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Happy holidays

We're now closed for business until 2 January.Ā  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.Ā  Happy holidays to all from the staff and students of the Music department! Over to Phil: Itā€™s December the 13th, the last day of term at the University of Southampton. There is a seeping chill in the air and winter rain falls for the first time this month. 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: With performance projects, getting the first plank or idea in place is the tricky bit, but once thatā€™s done other ideas suggest themselves and the thing gets rolling. Continue reading →

Music returns to Chawton House

The Department of Music has just launched a new concert series in collaboration with our friends and long-time partners at Chawton House Library, the research centre in the beautiful country house formerly owned by Jane Austen's brother.Ā  Postgraduate pianist Ellen Day tells us about the performance: On December 10 we gathered at Chawton House for the inaugural concert, featuring a newly restored 1828 Stodart grand piano. Continue reading →

Michael Finnissy Chi Mei Ricercari Tour Part 2

Senior lecturer Tom Irvine updates us on the how the tour of Michael Finnissy's new piece is going:Ā  Greetings from Hsinchu, Taiwan's own 'windy city' and home of National Chiao Tung University, the hosts of the second of our three concerts. It's been a real whirlwind. We left lovely laid-back Tainan this morning after the very successful premiere there last night, celebrated afterwards with a outdoor (!) reception with new friends and old. Continue reading →

Postcard from Germany

Austin Glatthorn came from the USA to do his PhD at Southampton, and in 2013-14 he is spending a year in Germany after winning a prestigious studentship to complete archival research for his thesis.Ā  Here's his report on how it's going so far: Sometime late in the afternoon on 1 August 2013, I disembarked British Airways flight 0910 from London Heathrow into the Frankfurt International Airport. Continue reading →

UoS Voices sing out

Almost exactly a year ago Turner Sims Professor of Music Harvey Brough launched a new community choir based in the university.Ā  Elwyn Edwards tells us what led the group to their first big stage appearance last week (and there's a video at the end of the post!): Like many people I have had a secret ambition to sing in a choir for most of my adult life. Continue reading →

Into the Dragon’s Den

Postgraduate composer Ben Mawson tells us about his prize-winning entry in a digital project competition, which involved making a speedy (and obviously very convincing!) pitch to industry experts: During my research at Southampton on Virtual Music Performance, I've been working on building a collaborative team to develop a system for listeners to walk inside a musical composition. Continue reading →

Michael Finnissy Chi Mei Ricercari Tour, Part 1

Senior lecturer Tom Irvine is about to set off for Taiwan where he will hear the premiere of our chair of composition Michael Finnissy's new pieces for cello and piano.Ā  Tom has promised to send posts throughout the tour but already has one advance report on how things are going: I'm still here in comparatively wintery Southampton, wondering if I will set off tomorrow as planned given various air-traffic problems in the skies overhead. Continue reading →

Behind the scenes

The hub of the Music department is the office, where our wonderful team of education and performance staff keep our huge range of activities going.Ā  Shilla NaKandi is from one of our local schools, and spent a week of work experience seeing how it all comes together: Hi, my name is Shilla, Iā€™m 14 years old and I enjoy music and sports. Continue reading →

The harp, South American style

Earlier this month Charlie Grimsey and Cerys Beesley (year 2) participated in a fantastic workshop in Turner Sims: On the 4th November the word quickly spread that there was going to be a harp recital at the Turner Sims lunchtime concert series. What we didnā€™t expect was the charismatic Columbian harpist, Diego Laverde Rojas, to take the packed audience on a whirlwind tour of his homeland. Continue reading →

Britten and Mahler

November 17 saw a major event in our series marking the Britten anniversary. Cantores Michaelis singer and year 3 Music student Hannah Woodhouse, who was a soloist in the concert, tells us how it went: Last weekend music students from across the University of Southampton came together to produce a centenary concert marking Benjamin Brittenā€™s birth. Continue reading →

Recording Popular Contexts

Turner Sims Fellow and contemporary pianist extraordinaire Mark Knoop has just released a new solo recording, featuring music by our composer colleague Matthew Shlomowitz.Ā  Mark tells us about how the piece and the recording came about: In 2009 Matthew and I first discussed the idea of his writing a new work for solo piano. Continue reading →

Chi Mei Ricercari – If cellos could talk

Tom Irvine (Senior Lecturer in Music) tells us about Michael Finnissy's new piece, which had a sneak preview performance last week in preparation for the December premiere in Taiwan: I've been travelling to Taiwan for the department and university regularly since 2009. One of the things that has come of my visits is a partnership with the world-famous collection of fine string instruments held in Tainan (a beautiful and laid-back city in the island's warm and sunny south). Continue reading →

Musical offerings

The gift-giving season came early to the Music department this year: over the last few months, we've had some fascinating presents from generous friends.Ā  Head of department Jeanice Brooks describes them: I'll start with the smallest and also possibly the strangest gift we've received. Continue reading →