Tag Archives: Concert Band

Concert raises over £300 for Comic Relief

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
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.

ComicRelieflogo

Scholars’ Spotlight: Rebecca Fanning

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
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.

Rebecca Fanning

See all the other features in this series here.

Licence to thrill: Concert and Big Band next week

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 ?
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…

Scholars’ Spotlight: Mathilde Farnabe

Mathilde Farnabe
Mathilde Farnabe

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!

Mathilde Farnabe

See all the other features in this series here.

Scholars’ Spotlight: Cory Adams

Continuing the series profiling some of this year’s Music Scholars. This week, percussionist Cory Adams.

 

I was 3 when I got my first drum kit. It was a toy of course, yet I think it did spark my passion for percussion and music. I started taking snare drum lessons when I was 8 years old at primary school; we weren’t fortunate enough to have a drum kit, so kit lessons would have to wait until I started high school.

Kit and caboodle: Cory Adams
Kit and caboodle: Cory Adams

Kit playing seemed to come naturally to me, and as my teacher saw potential in me, he asked me (when I was 12) to start playing with ‘Saxation’. This was a saxophone ensemble (with rhythm section of course) that was run by members of staff from the Wakefield Music Services. This environment enhanced my playing dramatically, so I immediately started playing with the music department at school. I joined the swing band, concert band, orchestra, guitar group and choir- to drum of course! I even joined the folk group to play djembe.

Progressing through the drum kit grades quickly, in year 10 I decided I wanted to become an all round percussionist. Therefore my teacher introduced me to the glorious instruments that are the timpani drums, xylophone, glockenspiel and vibraphone. This did however mean I now had to learn how to read treble and bass clef- it’s so much harder than drum kit music!

At this age (15), when I was preparing for my grade 7 and being the principal percussionist at school and at music centre, I was asked to be the principal percussionist for the Wakefield Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Wakefield Youth Jazz Orchestra. This was a real eye opener. The standard of playing in these ensembles was incredible, and being a ‘newbie’ I was petrified. It didn’t help either when I had to play Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony and the intro to Also Sprach Zarathustra on timpani in my first concert.

It was also at this age when my theatre/show playing was tested. I was asked to play for an amateur dramatics group’s performance of Annie. I had such a great time, however it was disappointing that I couldn’t actually see the performance as I was stuck in the orchestra pit. I must have done a good job, because a year later I was asked to play again, this time for their medley/compilation of various musicals.

I was 16 when my teacher asked me to play with him for the Wakefield Metropolitan Brass Band. My initial reaction was, “you mean the youth band?” His response was, “No, I mean the proper one”. I could not have been more ecstatic- the band are a Championship Section band, which play against the likes of Black Dyke, Brighouse and Rastrick and Grimethorpe- the band that play in the film ‘Brassed Off’. This was the start of my dramatic improvement in all forms of percussion. I soon later (in 2011) completed my grade 8 with distinction.

From loud and raucous music to the soft tranquil haven that is Jazz. I have been playing jazz for 3 years now in a trio back home, and I have to tell you- it is a real money earner! And everyone knows we all need a bit of money now and then. I was quite sad to be leaving my trio when I came to university; however I didn’t know I’d be meeting three awesome jazz musicians. I now play with these guys and we are The Colossus Quartet- we are taking bookings so please get in touch!

I should now probably talk about what I actually do at University. Aside from the jazz quartet I play with the University Concert Band, Big Band and Orchestra. I love playing with these bands as I get to play so much tuned percussion; my tuned ability really has improved because of this. I look forward to my years at Kent being involved with the music department, I’ve already made many great friends and I’m sure I will make many more.

Cory Adams

Read the other profiles in the series here.