The Magazine for the Royal College of MusicI Summer 2010 Widening horizons – RCM and its community RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 2 21/06/2010 16:37 RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 2 21/06/2010 16:38 What’s inside... Welcome to upbeat… If you walk around the RCM and stop to talk to three random people, chances are you’ll hear three amazing stories. So we’ve decided to dedicate the next two Contents issues of Upbeat to celebrating the extraordinary RCM community. 4 In the news Our autumn issue will focus on RCM professors, but first we turn our attention L atest news from the RCM to RCM students. Every issue of Upbeat is full of stories about their many including BBC Young Musician success and a visit from the successes on the world’s stages and concert platforms. But in this special issue Prince of Wales we’re celebrating the many ways in which they’re using their extraordinary musical skills to take music out into the wider world, and sharing their love 11 Celebrating the RCM of music with people from every possible background. On pages 11 to 19 you community... can read about education projects in the UK and much further afield, unusual A celebration of our students’ performances in pubs and clubs, brand new ensembles and orchestras, TV and many and varied pursuits beyond the College walls radio appearances, and a visit to the Edinburgh Fringe. If you have in your head the stereotypical image of a lazy student shuffling bleary-eyed from bed to bar, 20 Meeting the supporters… prepare to think again! U pbeat meets Graham Bamford of the Royal Garden Hotel As usual, the rest of Upbeat is packed with news from around the College. So if you want to find out why ten RCM harpists performed with a leading rapper, 21 With thanks to… or what RCM organists got up to in Amsterdam when the ash cloud left them Th e College expresses its gratitude stranded, then read on! to recent supporters We’re always keen to hear from students past and present, so if you have 22 Student notes… anything you’d like us to feature in the next issue of Upbeat, send your news Mor e news from our student body and pictures to [email protected] by 20 September 2010. 24 Staff notes NB: Please note that we cannot guarantee to include everything we receive and that we Updates from our professorial, reserve the right to edit submissions. academic and admin staff 25 Alumni notes L atest developments from RCM graduates 26 Births, marriages and obituaries Photograph: Sheila Burnett Sheila Photograph: Photograph: Sheila Burnett Sheila Photograph: RCM Sparks Summer Music Front cover – Photograph by Jess Pearce Inside front cover – A selection of images from Handel’s Il Pastor Fido, a collaboration between the London Handel Festival and the RCM International Opera School Inside back cover – Images from the RCM’s recent festival Piano Fever!, celebrating piano music in RCM Sparks Summer Music a variety of ways 3 RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 3 21/06/2010 16:38 In the news... Museum turns 40 On 23 April, the RCM’s world-famous Museum of Instruments marked its 40th birthday with a special exhibition, performances on treasured instruments from the collection, and a reception attended by honoured guests from the musical world. The collection is based on that given by Sir George Donaldson in 1894, together with instruments given by other donors, including the Rajah Sourindro Mohun Tagore who gave a collection of Indian instruments to the RCM in 1883. As a result, the College has benefited Over the years the collection grew but from further individual donations and was dispersed around the College and collections. There are now over 1,000 suffered as a result. When Elizabeth instruments and accessories in the Wells was asked to catalogue the collection and the high proportion of instruments in 1964, it was evident that exhibits of outstanding importance fumigation and rehousing were urgently places it amongst the world’s major needed. The College appealed for funds collections. Besides contributing to the education of students, the Museum and gained support from the Leche provides tours and research facilities, Trust, in association with the late Mr undertakes research projects and Angus Acworth, the Chase Charity and hosts international conferences. The the Pilgrim Trust. With their generous Museum is run by a small team of aid, and that of other donors, the expert curatorial staff and benefits current Museum was built and was greatly from volunteers who help with opened by H M Queen Elizabeth The invigilating, cataloguing and other areas Queen Mother in 1970. of the Museum’s work. Elizabeth Wells with RCM Chairman Lord Winston Grove comes home RCM at “A slight token of our affection and esteem”: these words end a most the Brits extraordinary document recently and On 16 February, ten harpists