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Celebrating Michael Finnissy

Last week staff, students and friends of the Department gathered for a special concert at Turner Sims to celebrate Michael Finnissy's twenty years as Professor of Composition at Southampton.Ā  Postgraduate composer Joe Manghan was one of the performers: Iā€™ve been studying at Southampton for almost 7 years now, and Iā€™ve had several opportunities to participate in Finnissy projects. In 2012, I performed timpani in his completion of Mozartā€™s Requiem. Continue reading →

Theatre Guitar for Shakespeare’s Globe

Guitar tutor Jon Gingell has just finished music directing and performing for Emma Riceā€™s show for Shakespeare's Globe, Little Match Girl and Other Happier Tales. Music was by Stephen Warbeck (Shakespeare In Love, Captain Corelliā€™s Mandolin, Billy Elliot). The show began its run at Bristol Old Vic before Christmas, took in a tour from Plymouth to Liverpool, and then returned to its home at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in London in March. Continue reading →

Performing the Film of the Great War

Yesterday markedĀ the launch of Silent Film Fortnight, a three-part series focusing on the film heritage of the World War I as part of the university's Great War, Unknown War programme. Third year students Emma Atkins and James Carter are performing for Dawn, the second film of the set: Emma: On Tuesday 13 February at 7.30pm, silent film Dawn (1928) is screened at Turner Sims, accompanied by an ensemble led by composer and pianist Dr Andrew Fisher. Continue reading →

Music Therapy in Moldova

Lecturer Sarah Hodkinson has just returned from Moldova, where she has been teaching music therapy to professionals from all over the country. Moldova is considered the poorest country in Europe, having only established independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Historically , children with severe and often mild disabilities were typically homed in institutions such as baby homes. Continue reading →

Triumph and Passion with the Bournemouth SO

Will Wilkins (year 3) reports on an exciting and enlightening visit to the BSO: Last Tuesday, January 23rd, it was my great pleasure to visit a Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra rehearsal at the Lighthouse in Poole as part of a delegation from the Southampton University Music Department. The orchestra were in their second day of rehearsals for their ā€˜Triumph and Passionā€™ concerts, which were performed in Poole, Portsmouth, and Exeter over the following three days. Continue reading →

Recording the Modern Harpsichord – Persichetti’s Sonatas

PhD researcher Christopher D. Lewis has recently submitted his doctoral thesis AND is about to relase a new recording - double congratulations! Here he introduces us to the harpsichord music of Vincent Persichetti, whose sonatas are the focus of his most recent project: Christopher D. Lewis (Harpsichord): Vincent Persichetti: Harpsichord Sonatas Nos. 1, 3, 5, 8, 9 and Serenade. Release worldwide 14 July 2017.Ā  Naxos Records: https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8. Continue reading →

Summer performances – on and off the air

Professor David Owen Norris describes his summer projects - a special post for all the students who think the staff are on holiday when term is over :) Pianos & Premieres The Geffrye Museum has very kindly decided to give us an 1812 Strecker grand pianoforte with divided pedal. This will fit very well with our other instruments with divided pedals ā€“ a Ganer Square of 1781, a Broadwood grand of 1828, and a Bechstein of 1902. Continue reading →

How to Write a Dissertation

In the second of our series on third year research projects, Beth Walker talks us through the steps of her project on film music: Over the course of my final year I gave myself the challenge of writing a 10,000 word dissertation titled 'Emotion in Film Music'. This was my first time completing such an extensive academic project but it was definitely worth it (especially since it counted towards my degree!). Continue reading →

Sound Heritage down under

Jeanice Brooks reports on the latest Sound Heritage venture: I've just returned from a wonderful symposium at Elizabeth Bay House in Sydney, organised by Dr Matthew Stephens of Sydney Living Museums. Matthew is the research librarian of SLM's Caroline Simpson Library and Research Collection, and he has been the international member representing Australia at the study days held by the Sound Heritage network in the UK over the past two years. Continue reading →

Conducting Acis and Galatea

Lucy Grant (year 2) tells us about the her experience as Musical Director of the university's Chamber Opera Society production last weekend: Acis and Galatea is an opera composed by Handel, based upon a text by the author John Gay. The opera was first performed in 1718 as a single act piece; however, Handel later devised a two-act opera, first performed in 1739, and it was this version we performed. Continue reading →

The Loop Project – coming soon!

We are all looking forward to 3-5 February, when the Music Department will present a whole weekend of performances and workshops exploring musical loops. Leading jazz musicians Ivo Neame, Jasper HĆøiby and Jon Scott will join the HARTLEY Loop Orchestra to perform a major revision of Benjamin Oliverā€™s Loop Concerto, which was premiered by Neame and Kent County Youth Orchestra in 2013. 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 EsmĆ© Patey-Ford and dancer Harriet Parker-Beldeau. Continue reading →