Tag Archives: Gala

Image Gallery: Summer Music Week – the final two days

The final two days of Summer Music Week witnessed a tremendous flurry of musical activity both in Colyer-Fergusson and beyond, as the week-long music festival celebrating the end of the University year brought staff, students, guests, alumni and members of the local community together.

An intense forty-eight hours of rehearsing and performing began on Friday at lunchtime, with members of the Musical Theatre Society performing on the foyer-stage.

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Later the same day, the Cecilian Choir, Sinfonia and soloists filled the church of St Michael and All Angels at Harbledown with a feast of Baroque music, featuring choral works by Vivaldi, Handel and Lully, and instrumental concerti featuring oboists Jonathan Butten and Dan Lloyd from the School of Biosciences, violinists Lydia Cheng (Law) and Claudia Hill (Politics and International Relations), and arias from Charlotte Webb and Ruth Webster (Biosciences – again!). A sultry encore from the Sinfonia took a packed and delighted audience to Argentina for a scintillating rendition of Piazzolla’s Libertango to conclude. And  as if they hadn’t done enough playing, members of the Sinfonia provided a little light music during the post-performance reception…

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Dan Lloyd (l) and Jonathan Butten rehearsing Vivaldi Double Oboe Concerto

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With the end in sight, rehearsals continued first thing on Saturday morning as the Chorus, Symphony Orchestra and Minerva Voices prepared for the final event of the week, the annual Music for a Summer’s Day. Arriving audience-members were treated to a performance by the unstoppably energetic String Sinfonia on the foyer-stage prior to the afternoon gala concert.

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The combined forces brought a programme including a zestful medley from My Fair Lady, besuited butlers bearing drinks during music from Downton Abbey, rousing music by Elgar, a Norwegian ballad, final-year Harriet Gunstone as guest soloist in the Champagne Polka, all culminating in a rousing rendition of ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ (including an encore conducted by third-year Cory Adams making a rare sortie from the percussion section to the front of the orchestra), and the shedding of a few tears as we all realised that this was, for those who are graduating, their final performance at the University.

WP_20160611_015 WP_20160611_017 WP_20160611_018 WP_20160611_019 WP_20160611_021The reception afterwards saw performers, audience, family and friends mingling in the marquee, as well as the presentation of the Music Society Awards – a spirited tongue-in-cheek affair with prizes for ‘Most Likely To Be Seen On A Night Out’ and ‘Best Dressed’ among the commendations – and the raiding of sumptuous racks of cakes and scones, as the week drew to a close, whilst Minerva Voices and a jazz group provided some spontaneous musical entertainment.

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Summer Music Week higlights all that making music at the University embraces: students making extra-curricular music and friends during the year; students, staff, alumni and the local community coming together on a weekly basis to work together towards termly public performances; the recognition that music-making holds a valuable place in University life in terms of making friends, developing performing and organisational skills, bringing the community together to work towards a public-facing event that represents the University in ambassadorial fashion. Where else might you find a senior Registrar, the director of the Development Office, the head of the International Office, a first-year from Blackpool reading Drama, a second-year from Malaysia reading Law, violinists from Toronto and Zimbabwe, a Senior Lecturer in Linguistics, and local residents combining to let their hair down ?! It’s a terrific whirlygig, a snapshot of all the creativity that thrives both on- and off-campus throughout the course of the year, but it’s also a sad time, as we bid farewell to many who have become a vital part both of the Music department and the wider University during their time at Kent.

To all the leavers, we wish you the very best for the future in Life After Kent; to all those returning (or indeed joining!) us in September; rest assured, we’re now planning for another vibrant, action-packed, stressfull (!), creative, and ultimately rewarding year. To those moving on: we’ll miss you.

Ave atque vale.

 

Special guests to appear in Big Band Gala at the Gulbenkian

The University Big Band, conducted by Ian Swatman, will be joined by some very special guests when it returns to the Gulbenkian Theatre for its Gala evening  on Wednesday 6 June, at 7.30pm.

Appearing alongside the Big Band is British saxophonist Simon Bates, pianist Paul ‘Harry’ Harris, bassist with Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, Dave Swift and Mike Osborn (drums) in a rousing finale to the University’s musical year.

Kent's First Lady of Jazz: Ruby Mutlow

Conductor of the Big Band, Ian Swatman, is particularly excited about this year’s extravaganza. ‘’Simon Bates is regarded as one of the country’s finest saxophonists, and to have him appear with his own quartet is tremendous. All the players in their own right have illustrious careers; Dave Swift is in the middle of Jools Holland’s UK tour with the Jools Holland Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, and is fitting this date in especially amidst his tight schedule. Drummer Mike Osborn has become a regular and spectacular guest with the University Concert and Big Bands, and the combination of all these musicians, together with our own very talented singer Ruby Mutlow and all the University band musicians, is a very exciting prospect!’’

The event is part of the University’s Summer Music, a five-day festival of events both on campus and in Canterbury to celebrate the end of another year of music-making and the end of the academic year. The festival also includes the Music Scholars in a lunchtime concert at the Gulbenkian, the Sirocco Ensemble and Brass Group in a Lunchtime at the Labyrinth, Chamber and Cecilian Choirs at St Mildred’s Church, and the annual Music Society Sunday concert: including cream teas!

Details about all the events, as well as tickets for the Big Band Gala, online here.

More about saxophonist Simon Bates online here.