Tag Archives: Chamber Choir

New concert diary now online

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.

Big bandEvents 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…

Final festivities of the term

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.

Brass cheek: the University Brass Ensemble

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.

Their Joyful Tone: Chamber Choir, cond. Steph Richardson

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.

A cut above: carols with the barbershop group

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.

Around the blogs this week

The Chamber Choir is travelling across boundaries in a cosmopolitan rehearsal, as it looks at repertoire for the February Crypt concert as well as prepares for Monday’s Carol Service in the Cathedral…

The Medway Choir is about to make its debut in the Universities of Medway Carol Service, also next Monday, which also features music, drama and readings by various Societies as well, in what promises to be a vibrant festive celebration.

Writing
Mightier than the sword...

‘Tis the season, after all…

Around the blogs this week

 

Over on ‘Cantus Firmus,’ the University Cecilian Choir is in preparation for Monday’s ‘Cold’ lunchtime concert, as it rehearses Purcell’s ‘Frost Scene’ from King Arthur.

Writing
Mightier than the sword...

There’s also no time for the Chamber Choir to rest on its laurels, as it heads straight from its Advent concert last Friday into rehearsals for the Carol Service in Canterbury Cathedral on Monday week.

The Medway Music Society pose the biggest conundrum of the season: whether or not to have a Society Ball…

And, unrelated to the University’s musical life but of interest nevertheless, Alex Ross reports over on ‘The Rest is Noise’ on an interesting time at the Met, Philip Glass, protest and the police…

In fine voice: Chamber Choir welcomes Advent

With their ears still resonating from their ‘Music for Advent’ concert at Blean Church last Friday, news arrives that the Chamber Choir’s first concert this year raised £570.

You can read the review on the choral blog, ‘Cantus Firmus.’ The Choir are now getting into shape to participate in the University Carol Service in Canterbury Cathedral on the 12 December, always a highlight of their performing calendar.

The University Chamber Choir 2011-12

Well done to all the Choir!

Around the blogs this week

Over on ‘Cantus Firmus,’ the Chamber Choir are in full spate in the run-up to their Advent concert this evening, with Charles Green musing from the bass section about the impact of singing in mixed-voice formation and the use of his eyebrows …

Writing
Mightier than the sword...

On The Beat‘ announces this year’s singer with the University Big Band after a round of auditions: click here to find out who will be gracing the stage with the Big Band this year…

Hark the glad sound: Chamber Choir Advent concert this Friday

On this day, St Cecilia’s Day, we celebrate the patron saint of music, and this Friday the Chamber Choir will celebrate the start of the Advent season with a concert in Blean Church, Canterbury.

Advent concertThe Choir presents its annual ‘Music for Advent’ concert, with a candlelit sequence of music and readings to launch the beginning of the period of Advent. Combining traditional and modern carols, prose, poetry and the magnificent Advent antiphons, the programme is a meditation on the meaning of Advent and the message of the coming of the Christ-child.

You can follow the Choir’s rehearsals on its blog, ‘Cantus Firmus,’ which has charted our progress towards Friday’s performance.

The concert starts at 7.30pm; proceeds from the event towards the Church Restoration Fund and Blean School Playground Improvements. Ticket-sales and details on our concert diary online here.