The scaffolding inside the concert hall, which has previously provided such great opportunities for artistic photography, was finally removed last Wednesday, and here are a few photos immediately after it disappeared.
Without the scaffolding, you can really get a sense of the amount of light afforded by both the western window and the magnificent roof-light (pictured above). That first moment, seeing the hall in glory, was apparently quite intense – the Director of Music might even have shed a tear!
And finally, a shot from the balcony at the northern end of the building, looking back towards the lighting box.
See a full gallery of all the images from the project here.
It’s that time of year again: we’re here once again at the ‘Making Music’ stand for the University’s Open Day.
It’s just after 9.30, and we’ve had six visitors to the stand already, from Birmingham, Staffordshire, West Sussex and elsewhere. This time, we are handily located right next to the Gulbenkian stand and also the Accommodation Office which crucially has a couple of Chuba Chups lollipop carousels (pictured)…
We’ll be liveon Twitter, keep up with all that’s happening at @UniKent_Music as well.
We’ll be reporting live from here throughout the day, follow it all on the blog here.
10.30 and we’re up to eighteen visitors to the stand, second cup of coffee of the morning and the obligatory stock of sweets which the Director of Music brings each time has just been broached; we’re now fuelled by caffeine and Maltesers. Ace…
11.30 and there seems to be a trend of visitors interested in music alongside degrees in History, Law and English. Although not all three at the same time, I should point out. Quite a few saxophonists, too; perhaps I should warn the conductor of the Big Band that, come September 2013, he may well have a Very Big Band on his hands.
12.30pm and the prize for the Visitor from the Farthest-Flung Corner goes to Gabrielle, who has travelled from Belgium: welcome! Still trending on Historians. A visitor from Bath, sadly just pipped to the post for the VF-FC award by Gabrielle: condolences!
2pm and we’re into the final hour, having taken advantage of an ever-so-slight lunchtime lull in visitors to grab sandwiches while we could.
3pm: and that’s it for the day. Over fifty visitors finding out about all the musical activities that happen as part of the student experience at Kent; lots of interest too in the new music building which will open its doors this autumn. A wide spectrum of musical tastes and interests, including lots of interest in jazz; I can see Jazz@5 becoming a regular feature from September 2013 onwards if all theses interested come to Kent! Thank you to all who attended throughout the day, safe travelling back home.
A meeting with the architects yesterday turned into a site visit; I’ll spare you the images of myself and colleagues kitted out in the obligatory H&S hats, boots and reflective jackets and bring you instead some pictures of the latest developments:
Foyer space, looking north
The foyer and reception space continues to unfold; the image above shows the view looking northwards, from what will be the continuation into the Gulbenkian Theatre, looking back towards the staircase to the first floor and across what will be the foyer space; here, the small foyer performance stage will be situated, together with tables and chairs.
Staircase to upper floor
Above, the foot of the stairs to the upper floor; beyond it, to the left, there’s a glimpse of the social space which will located in the north-east corner, a place to meet, to work, or to wait for a performance to begin.
Let there be light...
Moving upstairs, the two large ensemble rehearsal rooms are taking shape as bright, airy spaces with the admitting of natural light through floor-to-ceiling windows; above, one of the windows in the smaller (yes, the smaller!) of the two rooms. On concert nights, these rooms will also function as green rooms for performers.
Foyer roof-light and balcony
The foyer roof-light (above) will afford lots of light into the reception space below, underneath it will be a balcony offering standing-views overlooking the foyer performance stage below.
Wood you believe it
The final image is inside the concert hall itself, from the balcony and looking northward again towards what will eventually be the choral seating. The wooden panelling (right), which will bedeck the inside of the hall, continues to appear.
Exciting times indeed. See a full gallery of all the images from yesterday, and throughout the project, by clicking the album below.
The Director of Music came in to work buzzing this morning, having been to Draper’s Hall in London last night to hear the Brodsky Quartet celebrating their fortieth anniversary in their ‘Wheel of 4-Tunes’ concert, which was broadcast live on Radio 3.
The concert, which by the sounds of it was a wonderfully engaging affair, saw members of the quartet introducing the ideas behind this novel approach to concert programming – pieces performed in the concert are selected at random by the spinning of the wheel – and talking about each of the pieces played.
As will happen when they bring the concert to Kent in the autumn, members of the audience spun the wheel to select each of the works in last night’s concert; Stravinsky’sThree Pieces, the Lutoslawski Quartet in the first half, and Tunde Jegede’s warmly evocative String Quartet no.2 (chosen in a lovely touch by Holly, daughter of viola-player, Paul Cassidy) and Mendelssohn’s op.80 in the second half (the latter chosen by the presenter of the programme, Martin Handley).
The Brodsky will be bringing the wheel, and all forty pieces on it, to the new Colyer-Fergusson Hall in November for what promises to be lively, entertaining and excitingly unpredictable event. Not even the players themselves will know what will feature in the concert; you might hear Debussy, Ravel, Verdi, Beethoven, Britten, Barber – or even one of the pieces the quartet have themselves commissioned. Hopefully they’ll even bring the umbrella with them as well (you’ll have to listen later in the concert for the significance of that…).
