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Undergraduate

Performance roundup

A few more items from the last month in performance: We were really chuffed to read this wonderful blog post from London Sinfonietta violinist extraordinaire David Alberman, who joined Southampton staff and students for the world premiere of Michael Finnissy's new work, Remembrance Day. This year jazz and pop students from the department of Music and MuSoc - the student music society - are putting on a series of nights at our partner live music venue, Talking Heads. Continue reading →

Experiencing music therapy

Sarah Hodkinson, our Lecturer in Music Therapy, describes a workshop that allowed students to gain valuable hands-on experience to complement their year 3 music therapy lectures: Music students Alice Charlton, Esme Phillips, and Panos Mathicolonis assisted me in a music therapy workshop at the University of Southampton Auditory Implant Service. The students are well aware of the significance of music. Music is not only something they study, it is central in their lives. Continue reading →

Last month in jazz and pop

Our head of jazz and pop performance, Thomas Seltz, reports on October events: 30 October: In the first of four events organised in partnership between MuSoc (the Student Union Music Society) and the Music Department, the new generation of entertainers took to the stage of Talking Heads and delighted the crowds with their beautiful songs and youthful energy. On 24 October, the jazz performance class had a visit from Tim Garland. Continue reading →

Grade One-a-thon – getting started!

Catherine Underhill (year 3) is organising a new activity through the student Music Society:  You’re probably thinking: what on earth is a Grade One-a-thon? Well, it’s what it says on the tin - a chance for anyone to get involved, learn a new instrument and ultimately reach grade one standard within a short time. Just before the summer holidays began, I was speaking to a few friends in my year group about setting this up as a Music Society project. Continue reading →

Remembering the Great War

On 16th November, we are mounting the world premiere of a new work by Michael Finnissy, concerned with themes of war and remembrance in commemoration of the onset of WWI.  Lecturer in Composition Ben Oliver will conduct:  As the conductor of new music group Workers Union Ensemble I am fortunate to conduct around five to ten world premiere performances each year. I absolutely love learning and rehearsing new repertoire; it is such a joy to explore a new score with fellow musicians. Continue reading →

Summer in the Theatre

Continuing our 'What I did over the summer vacation' series, Catherine Underhill (year 3) tells us about her fantastic introduction to the music theatre business:  Back in May, I received an email from Youth Music Theatre (YMT) about a position of Assistant Music Director (AMD) for their shows over the summer. I knew a little bit about the company, so applied online and to my surprise I received an interview. Continue reading →

A year in Baby SUSO

Emma Blundell and Tricia Mann (year 3) spent part of their final year as highly successful educational managers of the innovative Baby SUSO scheme.  Here's their report on how their work helped kids to participate in orchestral music: In 2010, Southampton University Symphony Orchestra's (SUSO) then President, Kat Hattersley, pioneered a pilot scheme called The Baby SUSO Project which aimed to bring orchestral music to children in local primary and secondary schools. Continue reading →

Singing success

Now back in term after the Easter break, we have heard some very good news from Hannah Woodhouse (year 3), who has been accepted onto The Sixteen's prestigious apprentice scheme: A couple of weeks back I learned the exciting news that I had been accepted onto the 2014/2015 Genesis Sixteen choral scheme for young singers. Continue reading →

Fauré in Winchester

Undergraduate singer and pianist Anna Stonehouse tells us about recording in Winchester cathedral for an upcoming Easter season broadcast by BBC 2: On Tuesday 25th March I took part in the ‘Passiontide Concert’,  singing Faure’s Requiem with the outstanding Winchester Waynflete Singers, teamed with the BBC Concert Orchestra. Recorded by BBC Radio 2, the concert will be aired on Good Friday, 18 April at 8pm. Continue reading →

Sea Slugs at School

Sax player Rob Kitney (year 3) tells us what Southampton-based band The Sea Slugs were up to just before the break: On Friday 7th March, The Sea Slugs made their way to Crawley to lead a workshop in afrobeat music with the year 9s at Hazelwick School. As a brief introduction to The Sea Slugs, we are a 15-piece afrobeat band, many of whom are currently studying at the University or have graduated in recent years. Continue reading →

Made in Italy – Italian Madrigals Englished

Bass singer Chris Lusty (year 3) tells us how music for Tudor merchants came back to a real period house - Southampton's Tudor House Museum - during our Made in Italy weekend: On Saturday, the University's choral scholars, Cantores Michaelis, sang a selection of Italian madrigals by Luca Marenzio (1553 -1599) and Giovanni Maria Nanino (1543 -1607) that were translated and arranged into an English style by Albert Chatterley. Continue reading →

Made in Italy – From Rome to Venice

Many performance projects at Southampton are completely student-led, from the initial idea to final realisation. Natalie Davies (year 3) tells us about the final extravaganza of our Italian weekend, featuring rare Roman cantatas matched up with Vivaldi favourites: Having had just over two weeks to rehearse the Vivaldi Gloria with the choir, it was not without trepidation that we came together with the orchestra on Sunday for our last rehearsal before the evening’s concert. Continue reading →