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What I Did Over the Summer

Venus in Galway

Natalie Davies, who finished her BA Honours Music degree last summer, had operatic dreams come true over the summer: In May 2014, I was lucky enough to be accompanied by Erin Headley and Elizabeth Kenny on the lirone and theorbo respectively, whilst singing early music duets in a concert with my duet partner, Leila Zanette, at the University of Southampton. Continue reading →

Extending theorbo players from the inside

Head of Early Music Liz Kenny has been getting out of her comfort zone, playing very new music for a very old instrument:  I use my instrument the theorbo – the largest of the lute family with an extra long neck – for many things: annoying people on crowded tube trains, confusing airlines, accompanying students, demonstrating continuo harmonies, playing with singers and baroque ensembles . . . and so on. 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 →

Mozart in Salzburg

PhD researcher David Jayasuriya is writing his thesis on the application of Fonte and Monte harmonic schemata in the symphonies of Joseph Haydn. Over the summer vacation he had the opportunity to present some of his work at a prestigious international conference: A highlight of my summer break was to attend and present a paper at the International Mozart Kongress in Salzburg. 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 →

Instruments in Istanbul

In the first of a series of posts on 'What I did over the summer vacation', postgraduate Anna Borg Cardona, who is researching instrument-making and musical culture in 17th-century Malta, tells us about the instruments she encountered on her trip to Turkey: Destination Istanbul – finally! This was the magical Constantinople which attracted so many Europeans in the 19th century. 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.  Head of department Jeanice Brooks describes them: I'll start with the smallest and also possibly the strangest gift we've received. Continue reading →

Lutes and Ukes

Southampton's Head of Early Music Liz Kenny tells us about her summer project: In my daily life I play the lute. I’m interested in how groups of plucked instruments organized themselves to produce music on the stage and in shows and masques in the seventeenth century, and how we might go about it now. Continue reading →

Premiere of Loop Concerto for Improvising Pianist and Orchestra

Ben Oliver (Lecturer in Composition) tells us about the first performance of his new Piano Concerto: One of the highlights of my summer was conducting the Kent County Youth Orchestra and jazz pianist Ivo Neame in the September premiere of my new piano concerto, Loop Concerto. The manager of the orchestra, Geoff Dixon, approached me in 2012 to write a piece for the orchestra’s 50th Anniversary concert. Continue reading →

Cantum pulcriorem invenire

Postdoctoral researcher Gregorio Bevilacqua finished off the summer with an international conference on medieval music hosted at Southampton.  Here he looks back on the highlights: I was enjoying the first glimmers of British autumn when we welcomed delegates to Southampton for a three-day conference on the “Gothic” era in the history of Western music. Continue reading →