Currently browsing category

Blog, Page 3

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 HĂžiby and Jon Scott will join the HARTLEY Loop Orchestra to perform a major revision of Benjamin Oliver’s Loop Concerto, which was premiered by Neame and Kent County Youth Orchestra in 2013. Continue reading →

‘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 ThĂ©Ăątre National de Chaillot in Paris that featured my work, alongside music by Tom ZĂ© and Ben Harper. The show was titled La FĂȘte (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 EsmĂ© Patey-Ford and dancer Harriet Parker-Beldeau. 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 →

Sound Heritage at the RNCM

Last month Southampton PhD student Catherine Garry joined the Sound Heritage network at Tatton Park (Cheshire), for a study day featuring music from the house's extensive library.  Sound Heritage joined forces with the Royal Northern College of Music to explore the music collected by Elizabeth Sykes, who married into the Egerton family of Tatton Park in the early 19th century. Continue reading →

Kenny plays Oliver

Great video from the inaugural concert of Playlist, the city of Southampton's newest concert series.  Head of Early Music Elizabeth Kenny (theorbo) plays Ben Oliver's 'Extending from the inside', which she premiered at the Cymnock Trust promenade concert in 2014.   https://www.youtube. Continue reading →

Handbook of Topic Theory in Featured Research

The Oxford Handbook of Topic Theory, edited by Professor of Music (and Head of Research) Danuta Mirka, has been added as a Featured Research article on the Women In Music Theory blog, under the auspices of the Society for Music Theory. The article includes a summary of the book by Professor Mirka, and a number of (very positive!) reviews from eminent publications.  The article can be found at the link below: https://womeninmusictheory.wordpress. Continue reading →

Performing Jane Austen

Samantha Carrasco completed her PhD at Southampton in 2013, and is on the university's piano faculty.  Her research on the Austen Family Music Books is the basis for an exciting new concert venture with soprano Helen Neeves and harpist Kate Ham.  Their new promotional video is out now and gives a taster of the sounds of Jane Austen's world: https://vimeo. Continue reading →

Musica Secreta’s new CD

Professor Laurie Stras writes: Musica Secreta’s new CD – out in 2017 on Obsidian Records It’s always difficult to keep things a secret when you are excited about them. I have known for months that my ensemble Musica Secreta’s new CD, Lucrezia Borgia’s Daughter, was signed up for release on Obsidian Records, but have had to wait until this week to tell anyone. It’s been doubly difficult because this project has been part of my life for at least eight years. Continue reading →

Dedication

By Peter Bridgwood (MMus Performance) Written by the acclaimed playwright Nick Dear, Dedication explores the relationship between William Shakespeare and the 3rd Earl of Southampton Henry Wriothesley. Taking the extremely limited knowledge that we have about their relationship, Dear postulates three different story lines; an old man obsessed with the young Lord; a business relationship like any other; or a sordid love affair, condemned by the society of the time. Continue reading →