Installation has begun this week of the audience seating and choral risers in the concert-hall; pictures from a visit to the construction site this morning.
See a full gallery of all the images from the project, by clicking the album below.
After an industrious summer of event and programme planning, not to mention the minor task of preparing to move to the new building, I’m delighted to say our new Concert Diary for the Autumn term has now been published online.
The Lunchtime Concert series continues, as we welcome musicians from Total Brass, sitarist Jonathan Mayer, and close-harmony group Sector7 in concerts throughout the term.
University Music Scholars will be giving an informal lunchtime concert in the first week of November – an exciting moment, as it will be the first event in the brand new Colyer-Fergusson music building and its wonderful new concert-hall!
We’ll also be gathering to raise money for Children in Need again this year; come and be part of a whacky world première with a difference, written by yours truly – all you will need is a donation and your mobile-phone, complete with three different ring-tones…
The world-famous Brodsky Quartet continue their fortieth-birthday celebrations in inimitable style, as they bring their ‘Wheel of Four Tunes’ to the Colyer-Fergusson hall. Armed with an array of forty pieces from their hugely eclectic repertoire, the pieces in this concert will be decided by the spin of a wheel in what promises to be a unique event.
Finally, the term comes to a grand finale with the inaugural Gala Concert, with the combined ranks of the Chorus, Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Choir, Concert Band and Big Band, in a spectacular evening celebrating the formal opening of the new Colyer-Fergusson music building, complete with two new works especially written for the occasion.
An exciting term ahead: find out more online here.
The floor is down in the new concert-hall, and yesterday’s site visit really set the levels of anticipation running very high. In the company of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Keith Mander and his assistant Marianne, the Director of Music and myself toured the construction site and saw the character of the hall really beginning to emerge.
Pictured above is the flooring, covered temporarily to protect it whilst further work carries on. Light floods in from the recessed roof-light, as well as from the large windows to each side of the hall. The overall effect is of a light, airy space, enhanced by the lightness of the wooden panelling adorning the walls.
The foyer space, shown here from the balcony at the top of the stairs to the first floor, is taking shape nicely, and will offer a terrific, intimate space for chamber performances on its modular stage.
See a full gallery of all the images from yesterday, and throughout the project, by clicking the album below.
The scaffolding inside the concert hall, which has previously provided such great opportunities for artistic photography, was finally removed last Wednesday, and here are a few photos immediately after it disappeared.
Without the scaffolding, you can really get a sense of the amount of light afforded by both the western window and the magnificent roof-light (pictured above). That first moment, seeing the hall in glory, was apparently quite intense – the Director of Music might even have shed a tear!
And finally, a shot from the balcony at the northern end of the building, looking back towards the lighting box.
See a full gallery of all the images from the project here.
A meeting with the architects yesterday turned into a site visit; I’ll spare you the images of myself and colleagues kitted out in the obligatory H&S hats, boots and reflective jackets and bring you instead some pictures of the latest developments:
The foyer and reception space continues to unfold; the image above shows the view looking northwards, from what will be the continuation into the Gulbenkian Theatre, looking back towards the staircase to the first floor and across what will be the foyer space; here, the small foyer performance stage will be situated, together with tables and chairs.
Above, the foot of the stairs to the upper floor; beyond it, to the left, there’s a glimpse of the social space which will located in the north-east corner, a place to meet, to work, or to wait for a performance to begin.
Moving upstairs, the two large ensemble rehearsal rooms are taking shape as bright, airy spaces with the admitting of natural light through floor-to-ceiling windows; above, one of the windows in the smaller (yes, the smaller!) of the two rooms. On concert nights, these rooms will also function as green rooms for performers.
The foyer roof-light (above) will afford lots of light into the reception space below, underneath it will be a balcony offering standing-views overlooking the foyer performance stage below.
The final image is inside the concert hall itself, from the balcony and looking northward again towards what will eventually be the choral seating. The wooden panelling (right), which will bedeck the inside of the hall, continues to appear.
Exciting times indeed. See a full gallery of all the images from yesterday, and throughout the project, by clicking the album below.
A flurry of photos from yesterday’s site meeting at the new music building construction, with some exciting facets of the building now starting to develop.
First, and most importantly, though, there was the necessary assessing of the audience chairs: pictured right are Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Keith Mander, and BNP Paribas Project Manager, Tony Forbat, most definitely NOT sitting down on the job, but rather giving due consideration to the retractable audience-seating for the hall!
The foyer roof-light continues to develop, and looks particularly exciting, and will afford plenty of light into the foyer space welcoming people into the building and the small foyer performance stage.
The roof-light in the concert-hall itself is also taking shape: pictured here, looking directly up from the floor of the hall.
Additionally, the wooden interior of the hall is starting to appear, in particular as part of the roofing; walking across the temporary boarding to examine this was certainly not for the faint-hearted, according to the Director of Music!
And finally, an exterior view of the north-facing facade, with windows onto large ensemble rehearsal rooms to the right and left, and staff office windows.
See a full gallery of all the images from yesterday, and throughout the project, by clicking the album below.
A crop of photos taken last Friday at the new Colyer-Fergusson construction site. The windows of the upper ensemble rehearsal rooms and the staff offices have been going in recently, as well as the rather large window in the western side of the concert-hall.
Thefoyer roof-light is in the process of being installed as well.
View all the images from the construction project by clicking on the album below. Exciting times…
A fistful of photographs from last week’s site meeting at the construction of the new music building, showing the latest developments.
Exciting stuff: click the album below to view the rest.
