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Nuffield launch

Andy Fisher and David Owen Norris (channeling Billy Mayerl, stripey jacket and all) Last Wednesday we had an event to mark the opening of the newly-refurbished Nuffield theatre Kitchen, a cafĂ© space that is housing the lovely Brinsmead baby grand that was given to us in the autumn.  Andy Fisher, our head of commercial composition, played Gershwin and accompanied postgraduate singer Lizzie Rogers in a sneak preview of some of the songs from his new one-woman show, Girl in a Crisis. Continue reading →

Why ‘Happy’ makes us happy

Yesterday’s Guardian featured an article asking the experts why Pharell Williams’s single ‘Happy’ works so well.  Southampton’s own Andy Fisher, Head of Commercial Composition, provided an analysis of the musical basis of the song’s appeal – check it out here. And here’s the video of ‘Happy’ for anyone who needs cheering up today.     The post Why ‘Happy’ makes us happy appeared first on Music at Southampton. Continue reading →

Matthew Shlomowitz at the Adelaide Festival

Lecturer in Composition Matthew Shlomowitz reports back about a recent performance at the 2014 Adelaide Festival: Last September I wrote a post for this blog about a sixteen-minute piece I was working on at the time for the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, which you can read here. The work was performed on March 9 in the Adelaide Festival and I’m pleased to say it went well. The work features a solo part for drum kit, and my mate Eugene Ughetti played the part brilliantly. Continue reading →

Music therapy with HRH Duchess of Cambridge

Lecturer in Music Therapy Sarah Hodkinson tells us about music therapy with HRH Duchess of Cambridge: In December the Duchess made a visit to Shooting Star House (a Shooting Star Chase children’s hospice in West London). Shooting Star House is where I give music therapy to children and young people who have life-limiting conditions, meaning that they are not expected to reach their nineteenth birthday. The Duchess was given a tour of the hospice and met lots of the children and families. Continue reading →

Bristol Performance for Matthew Shlomowitz

Lecturer in Composition Matthew Shlomowitz tells us about an upcoming performance: I will travel to Bristol on 23 February 2014 for a newly arranged version of my piece Avant Muzak which is scored for seven instruments and sampler keyboard. The work will be performed at the Colston Hall by the Bristol Ensemble alongside works by Tansy Davies as part of a weekend of events co-ordinated by New Music Bristol. Continue reading →

Shlomowitz and Knoop CD Launch in Germany

Lecturer in Composition Matthew Shlomowitz reports back after a recent trip to Germany: In January 2014 Mark Knoop (Turner Sims New Music Fellow) and I travelled to Germany for concerts in Berlin and Hamburg to mark the release of Mark’s CD on the Belgian label Sub Rosa. The CD features two large-scale works for piano and pre-recorded sound by Austrian composer Peter Ablinger and myself. Continue reading →

Happy holidays

We’re now closed for business until 2 January.  Along with our best wishes of the season, here’s a warm account of our final festive event from Phil Draisey (year 3) – with a link to the live streamed video at the bottom.  Happy holidays to all from the staff and students of the Music department! Over to Phil: It’s December the 13th, the last day of term at the University of Southampton. Continue reading →

I’m dreaming of a French Christmas

In the first of two seasonal posts before we close down for the holidays, Head of Early Music Liz Kenny writes about the work that led to concerts with her early music ensemble, Theatre of the Ayre, in Southampton and London last week: Soprano Sophie Daneman as the goddess Diana – surprised in her bath by Actaeon, she turns him into a stagPhoto: Gerry Walden With performance projects, getting the first plank or idea in place is the tricky bit, but once that’s done other ideas suggest... Continue reading →