Images from last week’s annual Colyer-Fergusson Cathedral Concert, with the University Chorus and Symphony Orchestra, together with soprano Sally Silver.
Images: Matt Wilson / University of Kent
Next Saturday sees the annual Colyer-Fergusson Cathedral Concert, in which the University Chorus and Orchestra will come together to commemorate the start of the First World War in music by Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Bach and Fauré.
This Sunday is our all-day rehearsal in the hall, a first combined run-through; then it’s Monday – Thursday – Friday – Saturday over the course of next week, and then Sunday for everyone to recover…
The concert on the 15 March features Elgar’s Spirit of England, for which we’ll be joined by soprano Sally Silver, Fauré’s Cantique de Jean-Racine, Elgar’s arrangement of Bach’s Fantasia in C minor, and Vaughan Williams’ Symphony no.3.
Looking forward to Sunday’s Greater Coming Together; Ladies and Gentlemen of the Chorus and Symphony Orchestra, we’ll see you there!
A dizzying profusion of events is unleashed over the coming months, as you can now see from our online events calendar.
The free Lunchtime Concert series includes a visit from British saxophonist Martin Speake, who brings his trio as part of his current UK tour, and from acclaimed sitar-player, Jonathan Mayer. There’s the annual Colyer-Fergusson Cathedral Concert with the University Chorus and Orchestra, this year commemorating the First World War with music by Elgar and Vaughan Williams, and the Chamber Choir returns to the Cathedral Crypt to sing a programme including Palestrina, Brahms, Whitacre and Paul Patterson.
Conductor Ian Swatman leads the Concert and Big Bands at the end of February in Ravel and Earth, Wind and Fire, and later teams up with the Big Band from St Edmund’s School in a charity gig in aid of the Pilgrim’s Hospice. There’s music down the hill, too, as the Lost Consort explores the music of Hildegard von Bingen in the Roman Undercroft of St Thomas’ Hospital, and the Chamber & Cecilian Choirs at St Peter’s Methodist with music by Hassler, Maskats and Chilcott.
Visitors to the concert-hall include Rachel Podger, who brings a recital of works for solo baroque violin, and later in May there’s a recital from pianist Malcolm Binns.
Plenty to enjoy over the coming months; see the calendar online here, or download the brochure (PDF) here. Meanwhile, the Lunchtime Concert series begins on Weds February 12 with music for two-pianos and four-hands by Poulenc, Ravel and Gavin Bryars with pianists Matthew King and your loyal correspondent, who is now off to practice…
We’re delighted to announce that the Colyer-Fergusson Building was a winner at yesterday’s Wood Awards.
The building won the “Commercial and Public Access” category at the Wood Awards yesterday evening, for its deployment of wood in construction, particularly the use of Douglas Fir. As Tim Ronalds Architects, designers of the building, state:
The walls and ceiling are completely lined in Douglas Fir Plywood, supported on a steel frame, and braced with solid Douglas Fir rails which stiffen the linings to avoid any unwanted resonance at musical frequencies, and provide acoustic diffusion. The acoustics can be modulated to suit music-making of all kinds with curtains that transform the interior into a soft, fabric-lined space, and retract behind the timber wall linings when not in use.
The design provides an unusual degree of flexibility for a hall with world-class acoustics…The retractable seating is finished with Douglas Fir fascias, continuing the material and rhythm of the hall lining panels.
Read more about the building on the Wood Award website here.
I’ve spent a very productive and exciting afternoon in the new concert-hall, exploring some new ideas for next year.
Without giving too much away, Mark (our new technician) and I have been finding ways to re-imagine, or redefine, the hall for a particular concert I’m planning – this afternoon we mocked up the event, played with lighting and multi-media, and 
crafted a completely different space in the hall.
It feels almost as if we’re imposing, digitally, a new identity on the hall, re-purposing it both visually and acoustically using digital technology to make it feel very different to its customary incarnation. There’s some additional avenues to explore resulting from this afternoon’s efforts, which will enhance the effect further still.
We’re already very excited about the event – and the academic year hasn’t even begun! Watch this (re-imagined) space sometime in the spring…
Further press coverage for our award-winning music building, designed by Tim Ronalds Architects, appears in this month’s Classical Music magazine, covering three music facilities which won RIBA awards recently.
Read the article online here.
Further to the previous post about the Colyer-Fergusson Building winning a RIBA award, here’s documentary evidence – project manager Mark Ashmore, from the University Estates Department, bearing the wall-plaque announcing the award.
Mark had to carry the award, made from lead, heroically back from the awards ceremony in London all the way to Dover after the event; and believe me, it’s heavy…Worth the effort, though…!
Still flushed with the success of last week’s musical extravaganza that was Summer Music Week, we’re delighted to announce that the Colyer-Fergusson Building won a RIBA (Royal Institution of British Architects) National Award 2013 on Wednesday evening.
It is one of only two buildings in the Southeast to win a 2013 RIBA National Award for architectural excellence and one of 43 to win nationally, and will now go forward for RIBA’s top award, the Stirling Prize, with the shortlist being announced on 18 July.
Fantastic news for the University, and for Tim Ronalds Architects. Fingers crossed for July…
