Extra-curricular musical activities are an integral part of student life at Kent, and there are many opportunities for you to get involved. Whatever you study, make music!
Come along to meet members of staff and some of the various Music Societies, find out about getting involved in extra-curricular music and sign up for activities / societies in which you are interested; all welcome!
Colyer-Fergusson Hall
An un-auditioned choir of around 100 singers, the Chorus meets weekly on Monday evenings, and prepares for three concerts in the year with the Symphony Orchestra, both in Colyer-Fergusson Hall and in Canterbury Cathedral.
No previous singing experience necessary - open to students, staff and alumni. External members are also welcome, but should email music@kent.ac.uk to arrange an audition.
First rehearsal: Monday 2 October, 7.30pm, Colyer-Fergusson Hall
Symphony Orchestra rehearses weekly and performs three concerts a year, including one in Canterbury Cathedral.
String players above Grade 6 welcome, woodwind and brass auditions see below:
Audition rubric (for woodwind and brass):
Open rehearsal: Thursday 28 September, 7.30pm, Colyer-Fergusson Hall.
Open to students, staff and alumni.
External members also welcome; please email music@kent.ac.uk to arrange an audition
The Chamber Choir is an auditioned, primarily student-based group of around twenty student singers. The choir gives an annual concert in the Crypt of Canterbury Cathedral, and also participates in the University Carol Service as well as other concerts off-campus and throughout the city of Canterbury.
Rehearsals are on Tuesday evenings.
Auditions take place at the beginning of the academic year on Wednesday 27 September, 1-6pm and Friday 29 September 1-5pm.
New audition rubric:
Open to all advanced saxophone, brass, bass and kit players (need to read music), the Big Band rehearses each week on Wednesday evenings. It gigs throughout the year both on- and off-campus.
The Big Band repertoire ranges from traditional big band classics to Stevie Wonder, and they often work with professional performers: previous guests include saxophonist Phil Veacock from the Jools Holland Orchestra and trumpeter Mike Lovatt from the John Wilson Orchestra.
First rehearsal: Wednesday 27 September, 8.45pm, Colyer-Fergusson Hall.
Auditions may be required.
The Concert Band rehearses on Wednesday evenings, and performs in concerts in Colyer-Fergusson Hall throughout the year, including as part of the Summer Music Week festival. Guest performers have recently included trumpet superstar, Mike Lovatt.
Repertoire for the Concert Band ranges from John Williams and Hans Zimmer to showtunes.
First rehearsal: Wednesday 27 September, 7.15pm, Colyer-Fergusson Hall.
Open to students, staff and alumni.
External members are also welcome, but should contact music@kent.ac.uk
A by-invitation choir of students, staff and alumni which performs in Colyer-Fergusson and off-campus, including singing the service of Choral Evensong at Canterbury Cathedral.
String Sinfonia meets every Wednesday, 4.30-6.30pm, performing a concert every term both on- and off-campus, including St Mary's Church in Faversham as part of the Coffee Concert series.
There will be a taster session after the first Orchestra rehearsal, on Thursday, 28 September
A student-run society which puts on two main musicals each year, both in the Marlowe Theatre Studio in Canterbury and the University’s Gulbenkian theatre. Recent shows have included Rent, Company and Evita. There is also a themed showcase each term in Colyer-Fergusson Hall and in Gulbenkian
Flute Choir meets every Wednesday, 6.00pm in room 1-16.
The first rehearsal will be on Wednesday, 4 October.
A student-run society that performs throughout the year, and takes part in the University Gospel Choir of the Year competition
A by-invitation swing dance orchestra, playing classic tunes from the 1940s and 1950s from an archive of original sheet music of the time
There are a number of music societies which co-ordinate student music-making activities:
Members of the Music Society reflect on being involved in extra-curricular music as part of their experience at the University