from fortuitously acquired by the Library. It the Royal College of Music is neither slight nor a token, but a richly performed at this year’s Brit Awards decorated book presented to Sir George you with an address, and marble bust of ceremony, alongside two of the year’s Grove, the first Director of the College, biggest acts. on his retirement in 1895. It contains not yourself as a slight token of our affection only a beautifully illustrated tribute to and esteem. Easter Term 1895.” The harpists accompanied Dizzee him, but also the signatures of many who The volume came to light in an auction Rascal and Florence Welch studied and taught at the College job lot and was acquired by a dealer who (of Florence and the Machine) in in those early days, amongst them most kindly brought it to the Library You Got the Dirtee Love, a mash-up of Clara Butt, Arnold Dolmetsch, Ralph before offering it elsewhere. We are Dirtee Cash and You Got the Love. The Vaughan Williams, William Hurlstone delighted that such an important part of ceremony was held at the Earls Court and Gustav Holst. the College’s history has come home. Arena in London and was broadcast live on ITV1. The text reads:“We, the undersigned, past and present pupils of the Royal College The booking was arranged by the of Music, being anxious to express to RCM’s Professional Engagements you our deep regret at your resignation service, which every year gives of the Directorship and our heartfelt thousands of performance gratitude for the ever ready sympathy and opportunities to RCM students and assistance you yourself have so freely given recent graduates. to us, take this opportunity of presenting 4 RCM_Upbeat June 2010_Summer.indd 4 21/06/2010 16:48 to develop a unique and rich holding of RCM Library international importance; the progress The King James made with cataloguing and associated receives award for fundraising; its extensive engagement Bible Composition with staff and students and its overall excellence service to external researchers and in Awards The RCM Library has recently been outreach activities. In 2011, a brand new awarded one of the first ever Excellence Congratulations to all the Library staff composition prize will Awards for music libraries in the UK and who have worked hard to ensure that the celebrate the 400th Ireland by the International Association Library provides an excellent service and anniversary of one of Music Libraries. Pam Thompson, Chief will continue to do so! of the world’s most Librarian, received the award on the influential books, and Library’s behalf on 11 April at the Annual bring together some Study Weekend of IAML (UK & Ireland) of the UK’s most in Nottingham. important composers, educational An independent panel of library experts institutions and and musicians, chaired by Professor performers. John Tyrrell (authority on Janáček and editor of The New Grove Dictionary of The King James Bible, known as the Music and Musicians), commended the Authorised Version, was published in RCM Library for the depth and breadth 1611. Now its 400th anniversary is being of its collections; its acquisition of marked with a series of events and donated materials which has allowed it initiatives arranged by The 2011 Trust. Among those is the King James Bible Composition Awards, a competition for young composers. Young Musician The competition has two categories, both of which invite young composers of the Year to submit new works for church RCM Junior Department student Lara performance, selecting and setting Ömeroglu has been crowned BBC texts from the King James Bible (AV). Young Musician 2010. The competition will be open to all composers aged 30 and under and has Lara was presented with the award at a closing date of 31 January 2011. Up to a gala concert in Cardiff on Sunday 16 four shortlisted entries in each category May, after a stupendous performance will be performed by the RCM Chamber of Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto no 2 with Choir at a Concert and Reception at Vasily Petrenko and the BBC National Temple Church, London on 17 May 2011, Orchestra of Wales. when the two winning entries will be announced. The winner in each category Lara attends RCMJD on Saturdays, Junior Department students. Fellow will receive prize money of £2,000. The where she is taught by Emily Jeffrey. JD student Lucy Landymore, who winning work in category B will also be RCMJD Director, Peter Hewitt, is taught by Cameron Sinclair, won performed at a service at Westminster who attended the final in support the percussion section final. She only Abbey in November 2011 which forms of Lara, commented: “Lara was a narrowly missed joining former JD the climax of The 2011 Trust’s series of deserving winner after an outstanding student Callum Smart (violin) in the celebratory events, running throughout performance in which she really final.