Just published over on Storify, a snapshot of a week in the musical life of the University, including a lunchtime concert, weekend rehearsal, and tweets about timpani-parts and chocolate.
Read for yourself here…
Cooking up a storm: see Emily play!
Often to be found playing saxophone with the University Concert and Big Bands, and spotted playing with the University Sax Ensemble at a recent ‘Watch This Space’ gig, second-year Emily Cook has just featured in the Faversham Times in a different guise – talking about her charity, Khushi Feet.
In her second year studying English Language and Linguistics here at Kent, Emily set up the charity after working with schools for street-children in India; her current fund-raising involves a world-record-breaking attempt at the largest Bollywood Dance, which will be taking place in June this year.
Read the full article here.
Concert in the Cathedral looms
Next week sees the annual Colyer-Fergusson Cathedral Concert, and this year the University Chorus and Symphony Orchestra will come together in Brahms’ Second Symphony and Schubert’s Mass in A flat.
The annual event is always one of the high points in the cultural calendar, and we’re busy amidst a final flurry of rehearsals in preparation for the big night. More details about the concert on our ‘What’s On’ page here.
To whet your appetite, here’s the vibrancy of Brahms’ symphony captured by Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic.
See you on the night…
Scholars’ Spotlight: Cory Adams
Continuing the series profiling some of this year’s Music Scholars. This week, percussionist Cory Adams.
I was 3 when I got my first drum kit. It was a toy of course, yet I think it did spark my passion for percussion and music. I started taking snare drum lessons when I was 8 years old at primary school; we weren’t fortunate enough to have a drum kit, so kit lessons would have to wait until I started high school.
Kit playing seemed to come naturally to me, and as my teacher saw potential in me, he asked me (when I was 12) to start playing with ‘Saxation’. This was a saxophone ensemble (with rhythm section of course) that was run by members of staff from the Wakefield Music Services. This environment enhanced my playing dramatically, so I immediately started playing with the music department at school. I joined the swing band, concert band, orchestra, guitar group and choir- to drum of course! I even joined the folk group to play djembe.
Progressing through the drum kit grades quickly, in year 10 I decided I wanted to become an all round percussionist. Therefore my teacher introduced me to the glorious instruments that are the timpani drums, xylophone, glockenspiel and vibraphone. This did however mean I now had to learn how to read treble and bass clef- it’s so much harder than drum kit music!
At this age (15), when I was preparing for my grade 7 and being the principal percussionist at school and at music centre, I was asked to be the principal percussionist for the Wakefield Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Wakefield Youth Jazz Orchestra. This was a real eye opener. The standard of playing in these ensembles was incredible, and being a ‘newbie’ I was petrified. It didn’t help either when I had to play Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony and the intro to Also Sprach Zarathustra on timpani in my first concert.
It was also at this age when my theatre/show playing was tested. I was asked to play for an amateur dramatics group’s performance of Annie. I had such a great time, however it was disappointing that I couldn’t actually see the performance as I was stuck in the orchestra pit. I must have done a good job, because a year later I was asked to play again, this time for their medley/compilation of various musicals.
I was 16 when my teacher asked me to play with him for the Wakefield Metropolitan Brass Band. My initial reaction was, “you mean the youth band?” His response was, “No, I mean the proper one”. I could not have been more ecstatic- the band are a Championship Section band, which play against the likes of Black Dyke, Brighouse and Rastrick and Grimethorpe- the band that play in the film ‘Brassed Off’. This was the start of my dramatic improvement in all forms of percussion. I soon later (in 2011) completed my grade 8 with distinction.
From loud and raucous music to the soft tranquil haven that is Jazz. I have been playing jazz for 3 years now in a trio back home, and I have to tell you- it is a real money earner! And everyone knows we all need a bit of money now and then. I was quite sad to be leaving my trio when I came to university; however I didn’t know I’d be meeting three awesome jazz musicians. I now play with these guys and we are The Colossus Quartet- we are taking bookings so please get in touch!
I should now probably talk about what I actually do at University. Aside from the jazz quartet I play with the University Concert Band, Big Band and Orchestra. I love playing with these bands as I get to play so much tuned percussion; my tuned ability really has improved because of this. I look forward to my years at Kent being involved with the music department, I’ve already made many great friends and I’m sure I will make many more.
Cory Adams
Read the other profiles in the series here.
What You Really, Really Want: Music Theatre Showcase
The Music Theatre Society Showcase bursts into town this Friday and Saturday, as What You Want comes to Darwin’s Missing Link.
What You Want brings an array of larger-than-life characters from musicals old and new, as they try and get exactly what they want out of life.
