The University of South Carolina is offering a degree entitled ‘Lady Gaga and the Sociology of Fame,’ upon which presumably students can study aspects of the popstar’s persona, her publicity-driven lifestyle, and her impact on popular culture of the twenty-first century.
Continuing the series profiling musical alumni of the University of Kent. This week, Dan Wheeler.
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Brass cheek: Dan Wheeler
When were you at Kent ?
I was at Kent from 2005-08, although I never quite got around to leaving Canterbury…
What subject did you study ?
Law, although from about the second term onwards you would have thought I was doing a Music degree!
What occupation are you now engaged in ?
The civil service, occasionally making use of my degree!
If music is not your profession, do you participate in any musical experiences now ?
Having never left Canterbury I am still involved in music at the University; singing in the University Chorus whilst also playing tuba and bass guitar in the University Concert and Big Band. I also sing regularly with St Stephen’s church choir (based in the Hales Place area) in weekly services, occasionally covering Evensong services at Canterbury and Rochester Cathedrals.
How were you involved in music whilst at Kent ?
In almost every way possible! I have sung in Chorus and Chamber Choir, played tuba in Concert Band and Orchestra and playing until recently in the Orchestra. In my final year I completed the set by running the Music Society as president.
What did you gain from your University music experience, and has this helped you in any way since leaving Kent ?
Without my University music experience I would not have had the confidence to be where I am today, leaving home and starting a new life in Canterbury. I would not have met all the wonderful people I have come across during my time in numerous rehearsals and made some great friends along the way!
What was your most memorable musical experience at Kent ?
Performing the solo in Cornelius’ Three Kings to almost 1000 people in Canterbury Cathedral in the 2006 carol service; that and sitting through my debut Big Band gig after my guitar broke on the first note…!
What would you say to current musical students at the University ?
I would encourage all musical students to get involved in as much as possible, it is much more enjoyable than the degree (although admittedly this is coming from a law graduate) and from extensive experience of job hunting (!) I invariably end up being asked more about my musical activities than the degree itself!
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If you’re an alumnus and would like to be featured, get in touch via the Music Department website: we’d love to hear from you!
A lively Gulbenkian Theatre foyer was abuzz with anticipation on Wednesday evening, in expectation of the first gig in the new season. Regulars Will Rathbone (sax) and Andrew Kitchin (guitar) fronted the band, with Dan Harding on piano and Sophie Meikle on bass – drafted in for the occasion, and making his Jazz @ 5 debut, was drummer Matt Bardrick.
The gig opened with a welcome return to jazz at Kent for Jo Turner, who sang last year and opened the gig with I Wish I Knew How It Feels To Be Free, delivered in a bravura style; she followed this with These Foolish Things. Hot on the heels of her performance at the Scholars’ Festival Lunchtime Concert last Friday was Lena Younes, who sang Lullaby of Birdland and then Fats Waller’s Ain’t Misbehavin’ in a reading that opened slowly and lyrically, and then moved into a brisk swing tempo.
Also making their jazz debut was Steph Richardson, who showed great presence in her confident performances of In A Mellow Tone and Route 66; she held the attention of a rapt audience, and you could have heard a pin drop – in fact, we heard a glass tumble to the floor, but it didn’t dispel the mood.
Next came a duo, newcomers Martin Lestra on guitar and vocalist Camille, who played Edith Piaf’s La Vie en Rose in a lively swing style.
Steph Richardson
After an instrumental version of Blue Bossa lent the evening a Latin air, with some robust solos from Will on tenor sax and dexterous lines from Andrew on guitar, Jo Gray gave a lulling rendition of Blue Moon. Steph Richardson ended her set with a slow exploration of Cry Me A River that was sure-footed and well crafted, and Jo Gray then brought the evening to a close with a delicate Baby, I’m A Fool of which even Melody Gardot herself would have been proud.
A confident opening gig from everyone involved, and a sign of some great jazz music-making to come in the year ahead. Catch Jazz @ 5 next month, Wednesday December 1, when there’ll be a seasonal flavour and one or two surprises. And if you can’t wait that long, we’ll be appearing at the Music Society Showcase on Saturday 20 November, alongside the Big Band, Concert Band, Chamber Choir and other entertainment. Don’t miss either gig!
We’re delighted to see that the University of Kent’s Music Scholarships were mentioned in an article in the Sunday Times recently – ‘Top tips for funding university.’
Only three UK universities were mentioned in connection with offering scholarships, and Kent was the only one directly connected with music.
The article assesses the potential costs to future students given the rise in tuition fees, and offers guidance on how to lessen the financial burden of studying at university.
With the capping of tuition fees looking set to disappear following Lord Browne’s proposal, allowing universities to charge as much as they might wish for their courses, students are facing increasing debt in order to obtain a degree. The article looks at the implications for three-year courses of study, and avenues of potential financial support that can be accessed to help. Kent’s music scholarships are one such means of lessening the impact of continuing into higher education.
