Musings on two choral rehearsals this week over on the choral blog Cantus Firmus, the Chamber Choir fortifying themselves with lemon cake, and the Cecilian Choir exploring the music of Morten Lauridsen… Well, they have their separate interests, I suppose…
Whilst over on On The Beat, a glimpse into the future and next month’s gig with the Concert and Big Bands at the Gulbenkian Theatre who’ll be taking things Nice ‘n’ Easy.
A fruitful time, then.
Looking at the new concert diary over the next four months, I think it’s fair to say this is one of the busiest I’ve seen here at the University.
Events kick off in a few week’s time with the award-winning St James Quintet opening the Lunchtime Concert series for the term with an eclectic programme for wind quintet. February begins with a bang as the Concert and Big Bands storm back to the Gulbenkian in ‘Nice ‘n’ Easy,’ with a selection including classic Duke Ellington and pieces fromWicked, to name but a few; the Chamber Choir will take you on an evocative journey ‘From Morn to Midnight‘ in the intimacy of Canterbury Cathedral Crypt towards the end of the month.
March promises to be an epic month; there’s the glory of the Colyer-Fergusson Cathedral Concert as the Chorus and Symphony Orchestra unite in Haydn’s Creation; student and staff musicians in Jazz @ 5; the exciting prospect of Korngold’s lyrical second string quartet with the Brodskys; exoticism from the Bamboo and Silk Ensemble; not one – not two – but three bands as the Concert and Big Bands team up with St. Edmund’s School for Big Bands3, before the term finishes with a valedictory lunchtime concert at St Peter’s Church in Canterbury from the newly-founded University Mistral Ensemble and the Chamber Choir.
Phew.
Click here to view online, and get the dates in your diaries now, or download a copy of the brochure as a PDF. Something for everyone…
And we welcome the new year with the recent photos from the Colyer-Fergusson building construction site, taken last month: some terrific images, courtesy of Matt Wilson.
Click on album icon for the additional new images.
(Picture by Mick Norman)
The final few festivities (too much alliteration ?) to mark the end of the term saw members of the University community in fine form, with ‘Carols Round The Tree’ on Wednesday night bringing staff, students, visitors and friends together on a brisk December night.
The University Brass Ensemble braved the temperature to provide some robust playing whilst accompanying singers in a variety of traditional favourites. The student group ‘Sing!’ and the Chamber Choir joined in with a couple of carols as well.
An all-male barbershop quartet, distilled from members of the Chamber Choir, proivded lunchtime entertainment in Rutherford College on Thursday for the annual Former Staff Association Christmas lunch.
As usual, it’s been a lively end to the Christmas term: thanks to everyone involved, to Kent Hospitality and the Estates Team for their support (and roast chestnuts and mulled wine!) on Wednesday night.
Director of Music, Susan Wanless, reflects on the mighty concert with the Chorus and Symphony Orchestra last Saturday on ‘Playing Up…’
Whilst the Chamber Choir takes part in the annual University Carol Service in the candle-lit grandeur of Canterbury Cathedral over on ‘Cantus Firmus.’
A terrific thank you to everyone who came along to the ‘Flashmob’ carols yesterday, as we surprised visitors to the University’s Open Day in Rutherford dining-hall with a choice selection of carols.
They really got into the spirit of it: as you can see, they worked hard to sneak onto the balcony in Rutherford dining hall unobserved before springing up with a chord of Bb in their hearts to begin with a rousing ‘Ding Dong Merrily On High!’ which was greeted with warm applause from an enthusiastic crowd of visitors.
With members of the University community gathering in the evening for ‘Carols Round the Tree,’ the campus truly was alive with festive singing!
Tomorrow’s concert sees the Symphony Orchestra and Chorus showcasing twentieth-century music from England and Russia: Parry’s enduringly-popular I Was Glad, a rare chance to hear Finzi’s For St Cecilia, Lyadov’s The Enchanted Lake, and the programme comes to a triumphant conclusion with Mussorgsky’s mighty Pictures at an Exhibition.
The concert begins at 7.30pm in Eliot Hall: further details and ticket-bookings on-line here.
