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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 →

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 →

Body Percussion

Second year undergraduate student Kitty O’Neal reports on a recent composition workshop. Composition Workshop A (a BA Music module available to 2nd and 3rd year students) has three assignments – ‘Constraints’, ‘Rhythm’ and and a free composition at the end of the semester. Following our ‘Constraints’ challenge of writing a composition using only 4 pitches, we are now in the midst of composing for body percussion and non-singing voices. Continue reading →

Ensemble Paramirabo @ Southampton

by postgraduate Music student Harry Matthews. For the first composition workshop of this academic year, the University was joined by a group of musicians from Canada named Ensemble Paramirabo. The group flew to Southampton from Montreal - giving a workshop on three new pieces following their performance at the Music Department Monday Lunchtime Professional Concert Series featuring a new work by Lecturer in Composition Benjamin Oliver, The Circus Animals’ Desertion. 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 →

London streets to Romanian mountains

BA Music finalist Kath Roberts tells about her summer of music activities: Approaching what I called my ‘last summer as a proper student’, I was lucky enough to take part in a number of musical projects! The first was playing in the debut tour of the ‘Street Orchestra of London’, also known as SOL. Modelled on the Ricciotti ensemble in Holland, the orchestra was founded with the belief that “every human being has an equal right to enjoy quality live music. 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 →

Superstar Summer

Jon Gingell teaches guitar at Southampton University as well as working in theatre as performer, programmer and copyist.  He is a Southampton Music graduate. Over the summer break, I have been dividing my time between theatre work in Paris, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and the National Theatre, and live gigs on the european blues festival circuit with American singer-songwriter Earl Thomas. In Paris I played guitar, ukulele and banjo for Damon Albarn’s musical Wonder. 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 →

A Multi-Media Summer

Bethany Stenning, 4th Year BA Music (with Year Abroad) student reports on her varied summer activities. During the summer I was asked to fly out to Dublin to take part in a short film. I was living in Dublin for the second half of my year abroad (I spent the first half in Paris), and whilst I was there I performed frequently at various pubs/cafes etc. Continue reading →