December 2016

‘Joy and Freedom’ in Paris

Associate Professor in Composition Matthew Shlomowitz reports on a recent trip to Paris. Last week I attended a dance performance at the Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris that featured my work, alongside music by Tom Zé and Ben Harper. The show was titled La Fête (de l'insignifiance) and performed by the Paulo Ribeiro Dance Company, based in Portugal. The three Paris dates followed performances in Lisbon, Viseu, Coimbra and Flor in Portugal, and Besançon in France. Continue reading →

Rituals to Mould Her With – and workshop

By Jamie Howell, MMus Composition. On Monday 5th December the audience in Turner Sims were treated to an extraordinary new piece which seamlessly blended dance, live instrumental performance, electro-acoustic recordings and theatre. The work, entitled 'Rituals To Mould Her With', was a collaborative composition devised by composers Litha & Effy Efthymiou, harpsichordist Jane Chapman, actor Esmé Patey-Ford and dancer Harriet Parker-Beldeau. Continue reading →

New at St Michael’s – digital pipes

By Jon Pilgrim, organ scholar. In my time as organ scholar for the University over the past two and a half years, the organ of St. Michael’s church has undergone huge change. I have, however, never used their pipe organ, despite playing there a minimum of twice a week. The pipes on the south side are, at this point, purely for show. Continue reading →

Sound Heritage on the road

Recent months have been especially busy for the Sound Heritage project, not only with our November study day at Tatton Park, but also with a new venture - Sound Heritage Ireland. Sound Heritage Ireland Sound Heritage Ireland is a new initiative convened by Dr Karol Mullaney-Dignam, whose research delves into social, economic and political aspects of music and dance in Irish country houses. Continue reading →

Ensemble Nikel Visits the Music Department

Third year undergraduate Alex Garden reports on a recent composition workshop with Ensemble Nikel. On Monday 28 November Ensemble Nikel - a quartet consisting of piano (Antoine Francoise), saxophone (Patrick Stadler), electric guitar (Yaron Deutsch) and percussion (Brian Archinal) – visited our department. Continue reading →

Tom Harrison Quintet

Music undergraduate George Barbett tells us about last week's visit from the Tom Harrison Quintet. The Tom Harrison Quintet performed a captivating concert on Monday 21 November, interpreting the music of Duke Ellington in new and interesting ways. Their use of soundscaping, acoustic and electronic effects, and very free forms was fascinating. Continue reading →

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