The concert was broadcast last night, and is available on iPlayer for a week here.
And here are the Quartet performing another work by Jegede, Exile and Return, together with the composer himself, at the Bury St Edmunds Festival.
At a ceremony on Thursday 7 June, five outstanding students were awarded prizes, in recognition of their significant contributions to the year’s musical calendar at the University of Kent.
This year’s Canterbury Festival Music Prize, awarded by Director of the Canterbury Festival, Rosie Turner, to a final-year student who has made an outstanding contribution to music at the University, was given to Chris Gray (Architecture); President of the Music Society this year, Chris has also played tuba with the University Orchestra, Concert Band and Brass Ensemble, and has also previously sung with the Chamber Choir and Chorus. In another guise, Chris also featured on the front of the Music Department Christmas card, complete with Santa outfit!
The Colyer-Fergusson Music Prize, presented by chairman of the Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust, Jonathan Monckton, is given to a student who has made a major contribution to organising music at the University; the recipient this year was Masters student Adam Abo Henriksen, in particular for his role as musical director of the Musical Theatre Society’s production of Into the Woods which had a highly successful run at the Whitstable Playhouse in March (reviewed on the blog back in March here).
l-r: Chris Gray, Marina Ivanova, Adam Abo Henriksen, Ben Lodge, Tim Pickering
The University Music Prize, for a student who has a made a major contribution to music during the year, was presented by Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Keith Mander, to second-year Economics student, Marina Ivanova; Marina is a member of the Chorus, Chamber Choir and Cecilian Choir, and this year performed in the Scholars’ Recital as part of the Canterbury Festival, as well as in the Scholars Lunchtime Concert as part of Summer Music earlier this term. She also stood in for the soprano soloist in rehearsals for Haydn’s Creation with the University Orchestra in the spring.
The Awards Committee made two additional awards; the first, in recognition of his musical development at Kent, to second-year trumpeter Ben Lodge, who has been principal trumpet with the Orchestra, and played with the Concert Band and Big Band and the Brass Ensemble, for his exemplary approach and commitment to music at the University, and for a memorable opening to Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition in the December orchestral concert. The second award, to a student who has made a significant impact on music-making in their first year, was awarded to saxophonist Tim Pickering (Forensic Chemistry); Tim has been quickly become a key member of the Big Band and Concert Band, and also participated in Jazz @ 5, as well as in Whitefriars with the ‘Big Brand New’ as part of the Sounds New Festival in Canterbury in May.
Director of Music, Susan Wanless, said
‘’As ever, I am so impressed at the talent and commitment of these students who do all their music-making out of hours, alongside studying for their degrees. It is wonderful to see them develop during their time at Kent, and all the skills and confidence they gain will equip them for the highly competitive job market when they leave. Thanks to the continued generosity of the Canterbury Festival and our other supporters, we can highlight their achievements and give them the recognition they so richly deserve.’’
Of course, there’s a vibrant mass of students who play a part in all the musical events in the University’s calendar with astonishing commitment and enthusiasm, and the Music Awards Committee has a difficult role to play in singling out particular individuals; the decision-making process is long and arduous, but an important one to allow the University to thank an especial few for their major role in everything musical over the year.
The academic year has now come to a close, and last week’s Summer Music celebrations saw the year out in fine style.
Hot on the heels of the traditional battle-of-the-bands competition, Keynestock, the five days of events in Summer Music saw a host of musical activities, each one reflecting a different aspect of music-making at Kent and highlighting musicians from across the University community and beyond, each taking their moment to bid farewell to the end of another year.
Carina Evans
The Music Scholars’ Lunchtime Recital on the first day saw flautist Kathryn Redgers playing Bach, harpist Emma Murton in some jazz, marimba-player Carina Evans in some shimmering percussion textures, and soprano Marina Ivanova in dazzling form with some scintillating top-notes and effervescent cascading semi-quavers in Vivaldi’s Nulla in mundo pax sincera, accompanied by the University Camerata.
Later in the evening, the University Big Band under Ian Swatman enthused the Gulbenkian audience in a vibrant programme, that also saw some robust playing from special guests the Simon Bates Quartet and superb singing from Music Scholar and Big Band vocalist, Ruby Mutlow. Traditionally, there’s a moment when Ian invites all those performing for the last time to take a bow: only two players rose to their feet, leading to the suggestion that, with the influx of new players again next year, it might have to be re-christened the University Very Big Band!
Chamber and Cecilian Choirs in rehearsal
St Mildred’s Church in Canterbury city hosted the Chamber and Cecilian Choirs, who combined in a programme of works for solo and double choirs; the church was packed, and an enthusiastic audience treated to works by Schütz and Van Morrison from the massed combined ranks of singers; there was also Lauridsen, Victoria and Hassler from the Cecilian Choir in the first half, and Barnum, Brahms, Rachmaninov, Lassus and Billy Joel from the Chamber Choir in the second half. String players from the University Orchestra welcomed the audience with some pre-concert quartet music, while the irrepressible tenor section of the Chamber Choir burst into spontaneous barbershop singing during the post-concert refreshments.
