{"id":7614,"date":"2016-06-13T10:53:36","date_gmt":"2016-06-13T09:53:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/music-matters\/?p=7614"},"modified":"2016-06-17T09:20:39","modified_gmt":"2016-06-17T08:20:39","slug":"image-gallery-summer-music-week-the-final-two-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/music-matters\/2016\/06\/13\/image-gallery-summer-music-week-the-final-two-days\/","title":{"rendered":"Image Gallery: Summer Music Week – the final two days"},"content":{"rendered":"

The final two days of Summer Music Week<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

An intense forty-eight hours of rehearsing and performing began on Friday at lunchtime, with members of the Musical Theatre Society<\/strong> performing on the foyer-stage.<\/p>\n

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Later the same day, the Cecilian Choir, Sinfonia<\/strong> 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<\/em> featuring oboists Jonathan Butten<\/strong> and Dan Lloyd<\/strong> from the School of Biosciences, violinists Lydia Cheng<\/strong> (Law) and Claudia Hill<\/strong> (Politics and International Relations), and arias from Charlotte Webb<\/strong> and Ruth Webster<\/strong> (Biosciences – again!). A sultry encore from the Sinfonia took a packed and delighted audience to Argentina for a scintillating rendition of Piazzolla’s Libertango<\/em> to conclude. And\u00a0\u00a0as if they hadn’t done enough playing, members of the Sinfonia provided a little light music during the post-performance reception…<\/p>\n

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Dan Lloyd (l) and Jonathan Butten rehearsing Vivaldi Double Oboe Concerto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

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The combined forces brought a programme including a zestful medley from My Fair Lady<\/em>, besuited butlers bearing drinks during music from Downton Abbey,<\/em>\u00a0rousing music by Elgar, a Norwegian ballad, final-year Harriet Gunstone<\/strong> as guest soloist in the Champagne Polka<\/em>, all culminating in a rousing rendition of ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ (including an encore conducted by third-year Cory Adams<\/strong> making a rare sortie\u00a0from 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.<\/p>\n

\"WP_20160611_015\" \"WP_20160611_017\" \"WP_20160611_018\" \"WP_20160611_019\" \"WP_20160611_021\"The 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.<\/p>\n

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Summer Music Week higlights\u00a0all 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Ave atque vale.<\/p>\n

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