Category Archives: Now Hear This!

Music you should hear at least once…

International Impact, Keeping It Real: reviews., Now Hear This!

Cecilian Choir featured on BBC Radio 3

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The University Cecilian Choir, together with the String Sinfonia, was featured on BBC Radio 3’s The Choir on Easter Sunday.

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Image credit: Matt Wilson

The weekly programme dedicated to all things choral has a regular feature, ‘Meet My Choir,’ and last Sunday, Dr Michael Hughes – lecturer in linguistics in the School of English and a member of the Cecilian Choir – introduced the Choir, its ethos and its place within the University community. The musicians can be heard during the episode performing Monteverdi’s Beatus Vir.

The feature is permanently on the Radio 3 website here: click here to listen.

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Bach solo Partita in D minor: Alina Ibragimova at the 2015 Proms

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This was quite extraordinary; transcending time and space, intimate music speaking on a global scale, part of a complete survey of the Bach solo Partitas over the course of two concerts at this year’s BBC Proms. Lithe, effortless music, played with breath-taking skill, total commitment and a profound connection to the piece by Alina Ibragimova, Bach draws the outline of humanity in filigree violin arabesques; reaching beyond the intimate nature of the solo instrument to touch every listener.

I shamelessly admit to weeping openly during the performance of the D minor Partita when it was broadcast on BBC4 recently; be careful, you might too…

Notes on Music, Now Hear This!

Listen here: Handel’s ‘Silete Venti’

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Ahead of CantiaQuorum‘s concert next week, listen to Handel’s Silete Venti which will appear in the ensemble’s programme next Friday.

HandelThe wonderfully bustling fugato opening, depicting the wind scurrying through the branches, is interrupted at two and a half minutes into the opening sinfonia by the soprano, as she bids them ‘be silent.’

Just before the six-minute mark, the wonderful aria Dulcis amor shows Handel in sublime melodic form, as does Date serta, date flores (Give garlands, give flowers), starting at 13′ 09”, which later becomes dramatic and highy flamboyant for both soloist and ensemble alike, before the piece concludes with a sprightly Alleluia.

Soprano Susanna Hurrell (currently to be heard in the Royal Opera’s production of L’Ormindo) will be the soloist with CantiaQuorum next week; it promises to be wonderful opportunity to hear this astonishing piece performed live. Tickets and details here.

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Wheel keep a welcome: aboard the Kent Wheel

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Here at Music Matters, your loyal correspondent is of course utterly dedicated to bringing you all the latest news from Colyer-Fergusson, heading fearlessly off in pursuit of the hottest gossip and most recent events.

In this spirit of dashing journalism, your loyal correspondent bravely set foot aboard the Kent Wheel yesterday, and was lofted into the skies over the University campus, armed with only a smartphone and an indomitable spirit, ready to undergo the most testing of physical hardships just to bring you, gentle Reader, another exciting, white-knuckle experience courtesy of the Music department.

50th-ribbon-smlOn to the next one…

Now Hear This!

Open Day today

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It’s Open Day today, and we’re here in the Colyer-Fergusson Building until 3pm; if you want to come and look around the concert-hall and practice facilities, find out about all the music-making that takes place at the University, or want to know more about our Music Scholarships – come and say hi!

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In-spiring future students…

11am; we’ve seen visitors from Canterbury, Buckinghamshire, Vienna and Munich so far this morning, testament to both the local and international appeal of the University!

12pm; midday, and there’s been a flurry of visitors to the music building; bassoon, string-players, pianists, singers, a drummer, a flautist – not to mention oud and sitar! 2015 is shaping up to be an eclectic musical year if they all come to the University next year…exciting…

12.30pm ; the record for the Visitor-from-the-Farthest-Flung-Shore award appears to be going to the most recent visitor to the music building, who has come from Singapore: welcome!

Jazz Booth, Now Hear This!

Dance Orchestra at Summer Music Week: playlist on Spotify

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Continuing with the jazz thread running through Summer Music Week next month, the new University Dance Orchestra brings the spirit of the 1930s to the Colyer-Fergusson Hall on Wednesday 11 June;  to that end, Captain Murgatroyd has risen from the trombone section to create a Spotify playlist of tunes that we’ll be playing, to get you in the mood (d’you see what I did, there…)

http://open.spotify.com/user/murgatroyd91/playlist/6pnnHfWjsesmldD99DkBuF

tomfooleryBring your dancing-shoes to the event; period costume optional, but highly recommended! It should be a great occasion; get the date in your diaries now…

Now Hear This!

Prepare to board with the Music Theatre Showcase!

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Get your passports and boarding passes at the ready and join the University Music Theatre Society on a thrilling, whistle-stop tour of the world, including songs from Chicago, Lion King, Oklahoma, Annie and many more this weekend, as they embark on their showcase and extend the invitation to Come Fly With Me.

Performances are on Saturday 16th November at 8 pm, and Sunday 17th November at 4 pm / 8 pm in Darwin Missing Link; tickets are available from the Mandela building and are only £5 (the cheapest holiday yet!)

Fasten your seat belts, put your tray tables in the upright position and prepare for Come Fly With Me, as this is one journey you won’t want to miss. Here’s some of the Society in rehearsal this week…

Follow the Music Theatre Society on Twitter.