schools edition final 280815

8/17/2019 Schools Edition FINAL 280815

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“There’s a freedomof thought in

Cambridge whichmakes it unlike

anywhere else inthe world”

Robin Ticciati, Conductor

The magazine of the Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge

SCHOOLS EDITION - MICHAELMAS TERM 2015


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Contents

on the cover

Robin Ticciati

©Marco Borggreve

Music@Cambridge

Michaelmas 2015

Published by Faculty of Music

11 West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DP

Commissioning Editors:

Martin Ennis, Sarah Williams

Editor:

E. Jane Dickson

Graphic design:

Matt Bilton, Pageworks

Printed by The Lavenham Press LtdArbons House

47 Water Street

Lavenham

Suffolk CO10 9RN

facebook.com/cambridge.universitymusic

www.mus.cam.ac.uk

[email protected]

@camunimusic

“Mui i mrl. I ve s t vr,

ng t

n, ih t manai ,n h n

ge t if n t vyn.”

Plato

Primed for success 4

Alumni share their stories

The low-down 10

Applying to Cambridge

A place to call your own 14

Choosing a college

Tradition and innovation 16

The Cambridge Music course

Performance in the Music Faculty 20

The broader context

Best of both worlds 21 The CAMRAM scheme explained

Calling all composers… 22

New music in Cambridge

Composing to connect 23

Music to change the world

Glittering prizes 24

Music awards at Cambridge

A society for all seasons 32

A year in the life of CUMS

Joining Forces 33Britten’s War Requiem remembered

Bringing the experts on-side 34

Creative collaboration with the AAM

Different Strokes 35

Learning through lectures

Beyond the ivory tower 38

The Cambridge outreach programme

They shoot, he scores 39

Music for film and screen

Careers 40Life beyond Cambridge

Meet the staff 42


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But what’s so special about studying Music at

Cambridge? The following pages will attempt

to provide a comprehensive answer.

The Cambridge Music course is one that

opens doors. One of the professors at the

Royal Academy of Music in London recently

remarked that Cambridge is the place where

the next generation of musicians is forged.

Could you be part of this? Each university

applicant has five choices on his or her

UCAS form. Why not take a punt, if you’ll

excuse the pun, at Cambridge? It could pay

dividends for life.

Dusty folios, fusty

dons. If that’s what

‘Cambridge’ means

to you, please read

on. The University

certainly has history

and tradition

in abundance, but it’s very far from a

conservative institution. The Faculty of Music

now has one of the richest and most up-to-

date undergraduate curricula in the world,

and the opportunities offered to students in

areas such as composition and performance

are second to none. This magazine is

designed to give you a sense of these

opportunities. You’ll find details about course

options, about the sort of teaching you might

expect and, crucially, information about how

to apply. If you have further queries, we’re

always happy to hear from you. Just call the

Faculty office on 01223 761309, and they will

put you in touch with the right person to deal

with your enquiry.

Cambridge is alive with music: during

term-time, there are more concerts than

in any other educational institution in the

UK. And at the heart of all this activity lies

the Music Faculty, which has almost 30

lecturers and affiliated lecturers, and around

200 undergraduates and 75 postgraduates.

The Faculty has an outstanding research

record, with special areas of expertise in

nineteenth-century music, composition

and contemporary music, music and

science, analysis, performance studies,ethnomusicology and popular music.

The Music Faculty also has exceptional

facilities, including a fully professional concert

hall (easily the best in Cambridge), a very well

stocked library, and a Centre for Music and

Science, with a recording studio and state-

of-the-art equipment. Specialist instruments,

from Baroque bassoons to a Javanese

gamelan, are also available for student use.

And there’s lots going on in the colleges:

many have very active chapel choirs, as well

as music societies that put on performances

of all types. There are also University-wide

arrangements for choral and organ scholars

and a flourishing Instrumental Awards Scheme.

Welcome

Martin EnnisChairman, Faculty Board of Music

What can Cambridge offer?

• an exceptionally wide range of subject areas, with much of

the teaching led by experts in their field

• a unique performance environment

• an unusually thorough training in basic musical literacy, skillsthat serve our graduates well in a wide range of careers

• a deep concern for the individual; this takes the form of close

pastoral care – each student has both a Director of Studies

and a Tutor – as well as a high proportion of individual and

small-group teaching

• a supportive collegiate system; as well as providing a vibrant

social environment, Cambridge colleges offer unparalleled

practical opportunities for its students (conducting is a case in

point)

• value for money; compared to most UK universities,

Cambridge provides a very high number of contact hours;also, Cambridge spends much more on each undergraduate

than it receives in fees

MICHAELMAS TERM 2015 3


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Primed for success The Music Tripos paves the way for a wide range of musical careers. Here, five distinguished alumni share their

views on the value of Cambridge.