Saturday saw the Music Theatre Society topping a highly successful year with There’s No Business Like Show Business! in the Gulbenkian Theatre, a showcase bursting with music from West End shows, Broadway musicals and popular music theatre favourites.
Sunday afternoon saw the culmination of the week and the musical year as a whole, in the annual Music Society Summer Concert, with valedictory performances from the Concert Band, Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Choir and the University Chorus. The Concert Band paid a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the fact that it was the last concert in Eliot Hall – next year, we move to our exciting new music building – with a rendition of The Great Escape, whilst the Orchestra paid its own tribute with the last section of Haydn’s Farewell Symphony, which sees members of the orchestra slowly leaving the stage, leaving only two violins remaining to bring the piece, and the afternoon’s concert, to a close.
University Orchestra in Haydn's 'Farewell' Symphony
The whole series of events across Summer Music really encapsulates what making music at the University is all about. Embracing students, staff, alumni, members of the local community, family and friends, all of whom combine to rehearse and perform on top of their course- or work commitments, the dynamic of music at Kent is all about the community experience. It’s a terrific opportunity for students to pursue their musical interests as an extra-curricular activity alongside their studies, and for staff to find opportunities to step away from the stresses of their professional duties and participate in creative projects throughout the year. Members of the local community also perform in Concert Band, Big Band, Chorus, Cecilian Choir and Orchestra, from all walks of life; from teachers and lawyers to doctors and dentists, all find a warm welcome and a musical outlet at the University.
The tears flowed on Sunday, as students who are graduating from the University this summer saw their last concert coming to a close. But there’s a healthy camaraderie fostered amongst the University’s musical community that often sees graduates returning as alumni, both to attend concerts and also to come back and perform.
With thanks to everyone who has participated in music at Kent throughout this academic year, and good luck and best wishes to all who are graduating. We look forward to catching up with you all again next year, when the Colyer-Fergusson centre for Music Performance will welcome the resumption of music-making in the autumn. Watch this space…
A flurry of photos from yesterday’s site meeting at the new music building construction, with some exciting facets of the building now starting to develop.
First, and most importantly, though, there was the necessary assessing of the audience chairs: pictured right are Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Keith Mander, and BNP Paribas Project Manager, Tony Forbat, most definitely NOT sitting down on the job, but rather giving due consideration to the retractable audience-seating for the hall!
The foyer roof-light continues to develop, and looks particularly exciting, and will afford plenty of light into the foyer space welcoming people into the building and the small foyer performance stage.
The roof-light in the concert-hall itself is also taking shape: pictured here, looking directly up from the floor of the hall.
Additionally, the wooden interior of the hall is starting to appear, in particular as part of the roofing; walking across the temporary boarding to examine this was certainly not for the faint-hearted, according to the Director of Music!
And finally, an exterior view of the north-facing facade, with windows onto large ensemble rehearsal rooms to the right and left, and staff office windows.
See a full gallery of all the images from yesterday, and throughout the project, by clicking the album below.
The annual Music Society concert, Music for a Summer’s Day, is now just ten days away, and it promises to be the usual roof-raising summation of both Summer Music next week, as well as of another fine year of music-making at the University.
Bringing together the University Concert Band, Chorus, Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Choir, the programme includes the finale of Mozart’s popular Clarinet Concerto, with Music Scholar Sarah Davies as soloist; there’ll be film music from the Concert Band, a choral medley from My Fair Lady from the Chorus, pieces from the Chamber Choir (we’re sworn to secrecy about one of them!), Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture from the Orchestra, plus some popular favourites from Johann Strauss and Elgar – and a few surprises as well. There’ll even be balloons…
The occasion will be capped by cream teas (included in the price of tickets) in a marquee overlooking the slopes towards the city, with commanding views of the Cathedral on what we hope will be a fine summer afternoon.
Details about all the events in Summer Music online here, plus details of tickets for the Sunday concert.
To whet your appetites, here’s the spritely Mozart: perfect for a summer’s day.
Because it does. Doesn't it ? Blogging about extra-curricular musical life at the University of Kent.
The roof-light in the concert-hall itself is also taking shape: pictured here, looking directly up from the floor of the hall.
Bringing together the University Concert Band, Chorus, Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Choir, the programme includes the finale of Mozart’s popular Clarinet Concerto, with Music Scholar Sarah Davies as soloist; there’ll be film music from the Concert Band, a choral medley from My Fair Lady from the Chorus, pieces from the Chamber Choir (we’re sworn to secrecy about one of them!), Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture from the Orchestra, plus some popular favourites from Johann Strauss and Elgar – and a few surprises as well. There’ll even be balloons…