent, is both homage to Cage’s piece and an unusual opportunity to make music using an instrument normally banned from the concert-hall. It’ll be a terrific opportunity to raise money for a worthy cause, as well as to pay tribute to Cage’s masterwork in a novel manner that will make musicians of everyone who takes part.

The annual fund-raising event for Children in Need is a special part of our calendar and this year is even more exciting as we will be giving a world première in our brand-new concert-hall.

Come along; bring your mobile-phone (and a donation!) and prepare for the unexpected…