Robin Ticciati

(Clare, 2001) is Principal Conductor of theScottish Chamber Orchestra and Music Directorof Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Recent freelanceprojects include Eugene Onegin at the Royal OperaHouse, Hänsel und Gretel at the Metropolitan Opera,New York and Peter Grimes at La Scala, Milan.

“I knew I wanted to be a conductor at the age of 13. Iwas playing violin with the National Youth Orchestraof Great Britain, Colin Davis was conducting, and Iremember sitting there right at the back of the seconds,

and thinking ‘I’m desperate to be up there, tellingthose stories!’”

Of course, I had no idea what that really meant, but bythe time I left school I knew that conducting was goingto be about more than spending nine hours a day ina room, studying scores – it was going to be aboutdrinking up life! I was lucky enough to be offered aplace at Cambridge and it seemed to me then – andstill seems to me now – that there was a magic aboutwhat was possible there. If you want to do somethingspecial in music – or in any field – there’s a freedom ofthought in Cambridge which makes it unlike anywhereelse in the world.

As a conductor, you must learn to think. You mustlearn what the score is, who these composers were,how they wrote, why they wrote, and everythingthat goes with that. My music degree didn’t teachme to be a musicologist, but it made a little space inmy analytical brain which is still developing now,over time, and there were certain things about thecourse that really, really chimed with me; hearingMartin Ennis talk academically, and emotionally,about Sibelius and Schoenberg and the Expressionistmovement in the wonderful nineteenth-century coursewas a fundamental moment. As I carry on, all theseeds sown in Cambridge, musicologically speaking,are the things that fire my work now.

You can live in your dream world at Cambridge or youcan make music and make people stand up and listen.In my first year, someone approached me to conductCosì fan tutte; I just about knew it was an opera,but there was the opportunity to gather togetherlike-minded, or not at all like-minded musicians andbasically throw the paint at the wall. There’s justsomething about Cambridge that allows one to bemusically free to the point where it’s not about image,it’s not about status, or about industry, it’s aboutgiving rein to your intuitive, often unformed, impulse.

I think I understand the value of that more now, inretrospect, and in relation to what I do as a conductor.I see the Music Tripos as a wonderful meal; perhaps Ididn’t always know what I was eating back then, butthe flavours have stayed with me and I want, so often,to return to that food source.”

“The seeds sown in Cambridge,

musicologically speaking, are the

things that fire my work now.”

©M a r c o B or g gr e v e

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Sara Mohr-Pietsch

(Newnham 2001) is a Radio 3 broadcaster. She hostsThe Choir , Hear and Now and Composers’ Rooms,as well as presenting live events from Wigmore Hall,the Southbank Centre and the Royal Opera House.

“I always knew I wanted to study Musicacademically, rather than as a performer. At school,I sang and played piano and I liked performing – butonly up to a point; I’m not a practiser, and I lacka great deal of discipline. Yet I always felt like amusician. I remember thinking very clearly, aged18, ‘Music touches me, and moves me, and changeswho I am, and I want the science behind it, I want toreally understand how it works’.

I’d have to come clean and say that I spent quite a lotof my first two years in the pub, but in Cambridgethe bare minimum of work you need to do is stillpretty high: every week I had an essay, a piece ofharmony and counterpoint, and lectures, and by thethird year, I’d really got my teeth into critical theory,which I loved.

I’d say, too, that a good 50% of my musicaldevelopment at Cambridge happened not throughthe university courses, but through being a chorister.I was the first Newnham choral scholar; there wasa long tradition of Newnham students singing in

Selwyn choir, because we shared a chapel, but I wasthe first to be awarded a scholarship. The Anglicanchoral tradition was a total mystery to me when Iarrived, but it was a wonderful thing to discover. I

feel tremendously grateful to have had that kind ofpractical training alongside the academic, and I still

sing on Sundays in a London church.

A lot of the friends I made at Cambridge are nowcolleagues or they’re singers, conductors, répétiteursetc, who I see around in my work. I worry slightlyabout the whole Oxbridge privilege thing, it concernsme when I see too many of my contemporaries inmy world. On the other hand, I look back and therewere just so many incredibly talented musicians thereat the same time, so it’s great to see those talentsflourishing.

