Still flushed with the success of last week’s musical extravaganza that was Summer Music Week, we’re delighted to announce that the Colyer-Fergusson Building won a RIBA (Royal Institution of British Architects) National Award 2013 on Wednesday evening.
The new Colyer-Fergusson concert hall
It is one of only two buildings in the Southeast to win a 2013 RIBA National Award for architectural excellence and one of 43 to win nationally, and will now go forward for RIBA’s top award, the Stirling Prize, with the shortlist being announced on 18 July.
Yesterday’s Open View event, hosted by architects Tim Ronalds, saw the new Colyer-Fergusson Building come alive with music, visitors and guests, as musicians performed in all the available spaces throughout the building.
Guests in the new foyer
Between 3-8pm, the entire place was abuzz with jazz, choral music, solo percussion and piano, acoustic guitar and string quartet music, an aural backdrop as invited guests toured the new facilities, and saw (and heard!) it in action. It was also the first opportunity to test-drive the new performance stage in the foyer, which proved to be a fantastic space with terrific acoustics, ranging from the delicate close-harmony singing of vocal trio ‘The Canterberries’ to the liquid soprano-sax improvisations from sax teacher, Peter Cook. There was even a guest appearance from Ned, the acoustic consultant from the firm Arup Acoustics, on sax (and congas) as well; truly an occasion in which music could be made by many.
Percussion Scholar Carina EvansPianist Scholar Sharon Yam puts the Steinway through its pacesSaxophonist Scholar Tim Pickering and your loyal correspondent try out the new foyer-stageGuitarist Andrew KitchinPianist Scholar Susan Li gets to grips with Rachmaninov in the concert-hallThrough a glass; darkly: string players in one of the upper rehearsal roomsThe Canterberries in ‘All I Want for Christmas’Second-year Emma Murton rehearsing the Chamber Choir
With thanks to all the musicians who took part, and brought the entire building to life.
Because it does. Doesn't it ? Blogging about extra-curricular musical life at the University of Kent.