Keeping It Real: reviews.

Singing for Royalty: Aisha Bove

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Secretary of this year’s Music Society, cellist and soprano Aisha Bové was away from the University recently; it turns out she was involved in a very royal occasion indeed…

Aisha Bove
Madam Secretary

Some of you might not have heard the news, but one of Europe’s monarchs got married on the 20th of October, reuniting all the important kings and queens from around the world in one place. Prince Guillaume from Luxembourg, heir to the throne, married Countess Stephanie de Lannoy in a sumptuous celebration at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Luxembourg. I myself was there in person, as a member of the cathedral choir, singing in the mass which was broadcasted live on Luxembourgish and German national TV.

The royal couple is known to be very down to earth and approachable, and they played a major role in the process of choosing the musical program. The main piece was Mozart’s Missa in C. Additional pieces were Mendelssohn’s Psalm 42, which was sung in German, small liturgical pieces, in French and Luxembourgish. The mass was finished off by Handel’s well known Hallelujah, to give the couple a joyful ending to their ceremony. The choir was accompanied by organ and the Luxembourg Chamber Orchestra.

 

Amid the choir

You can watch the whole ceremony online or on Youtube, and be amazed by the glamorous appearance of it all. I thoroughly enjoyed being part of it, even though it meant that I had to stand still from 9am – 1pm, and could not find a way out of the city for another two hours afterwards. It was a lifetime opportunity and sure was a unique experience, to see the people you normally know out of the magazines sat a stone’s throw away, listening to your music.

Aisha Bové

Keeping It Real: reviews.

In pictures: Music Scholars lunchtime concert in the new hall

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So, it finally happened; yesterday saw the first public event in the new Colyer-Fergusson Hall, a lunchtime recital given by some of this year’s Music Scholars.

An enthusiastic audience greeted the performers with terrific warmth – and how fitting that it should be the students, who after all are at the heart of the University’s musical life, who gave the first performance in the new building.

Director of Music welcomes the first audience

 

Susan Li (left) and Sharon Yam in Mozart
Carina Evans
Soprano Kathryn Cox sings Mozart
Bassist Gordon Wood, and Tim Pickering
Tim Pickering in some ‘Tenor Madness’
All together now! Including Amy Wharton

Pictures: Matt Wilson

Notes on Music

Full of Eastern promise: lunchtime concert next Monday

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Hot on the heels of yesterday’s inaugural Music Scholars’ lunchtime concert in the new concert-hall (about which more anon), comes the second in this term’s Lunchtime Concert series.

Jonathan Mayer
Jonathan Mayer (sitar)

The Gulbenkian Theatre will host a visit from sitar-player Jonathan Mayer, together with tabla-player Mitel Purohit, in a lunchtime of Indian music.

Son of John Mayer, founder of the Indo-Jazz fusion movement in the 70’s together with British saxophonist Joe Harriott in the great Mayer-Harriott Double Quintet recordings, this is a particularly exciting visit from an eminent international performer.

Jonathan is currently one of the most versatile sitarists in the world, having studied both Indian & western music. From these traditions he has created a unique creativity towards the sitar, seeing it as a instrument and not a genre. He has worked with a diverse range of artists, including Paul Weller, Kathryn Tickell, BBC Concert Orchestra Kumar Bose, Kavita Krishnamutri, Kuljit Bhamra, Erich Gruenburg, Rohan De Saram, Kenny Wheeler, The Orlando Consort, John Wilson, Bombay Dub Orchestra, Future Sounds of London, Sarah Brightman, Noel Gallagher, and Sir Paul McCartney.

The concert starts at 1.10pm; admission is free, with a suggested donation of £3. See also the online diary of events here.

Furley Page logo
Sponsors of the Lunchtime Concert series
Notes on Music

Hall-mark of excellence: Music Scholars lunchtime concert next week

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Next week, Weds 7 November, sees the first lunchtime concert given by some of this year’s Music Scholars, accompanied by Yours Truly as we try out the new concert-hall.

The new Colyer-Fergusson concert hall

From Mozart to Sonny Rollins, several of the Scholars will be giving an informal lunchtime concert in the brand-new Colyer-Fergusson hall, in a programme that includes Mozart’s sublime aria, ‘L’amerò sarò costante’ from Il Re Pastore, Monti’s string-showpiece, Czardas, music for piano duet (also by Mozart) and for solo marimba, ‘Think of Me’ from Phantom of the Opera, and two tunes, Tenor Madness and Doxy by Sonny Rollins from a jazz trio.

Admission is free, and the concert lasts from 1.10-1.50pm; more details online here or on the event’s Facebook page here.

Come along to hear the new hall in action, and to hear some of the stars of the University music scene.

And to whet your appetites, here’s the aria by Mozart sung with delicate grace by Kathleen Battle.

Notes on Music

Make ‘Em Laugh! First showcase with the Music Theatre Society

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This year’s Music Theatre Society promise to ‘Make ‘Em Laugh!’ at their first showcase of the year next month.

To be held in Darwin’s Missing Link, the shows will include songs from Spam-a-lot, Hairspray, Shrek: The Musical, Chicago and many more.

Tickets are a mere £5, and can be booked in advance from the Mandela building, and will be available on the door on each of the nights; there are more details on the event’s Facebook page here.

Prepare to be both amused and amazed!

And to whet your appetites, here’s the classic song itself, inimitably performed by Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor.

Building for the future

Chorus of approval

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Last night saw the last of the ‘first’ rehearsals in the new Colyer-Fergusson concert-hall, this time the turn of the University Chorus.

There was a general air of wonderment as members came through the entrance lobby into the new hall, waiting to be seated on the new choral risers.

Everyone waits to be seated

First to be seated were the tenors and basses, ably regimented by ‘Director of Choral Seating,’ Steve;

Seating the tenors and basses

Followed by the ladies of the alto section:

The alto section

And finally the ladies of the soprano section:

The Sopranos

And with everyone seated:

Tutti: this year’s Chorus

Now the hard part is over, the work can begin! 🙂

Building for the future

First rehearsals: a look back with the conductors

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As the first week comes to an end, the conductors of the various ensembles reflect on their first rehearsals in the new concert-hall;

  • conductor of the University Concert and Big Bands, Ian Swatman, takes a look at Wednesday night’s session and ponders acoustics and the urge to wear slippers over on the Big Band blog, ‘On the Beat.’
  • conductor of the University Chamber and Cecilian Choirs, Dan Harding, considers the joys of singing Britten and stepping in sedate circles over on the choral blog, ‘Cantus Firmus;’
  • conductor of the Symphony Orchestra, Susan Wanless, reviews last night’s rehearsal on the Orchestra’s blog,’Playing Up!’.

Stand by for the last ‘first’ rehearsal with the University Chorus on Monday night…

Because it does. Doesn't it ? Blogging about extra-curricular musical life at the University of Kent.