Would you like to STUDY IN CHINA for a few weeks during your holidays in 2009, and receive funding for this?
The Study China Programme is funded by DIUS (The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills) and based at Manchester. The programme sends about 300-400 students to China for three weeks at Easter and Summer every year, and there is funding towards this. Andy Taylor, the organiser is coming to the University of Bath to talk about this rare opportunity on 5th Dec, and Bath Spa University students are invited to the talk. Please see the attached Word document for further information.
To attend the information session please contact Rosalind Davies now to confirm your place – first come first served.
Parkinson Saunders
Michael Tippett Centre, Bath Spa University, 7 November 2008, 1.10pm
music for cardboard boxes, tracings of stones, discrete harmony, permuted actions and Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony for two people.
alone any sound-producing means alternating auxiliary batteries bells binary boxes carefully change complementary concentration cooking devoid dictaphones drones electronics feedback fingers on things food grid hum indeterminate lines list lo-fi modular nearly new york noise non-representational numbers objects paper permutation precision process quiet separate silence static stones stopwatches system text toys variation voices wait wandelweiser
The Bath Spa Music society is putting together a Christmas CD, to be recorded in the next couple of weeks. We are looking for artists/groups with original material who would like to be involved, if you are interested please email us (the email address can be found on our Facebook group.)
Spartacus Sun 12th Oct 2008, 8:00pm, Moles Club, Bath Tickets £4, £3.50 w/flyer, £3 w nus card
We Push Buttons
Rosalita
Justin Saltmeris
The Moo
unforeseen event #3 Thursday 16 October, 1.45pm, MTC Gallery James Tenney – Swell Piece for Alison Knowles
Material perform one of Tenney’s Postal Pieces, a series of eleven compositions notated on postcards to be sent to friends.
Musica Viva
Friday 17 October, 1.10pm, MTC Auditorium
Lute recital by Matthew Spring: music from 1500‐1600 including the first printed lute books and Dowland.
News
Charles Wiffen will be giving the world premiere of John Woolrich’s Dramalet with Contemporary Consort on Monday 13 October in the Stratford Festival. The programme also includes music by Thomas Adès, Mark Bowden and Britten.
Please remember to send me any items for the newsletter. If you’re doing something locally it would be good to include it – you might get a better audience. So whether you’re doing a gig, or concert, or singing into flowerpots in a Georgian folly, I’d like to hear about it….
Events
Thursday 9 October, 10am, Temple (down by the lake)
unforeseen event #2 For the second unforeseen event, Material perform Alvin Lucier’s I Remember for voices with resonant objects. Lucier’s work since the late 1960s has investigated acoustic phenomena as a starting point for musical activity. His best known work, I am sitting in a room (1969), uses the sound of his recorded voice repeatedly played back and recorded in a space, eventually masking the original text with a blurred cloud of harmonics derived from the room’s resonant properties. More recently he has produced a series of pieces which use slow, sweeping pure tones which interact to cause audible beating. I Remember is a combination of both these exploratory techniques.
Friday 10 October, 1.10pm MTG01
Flip The BSU Percussion Group perform a range of pieces including Velela Algar’s Dextreet and Fran Hardwick’s Duck in a Midnight Garden, alongside arrangements of Combine Harvester, Watermelon Man and more….
Weekend access to studio and rehearsal facilities is as follows (11am-7pm Saturdays and Sundays – ensembles please be ready to leave by 6.45pm);
SEMESTER 1
Saturday 4th October until Sunday 14th December inclusive
CHRISTMAS BREAK (no weekend opening)
From Saturday 10th January 2009 to Sunday 25th January inclusive
SEMESTER 2
From Saturday 14th February 2009 to Sunday 5th April inclusive
EASTER BREAK (no weekend opening)
From Saturday 2nd May to Sunday 7th June inclusive
Rooms available are as follows;
* University Theatre
* ANG15 and Dance Studio
* Michael Tippett Centre including bungalow MTG21 and MTG18
* Compton practice rooms and band rooms incl CP112
* Twiverton TN116 and TN115
An MPA Maintenance Technician will be on-site during all these times, and will be responsible for their safe and secure operation during these periods.
