Tag Archives: Lunchtime Concert

Emotional and transformative: review of the Chan-Jack Duo at Colyer-Fergusson Hall

First-year  Philosophy, Religion and Ethics student and musician, Sara Davies, reflects on the recent opportunity to work alongside the Chan-Jack Duo on their recent visit to perform in Colyer-Fergusson as part of our Lunchtime Concert series.


On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of watching the superbly talented Chan-Jack Duo play their EP Air as part of the series of lunchtime concerts in Colyer-Fergusson Hall.

Laure Chan and William Jack performing in Colyer-Fergusson Hall as part of the Lunchtime Concert series

This included a 50 minute set of five songs that perfectly blended the east and the west whilst incorporating a multitude of genres from rock, pop, classical, Latin and many more.

I was totally enthralled by the immense talent of both Laure Chan (on violin) and William Jack (on cello and guitar). Their music, a fusion of different cultures, was colourful, emotional and transformative.

After the concert, I had the opportunity to participate in an improvisation workshop with the duo, where we created a fusion that revolved around the pentatonic scale. We explored the different ways in which our instruments could make non-melodic sounds, and I was able to use the body of my guitar to create amazing percussive lines alongside the other instruments.

Towards the end of the workshop, I  had the honour of performing one of my original songs to the duo which was amazing! The support and feedback from both of them was particularly help as well!!

Sara Davies in the workshop

All in all, I have to say the Chan-Jack Duo have definitely been my favourite concert here at the university and the opportunity to work alongside them is something I will remember forever.

Sara Davies

Lunchtime Concert: Scholars’ Spotlight recital Weds 9 Feb to take place live and livestreamed

This term’s series of concerts launches on Weds 9 February, with our first-ever livestreamed Lunchtime Concert, and a first lunchtime recital as part of the series by one of our Music Performance Scholars, second-year Michael Lam.

Wednesday’s recital sees Michael, in his second-year in the Kent and Medway Medical School, performing works by Bach, Mozart, Chopin and Schumann, and as well as welcoming a live audience, we will be livestreaming the recital online here:

Join us either live or live online as this term’s concert series gets underway, with what promises to be a unique occasion marking two ‘first’ for the Music department…

Find out more here.

Lunchtime Concert series launches next week

We’re very excited to say that our new Lunchtime Concert series launches next week, as the series of live performances returns to Colyer-Fergusson Hall once more.

The series begins on Wednesday 20 October at the usual time of 1.10pm with what promises to be a mesmerising sequence of Indian ragas performed by British sitarist and composer, Jonathan Mayer, together with tabla-player Denis Kucherov.

Image: (c) Matt Wilson / University of Kent

The event also begins a series of partnerships between the Music Department and professional performers; this year, Jonathan will be working with third-year Physics student and Hindustani singer, Ridima, towards a performance later in the year.

As always, the lunchtime concerts are free to attend, but this term tickets need to be booked in advance of the performance, which can be done online here.

The Music department is grateful to Furley Page Solicitors for its continued spobnsorship of the series.

Sponsors of the Lunchtime Concert series

We look forward to seeing you next, as we usher in the new season of lunchtime events!

New season ‘What’s On’ details now out!

it’s been a while since we’ve been able to say this, but our new What’s On pages are now live with all the details about the Autumn term concerts!

Image: (c) Matt Wilson / University of Kent

Live music is back in earnest for the new term, as our Lunchtime Concert series welcomes sitar player Jonathan Mayer, a recital of music for viola de gamba by Asako Morikawa, the Deptford Rivieras in a post-launch party for their latest CD, and a special extra concert featuring the Glyndebourne Touring Orchestra and Pit Perfect, including a post-concert workshop with student string-players.

Tour Orchestra 2019, Glyndebourne. Image: James Bellorini

The December concert by the Chorus and Orchestra has a sparkling seasonal flavour, including music by Tchaikovsky and Vaughan Williams, and the term finishes in rousing fashion with the customary Christmas Swingalong featuring the Big Band and the evergreen Ian Swatman.

Image: Matt Wilson / University of Kent

We can’t wait to be back – take a look at all that’s coming up this term, and we look forward to seeing you once more.

