I’m delighted to say that the details for Summer Music Week (Mon 3 – Sun 9 June) have just been published live.
The week-long events programme opens in rousing style with music for brass and percussion at lunchtime on Monday 3 June, and continues throughout the week with a recital from some of the Music Scholars; a day of jazz, culminating in the annual bun-fest that is the Big Band Gala with special guests; string music is the theme on Thursday, including the String Sinfonia; Friday celebrates choral music with a lunchtime of a cappella vocal music, whilst the University Chamber and Cecilian Choirs come together in the evening concert; and the whole week, nay, the whole musical year, reaches its climax on the Sunday, in a combined afternoon concert with the University Chorus, Symphony Orchestra, Concert Band and Chamber Choir.
Find out all that’s happening that week, including many free events, on the website here.
Congratulations to both the University Concert and Big Bands, who raised over £300 towards this year’s Comic Relief appeal at their concert last Friday.
A packed audience was treated to a vibrant concert taking them ‘From Bond to Basie’ under the suave leadership of conductor, Ian Swatman; the enthusiastic audience generously made a donation at the end of the gig, and obviously enjoyed themselves!
Image: Jennifer Pickering
Thank you to everyone who took part, including the Music Department, Gulbenkian staff, and University students, staff, and members of the local community, together with everyone who donated: a great gig, in support of a very good cause.
Over on Storify, there’s a look back at the build-up to last Friday’s From Bond to Basie gig with the University Concert and Big Bands, littered with images and tweets from the day.
Continuing the series profiling this year’s Music Scholars. This week, trumpet-specialist Rebecca Fanning.
I first picked up the trumpet aged 7 when my Mum asked me if I wanted to play a musical instrument. None of the music teachers at school had any space except the brass teacher who decided to take me on. After asking me what particular brass instrument I wanted to play and me not knowing there were any other brass instruments, I chose the trumpet!
Brass cheek! Rebecca Fanning
I steadily worked my way through the clubs and bands at Redbridge Music School, attending Wind bands, Jazz bands and Brass Bands until I arrived in the Symphony Orchestra there. While with the Symphony Orchestra I was privileged enough to play at the Royal Albert Hall in 2012 which has to be the highlight of my Musical Education! I have also spent nine happy summers at Beauchamp House Summer Music Camps in Gloucestershire which is where I developed my love for music and built up my confidence to experiment with improvisation.
When choosing my University it was important for me to find a place where I could continue my musical education and Kent did just that. I have started lessons with Alex Caldon and I look forward to starting on new repertoire for my Diploma this term with him. It was a real privilege to have been given the opportunity by the music department to see Alison Balsom play the Hummel Trumpet Concerto, the same piece that I played for my grade 8 and whom I admire greatly for breaking the stereotype that the trumpet is not, stereotypically a ‘girly’ instrument.
I had a very busy first term playing with the University Concert Band, Big Band and Orchestra preparing for the grand opening of the Coyler-Fergusson building which was a truly fabulous event. The new building has provided a wonderful space where music can be celebrated on Campus and I look forward to using the facilities and working with the Music Department further during my time at Kent University.
The University Concert and Big Bands will be given a licence to thrill next week, in their annual roof-raising concert on Friday 15 March in the Colyer-Fergusson concert-hall.
Double-O heaven ?
Entitled From Bond to Basie, the concert will include popular big band classics and music from the James Bond franchise, as well as showtunes.
Steph Richardson
At the helm will be conductor Ian Swatman, joined this year by third-year Music Scholar and Drama student, singer Steph Richardson (read an interview with Steph on the Big Band blog here).
The concert starts at 7.30pm in the Colyer-Fergusson Hall; we’re delighted to say that, in a new twist, tickets for seating in the choral risers are available to University of Kent students for a mere £5.
More details online on our ‘What’s On’ events diary here.
Don’t’ miss it: the event truly promises to be an All Time High…
Continuing the series profiling this year’s Music Scholars. This week, saxophonist Mathilde Farnabe.
My name is Mathilde and I am currently doing my Masters Degree in Psychology here at Kent Uni. I came from France in September 2011, so a lot of my music experience relates to my years in France.
I started taking music lessons when I was six because my dad always wanted me and my sister to play an instrument, as he is a guitarist. The following year I could choose to start an instrument so I went to have a look in different classes to see what I wanted to do.
For some reasons, saxophone attracted my attention and I started right away. For about ten years I was working with the same teacher, Jean-Henri Roan and I do owe a lot of my progress to his very committed and serious work with me. We worked on a lot of different classical, romantic or baroque pieces which to this day are still my favourites. I developed a lot of musical skills listening to him play and understanding what was written and how to interpret it.
In 2006 he brought me to a competition called “Concours National du Jeune Musicien” where I achieved my best performance and won a soprano saxophone, which was a great encouragement and reward for my work. I also took part in music camps every summer for four years, in the “’Académie Internationale d’Eté : Musique au Pays de l’Affiche ” in which I had the chance to play in amazing quartets and concert bands, as well as what stays my preferred formation to this day: a sax ensemble. I met a lot of different people in these summer camps and in particular my teacher’s teacher: Patrick Saltel. I was then encouraged to take lessons with him instead, which taught me a lot. I joined his concert band, saxophone ensemble and even orchestra where I was playing the oboe part with my soprano.
It was very sad when I had to leave everything behind in September 2011 to come and study in England. However I am now very pleased to be part of the music players and moreover scholars at the University of Kent, and I am very much enjoying the Big Band and Concert Band concerts and rehearsals in this new magnificent building. I have also started playing with a saxophone quartet which sounds great!
The week-long events programme opens in rousing style with music for brass and percussion at lunchtime on Monday 3 June, and continues throughout the week with a recital from some of the Music Scholars; a day of jazz, culminating in the annual bun-fest that is the Big Band Gala with special guests; string music is the theme on Thursday, including the String Sinfonia; Friday celebrates choral music with a lunchtime of a cappella vocal music, whilst the University Chamber and Cecilian Choirs come together in the evening concert; and the whole week, nay, the whole musical year, reaches its climax on the Sunday, in a combined afternoon concert with the University Chorus, Symphony Orchestra, Concert Band and Chamber Choir.
Find out all that’s happening that week, including many free events, on the website here.
Read it 