Most bookings will be through Jan (dept of Music) or Mike (dept of Performing Arts), or through your Subject Leader. The timetables can be found here.
Here’s the first newsletter of the term. Just to remind everyone that this only works if you send me items to advertise. So if you know of any concerts, shows, gigs, competitions, prizes, publications, broadcasts, opportunities etc. let me know. Please send me anything for w/b 6 October by Friday 3 October. Have a good year.
Events
Sunday 28 September, Moles Club, Bath
Spartacus Live
featuring BSU band Kill It Kid
with Virgin Marys
Being compared with The Black Keys and Bright Eyes the group’s debut EP has been described as gorgeous sometimes raucous harnessing a bollicking boisterous enery that just explodes. It has swaggering, brutal charm. Davey Ray Moore (producer). Kill it Kid are recording a single with the number one producer John Parish. He has previously worked with PJ Harvey, Tracy Chapman, Goldfrapp and The Eels
MEMBERS-£3.00 CONCESSIONS-£3.50 GUESTS-£4.00 EARLY BIRDS-£3.00
Friday 3 October, BSU Library, 9.30am
Unforeseen Events
Material begin their series of weekly concerts in unusual locations with a performance of Manfred Werder’s 2005/1 in the University Library. To join the ensemble, come to the rehearsals on Thursdays from 1-2pm in the Gallery.
Opportunities
In November we’ll be conferring an honorary degree on composer Gavin Bryars, and will be performing some of his music during a short festival. One of these pieces – Far Away and Dimly Pealing – is something of a challenge. You can see the score below and I would welcome ideas as to how this might be realised. Please email me suggestions, and if they work, are practicable, and legal, we’ll use them in the concert.
Welcome back to all our returning students, and of course welcome to all the new first years. On this blog you’ll find the departmental newsletters, which are compiled by James, plus various links and media relating to performances and staff/student musical activity.
TIMETABLES
We are developing a system of online rehearsal timetables for studios, practice rooms, teaching rooms etc. Students will be able to book practice slots with Jan Hasteley as before; the only difference is that you’ll be able to check availability online before you book. Here’s the link – it’s a slightly obscure url so please bookmark it. Music & Performing Arts timetables.
CENTRE FOR MUSICAL RESEARCH
Our new Centre for Musical Research formally launches in early October. The CMR will be led by James Saunders and will bring together the Music Department’s MA, PhD and post-doctoral research activities. The first major project is James’ own AHRC-funded ‘Words & Music’ (about which more soon) which will also being newcomer John Lely to the music team.
SOCIETIES AND ACTIVITIES
For those who missed them at the Freshers’ fair, here are Facebook links to the student-run Music Society and the Early Music Society.
STAFF CHANGES
Our Head of School Geoff Smith will be leaving us in November after 11 successful years at Bath Spa. As a result various staff will be changing roles. Joe Bennett will be covering the Head of School role, Charles Wiffen the Head of Department of Music role, and Davey Ray Moor the role of Commercial Music Subject Leader. From late October you’ll also be meeting Research Assistant and composer John Lely (see CMR above).
SPARTACUS SUNDAYS
Our first Spartacus kicks off in style on Sunday 26th Sept with Bath Spa graduates Kill It Kid. Commercial Music freshers pay attention – this is how it’s done!
This is the blog for the music department at Bath Spa University (UK). It is mainly used by our own staff and students, but if you're a visitor, do feel free to browse and get a feel for what we do - use the links on the far left to find photos, audio and video of our students and staff at work.
Anything to add?
If you want to add anything to this blog, please send an email to James Saunders - usual Bath Spa email address, or use the contact page link on the left. Include anything you think will be of interest to staff & students - gigs, events, opportunities, news stories, success stories, projects that you need people for etc.
Would you like to STUDY IN CHINA for a few weeks during your holidays in 2009, and receive funding for this?
Please note there will be no access to facilities in the Music Department during the summer period due to: 