Sponsors of the Lunchtime Concert series

Header image: Andy Holmes / Unsplash

Lockdown Lunchtime Concert with University Music Scholars

In these unusual times, we’re pleased to present a ‘virtual’ Music Scholars’ Lunchtime Concert as part of a re-imagined Summer Music Week.

The concert featured several Music Performance Scholars and Award Holders, who had each filmed themselves performing in isolation from their homes around the country. From Scottish piping to French art-song, nimble woodwind pieces and a song from Disney’s Prince of Egypt, a novel way of highlighting just some of the musicians that take part in our extra-curricular music-making.

With thanks to all the performers (and their accompanists!) who took part.

Image round-up: Minerva Voices and the String Sinfonia

It’s been an action-packed musical week this week, with several events unfolding across three days.

Composer Russell Hepplewhite came to Colyer-Fergusson on Wednesday to hear Minerva Voices, the University’s upper-voice chamber choir, perform his recent work, Fly away over the sea, as part of the choir’s lunchtime concert. Members of the String Sinfonia joined the choir for a programme which includes music by Vivaldi, Mozart and Ola Gjeilo, alongside plainsong and an American spiritual

Russell Hepplewhite (centre) with Minerva Voices at the Lunchtime Concert

Minerva Voices, conducted by Dan Harding, in rehearsal that morning

Yesterday, the string were in action once again as the String Sinfonia performed a tea-time concert of serenades, including works by Tchaikovsky, Mozart and Britten’s Simple Symphony.

The action continues tonight, as the University Chamber Choir performs a meditative service by candlelight at St Michael’s Church, Hernhill, called Breathing Space, an hour-long event combining music and silence that creates a space for tranquility and reflection. The event starts at 7.30pm and is free, and draws the week to a close in an oasis of calm.

Which will last until next Friday’s annual roof-raising gala concert with the University Concert and Big Bands…

Worn and Weathered: new exhibition comes to Colyer-Fergusson Gallery in March

Music and art come together throughout the month of March, as the Kent-based collective of artists, Earthbound Women, presents a new exhibition in Colyer-Fergusson Gallery. Worn and Weathered will feature landscape in the extreme eroded by centuries of wind and relentless rain and the pounding of the sea.

Earthbound Women are united by a passion for clay, earth, form and landscape. Exhibiting together regularly, they record their dreams, annotations, observations, aspirations and their life in Kent. The exhibition features work by ceramicists Barbara Colla  and Clare Curtis, painter Julie Frampton, painter and printmaker Ruth McDonald, and printmaker Kristiina Sandoe.

Coastal Strata: Ruth McDonald
Russell Hepplewhite

The exhibition reflects the Lunchtime Concert which will be given by Minerva Voices, the University’s female-voice chamber choir, and ensemble on 13th March, and links particularly to the idea of exploring landscapes, in Tundra, an evocative piece by Ola Gjeilo reflecting part of his native Norway, and Fly away, fly away over the sea, a recent setting of a words by Christina Rossetti by the exciting British composer Russell Hepplewhite, who will be in attendance. The programme also includes music by Abbess Hildegard of Bingen. Both the concert and the exhibition explore concepts of the natural landscape, and also celebrate women in the arts, as musicians, writers, composers and artists.

Painting by Julie Frampton

Earthbound Women’s Worn and Weathered will be on display in Colyer-Fergusson Gallery from  Saturday 2 to Saturday 30 March during normal working hours; admission is free, and there is disabled access. The Lunchtime Concert by Minerva Voices and Ensemble is on Wednesday 13 March at 1,10pm in Colyer-Fergusson Hall; admission free, suggested donation £3, more details online here.

Image gallery: Olafur Arnalds concert

Thanks to photographer Molly Hollman, not only for these atmospheric photos of the performers in last Friday’s Lunchtime Concert, but also for her spectacular landscape photography which featured in the performance.

A string quartet of third-year students Florence Obote, Melody Brooks, Molly Richetta (all of whom are University Music scholars or Award holders) and cellist Ken Macdonald, together with Your Loyal Correspondent at the piano, unfurled the meditative music of Icelandic composer, Olafur Arnalds, into a darkened concert-hall, against a backdrop of Molly’s photographs capturing the natural landscapes from around the country.

A rapt audience was kept spellbound during the entire performance; thanks to all the performers.