Not to mention having a fantastic musical experience whilst doing so.
Click here to read the article (subscription may be required).
I’ve done three Scholars’ Festival Lunchtime Concerts in the Canterbury Festival since my time at Kent began, and I’ve never seen the Festival Club as packed as it was on Friday. The audience were crammed into every available space, with extra seating having to be put out along the sides, and the view from the stage was rather intimidating.
Sarah Davies, Anna Beth Saffrey, Andrew Kitchin, Will Rathbone, Chris Gray, Alice Godwin, Kate Lumley, Lena Younes
Not intimidating enough, however, to dismay the array of Music Scholars, who performed a diverse and entertaining programme that clearly delighted a packed house.
Politics student and flautist with the University Orchestra, Alice Godwin, opened the concert with a pair of charming pieces by Benjamin Godard, and was followed by Anna Beth Saffery, reading Drama, who sang Mozart’s breathless Voi che sapete and gave a lulling rendition of A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square.
Architecture student Chris Gray performed the first movement of Gregson’s Tuba Concerto, and demonstrated that, whilst it may be the largest of the instruments in the orchestra, it can also be one of the most light-footed – he gave a deft performance, full of agility and lyricism.
Clarinet tutor and Big Band conductor Ian Swatman led a clarinet trio in an arrangement of music by Bach, with Kate Lumley (English Language) and Sarah Davies (English Literature), who are stalwarts of both the University Orchestra’s clarinet section and the Concert Band.
All that jazz...
The mood then shifted to jazz, as guitarist Andrew Kitchin (Maths) and saxophonist Will Rathbone (Drama) played two standards, The Nearness of You and Blue Bossa, with Ian Swatman sitting in. Both Will and Andrew have been bastions of the ‘Jazz @ 5’ series in the Gulbenkian each month, and here showed the same relaxed attitude to playing that has made them so indispensable to the series.
Bringing the concert to a sparkling conclusion (and not simply because of her shoes) was soprano Lena Younes (History and Drama), who sang Lullaby of Birdland before giving a crowd-pleasing and characterful performance of Flanders and Swann’s The Warthog.
Accompanied throughout by Deputy Director of Music, Dan Harding, the concert proved once again that the University’s music department is rich in young, talented musicians, even though there is no formal music degree on the Canterbury campus. Congratulations to everyone who performed.
Thank you to Ian Swatman, and to Sarah Passfield who hosted the event and assisted us in setting up, and who made us feel very welcome.
With all the various choral exploits at the University this year, I’m pleased to say that one way of keeping up with all that’s going on has now been launched. Already going strong, Cantus Firmus is the new choral blog, following the Chamber and Cecilian Choirs through their various projects this year.
With the Chamber Choir heading full tilt towards their Advent Concert by Candlelight in five weeks’ time as well as preparing for their Crypt Concert in February, and the Cecilians preparing their spring repertoire, there’s lots to follow. Also appearing is a regular column on the art of the choral conductor, ‘Not drowning by waving,’ offering insights into the role of the conductor, aspects of rehearsal technique, advice on working with a choir and developing its sound, and there’s the first post from one of the basses on life inside the Chamber Choir.
There’ll be articles focusing on repertoire the groups are preparing, and audio extracts of some of the pieces being learnt along the way.
Make sure you add Cantus Firmus to your RSS reader or list of Favourites, to keep in touch with choral life at Kent. Something to sing about.
With a programme to include Mozart, Gregson, Godard, Bach as well as a selection of jazz standards, this year’s Scholars’ Festival Lunchtime Concert is going to be a wholesome musical treat. The renowned Canterbury Interntional Festival is currently in full swing, and this year’s recital promises to add a lively and diverse element to the diary.
Featuring Music Scholarship students from various departments including Architecture, Drama, History and Politics, the performers are illustrative of the all-embracing nature of the University’s Music Department, and a tribute to the high standard of music-making that it fosters.
Yours truly will, as usual, be the recital accompanist this year, and there’s an added bonus in the form of clarinet teacher, Big Band and Concert Band conductor and all-round whizz Ian Swatman, who will be playing as part of a clarinet trio. There’ll be an aria from Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, French flute repertoire by Benjamin Godard, part of the Gregson Tuba Concerto, as well as jazz tunes including A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square and Blue Bossa.
The Festival Club, St. Alphege Lane, Canterbury; 1pm; admission free. Further details on our on-line events calendar here. Bring along a lunch and a coffee, and relax whilst we entertain you. Don’t miss it.
Because it does. Doesn't it ? Blogging about extra-curricular musical life at the University of Kent.
The University of South Carolina is offering a degree entitled ‘Lady Gaga and the Sociology of Fame,’ upon which presumably students can study aspects of the popstar’s persona, her publicity-driven lifestyle, and her impact on popular culture of the twenty-first century.
Common themes include regular exercises and the avoidance of alcohol.