The showcase will feature songs from Legally Blonde, Les Miserables, Catch Me If You Can and the West End’s biggest new musical, Matilda.
Performances are this Friday (22nd February) at 7.30pm, and Saturday (23rd February) at 4pm & 7.30pm.
Tickets are are mere snip at £5 and are available from the Mandela Building; last term’s showcases sold out, so make sure you get your ticket fast.
Find out more on the event’s Facebook Page here. And here’s the trailer:
And some shots of the group in rehearsal…
Celebrating Mozart
Next week sees the opening concert in this term’s Lunchtime Concert series, a celebration of the music of Mozart with the Camerata, the Sirocco Ensemble, and pianists Sharon Yam and Susan Li.
The Sirocco Ensemble has been busy rehearsing Mozart’s Serenade no.12 in C minor, while the Camerata is preparing the ‘Andantino’ from the Concerto for Flute and Harp. Last night, the two soloists, Music Scholars Emma Murton and Kathryn Redgers, were warming up in the Hall beforehand…
Also in the concert is a work for piano duet, the Adagio and Allegro in F minor, which will be played by Sharon and Susan, who also played a Mozart duet in the Scholars concert last term. This time, however, they’ll be playing on the Steinway…!
The concert starts at 1.10pm, and admission is free; come along and enjoy a feast of Mozart’s music; details online here.
Scholars’ Spotlight: Victoria Lockwood
Continuing the series profiling some of this year’s Music Scholars. This week, woodwind specialist, Victoria Lockwood.
From a very early age, music has always been an integral part of my life. Many of my summer holidays were spent in a tent at various folk festivals, watching my Dad perform with his folk bands. More recently I have begun to make guest appearances with them on stage at various venues, including the Cambridge, Sidmouth and Towersey Folk Festivals. I started having lessons on the clarinet in middle school and then also took up the alto saxophone in secondary school.
I played in a variety of music groups throughout my time in middle and secondary school, from the school orchestra, clarinet group and jazz band, to the soul band, choir and chamber choir. This gave me plenty of opportunities to perform and I’d always find myself in more than one item in a single concert!
In 2010 I was persuaded by the head of music to play the school’s baritone saxophone in the school’s jazz band, which I really enjoyed and ended up playing it in several other groups as well. I was then asked to play ‘Reed 4’ along with teachers, students and professional musicians, in the orchestra for the school’s production of ‘West Side Story’. I had to play clarinet, bass clarinet and baritone saxophone, which ended up being a bit of a squeeze when we had to fit everyone in the pit! In 2012 I also played in the orchestra for the school’s production of Oklahoma. Whilst in sixth form I took A level music.
Outside of school I was actively involved with Milton Keynes Music Service for many years, where I played and performed with the Senior Wind Orchestra on 1st/solo clarinet and with Advanced Jazz on baritone saxophone. In the 2011 Gala Concert in Milton Keynes Theatre, I played the solo clarinet part in Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
I have also participated in the Music Service tours to Lake Garda, Italy, and Paris, France, as part of the Wind Orchestra, Big Band and Choir. I travelled to Ghana in 2011 with a small group of students and teachers from MK Music Service to help teach students at a local music organisation, as well as giving concerts in a range of venues.
I love any opportunity to widen my musical experiences and brought back a Djembe from Ghana and also a Sitar from India, where I went as part of a school cultural exchange. Whilst in Ghana I had the opportunity to work with a local drumming group, which was incredible, but after a while it does feel like your hands are going to fall off!
Back home I play alto and baritone saxophone with a soul/funk band, which has given me a chance to write and arrange the horn parts. We have performed at a range of events, from pub gigs to New Year’s Eve, Birthday and Garden parties.
I’m currently playing clarinet in the UKC Symphony Orchestra, and Sirocco group, and alto saxophone in Concert Band, and Big Band. The musical opportunities at Kent have allowed me to experience a broad range of repertoire and I felt privileged to have performed a piece that had been commissioned especially for Concert Band. I really enjoyed playing in the Gala opening of the Colyer-Fergusson building last term and I am looking forward to the concerts coming up this term.
Victoria Lockwood
Read the other profiles in the series here.
Watch This Space: Sabiyha Rasheed on-stage
As I type, we’re listening to the second of this week’s ‘Watch This Space’ gigs, with some beautifully melancholic material from singer-songwriter, Sabiyha Rasheed.
Croydon-based Sabiyha is reading English and American Literature with Creative Writing, but is active musically on the London gig-circuit, and has also appeared on CSRfm’s Lounge Session on Sundays.
Keep an ear out, as I expect we’ll be hearing more from her in the future…