Although I grew up listening to Radio 3, it nevercrossed my mind that I might become a radio

presenter, or that my degree would facilitate aparticular job. What I do now doesn’t feel at all likebeing a music academic. It’s important for me toknow about music, to understand it, and if it excitesme, to communicate that excitement to listeners;but I don’t think it’s my job to reel off facts, becausenowadays, by and large, you can find those facts onWikipedia. All the same, while I could do what I dowithout the degree, I regularly use and am gratefulfor skills I learned at Cambridge – there’s a level ofworking musicianship that has never left me.

Studying music felt to me like a chance to dosomething I loved passionately, to expand my mind

and my horizons. I did it because I loved it andbecause it was what I did best. I’ve followed thesame principle throughout my career and it hasalways taken me to a good place.”



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highlights of the Cambridge course for me, and ifthey haven’t made me a better player, they havecertainly allowed me to enjoy music more. I’mafraid I was hopeless at keyboard harmony andwriting fugues and chorales, but last year I wascommissioned to write a piece for CBS, and oddlyenough, a lot of those skills came back to me. I musthave absorbed them by a process of osmosis!

Of course, the crucial thing for your development asa performer is the opportunity to perform. I’d saythere is considerably more scope for performance asa soloist at Cambridge than at a conservatoire whereyou have lots of people competing for the same spot.As well as the big university concerts, all the differentcollege music societies have their own concert series;I could find myself giving a performance every week,and it’s the most wonderful luxury, just to have thattime to broaden your base and prepare the groundbefore launching yourself in the outside world.

I’m so grateful that I didn’t start playing lots ofprofessional concerts any earlier than I did.There’s the danger, too, that as a young performeryou could end up in a bit of a bubble, just studyingyour violin, with very little alternative influence. Butin the collegiate system – and this was certainly myexperience at Girton – your friends are studying allkinds of subjects at a very high level, and that canonly be inspiring.

I’m now Visiting Professor at Leeds College ofMusic and that’s been the most fascinating thing; Inever thought of becoming a teacher, but I’ve foundout so much more about the violin from having to

explain aspects of it to students. It’s another kind ofchallenge, and a lovely way of keeping one foot inacademia.”

Charlie Siem

(Girton, 2005) has an international career as soloviolinist and recording artist, specialising in virtuosicRomantic repertoire. He has appeared with theRoyal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Czech NationalSymphony and the Moscow Philharmonic, and hasperformed variations on popular music alongsideBryan Adams, Jamie Cullum and The Who. His firstcomposition for strings, Canopy, was recorded withthe English Chamber Orchestra in 2013 and featureson his latest CD, Under the Stars (Sony Classical).

“There isn’t really a huge tradition of instrumentalsoloists going to Cambridge. A lot of greatconductors came out of Cambridge, and there’s thechoral tradition with lots of great singers, but therearen’t so many solo violinists who go on to developcareers after university. It’s generally accepted that ifyou’re going to be a soloist, you can’t do much else,

but I think there’s a balance to be found. During mytime at Cambridge I was able to carry on my studieswith Shlomo Mintz – I travelled round Europe to visithim once a month for my lessons – and, obviously,I had to practise a lot, but I think I benefited hugelyfrom the broader-based musical education whichCambridge offers.

I always used to argue that having some sort ofhistorical context, or being able to analyse the musicin the rigorous way you are taught at Cambridge,gives you an insight that perhaps makes yourinterpretation more profound. I’m no longer surethat is the case; I’ve worked with many brilliant

players who have an intuitive response and theyare able to be musically very convincing. But Ilove the historical side of music; the nineteenth-and twentieth-century courses were definitely the

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Anne Denholm

(Newnham, 2013) is part of the Hermes Experiment,a group of four Cambridge graduates specialisingin contemporary and experimental music. Winnersof Nonclassical’s Battle of the Bands 2014, theHermes Experiment regularly commissions newmusic and has worked with organisations such asKammerklang, Listenpony and Bastard Assignments.Anne also has a flourishing solo career and is officialharpist to the Prince of Wales.

“There’s a ‘let’s make things happen’ atmosphereat Cambridge that is fantastically conducive toexperimental music; the range of musical interests is

so wide and the standard of playing is so high thatyou can make just about anything fly.

I’m a harpist, and the harp is generally seen as quitea traditional instrument, but I’m hugely interested inthe experimental side of things, and I found plentyof options for studying new music within the MusicTripos. Our second-year analysis course was centredaround more recent pieces, and in the third year youhave complete control over which courses you wantto choose. I did courses in World Music, PopularMusic and Performance, as well as some moretraditional options.

All of us in the Hermes Experiment [Denholm,Heloïse Werner, Oliver Pashley and MarianneSchofield] were in the same year, all but one of usreading Music. We played together in extracurricularprojects, but the ensemble didn’t start until theSeptember after we left. As a student, I played withthe Cambridge University New Music Ensemble;we gave a concert which was a mixture of pieces bylecturers and students in the Music Faculty, and themusic was very, very challenging but also inspiring. Alot of my friends were composers or did compositionas part of their degree, but the community of music-making in Cambridge extends far beyond the peoplewho are studying Music; it’s a real hub of differentartistic talents, all sparking off and supportingeach other. It’s a wonderful training ground forexperimental artists, where you can always be sure ofan interested and supportive audience.

As well as working with the Hermes Experiment, I’mpursuing lots of my own projects. I’ve been doingsome work with the Birmingham ContemporaryMusic Group, and this summer I will be playing with

John Eliot Gardiner’s Orchestre Révolutionnaireet Romantique. I’ve also done a bit of work withSinfonia d’Amici, directed by Harry Ogg, who wasa student at Cambridge while I was there. The

‘Cambridge Connection’ remains strong, but forme the value of doing music at Cambridge is, aboveall, the confidence it gives you to get out there andimmerse yourself in all different types of music.“

“Cambridge is a real hub of

different artistic talents, all

sparking off and supporting

each other.”



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Jen Hartley

(Magdalene, 1998) is Head of Music at QueenElizabeth School in Kirkby Lonsdale, Lancashire.

“I think one of the things that makes studying Musicat Cambridge unique is the sheer pace of everything;the pace of learning, the pace of conversation. There’sa new piece to analyse every week; if you’re in a choir,you’ll be learning new repertoire twice a week, so thespeed at which you’re required to think is exceptionallyexhilarating.

Analysis was always my favourite thing, and theadvanced analysis course in my third year was amazing.I also really loved learning how to write fugue. I’d saythese have been the two things most useful to me in mycareer. As Head of Music, I’m often required to writestuff that has a specific mood, or a certain length orstructure – stuff that 15- and 16-year-olds can play anddance to. Fugue teaches you how to handle harmonyand modulation in a really structured context, andhaving been well-taught at analysis is invaluable whenit comes to composition. You also learn how to workefficiently! (It’s fair to point out that teachers have ahuge amount of admin.) Being able to understand whatyou’re expected to do and then get on with it is really

important; otherwise it can become incredibly onerous.If, as an undergraduate, you’ve always had to set asidean hour to practise, or sit down for three hours andwrite a piece of music, then sitting down for three hoursto write reports doesn’t seem so difficult.

My time at Magdalene went so quickly. Aftergraduation I applied for a PGCE, partly because Ithought teaching would be a natural thing for me togo into, and partly because I wanted to stay on atCambridge for another year, but I absolutely loved theway it changed my character. I stopped being quitereticent in public and came out of myself a lot more. Ireally enjoy watching people ‘get it’, watching the penny

drop, and sharing what I know.

I teach in a large, comprehensive school with awide range of ability. We have 20 extra-curriculargroups ranging from a turn-up-and-play percussionensemble to choirs who sing a cappella, and the schoolorchestra, which last term performed the Scherzo fromShostakovich 5. I’ve had two pupils go on to studyMusic at Cambridge recently and another applying nextyear. If it were a toss-up for an A-level student betweengoing to Cambridge and going to a conservatoire, Iwould advise them to try for Cambridge, becausethe standard of performance is as high as you’ll getanywhere, but you’ll also have that academic stimulusyou wouldn’t perhaps get at a conservatoire. I wasalways more on the academic side, but I ran the collegemusic society, sang in Chapel Choir and still managed todo a lot of concerts and solo playing. I look back nowat my time at Magdalene, and at some of the people Iused to play with, and think ‘What a privilege!’”

“If it were a toss-up for anA-level student between going

to Cambridge and going to a

conservatoire, I would advise

them to try for Cambridge,

because the standard of

performance is as high as you’ll

get anywhere, but you’ll also

have that academic stimulus

you wouldn’t perhaps get at a

conservatoire.”

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The low-down: applying to Cambridge

What grades will I need?

It’s a myth that you need an unbroken run of A*sto get into Cambridge. One of the strengths of ourinterview-based admissions system is its ability toassess all applicants individually. While GCSE resultsare certainly looked at as a performance indicator,our research shows that post-16 examinationperformance is a much better predictor of degreesuccess at Cambridge, and a strong performancein Years 12 and 13 can make up for a less stellarperformance at GCSE.

At A level, the standard offer is A*AA. The A*doesn’t need to be in Music, though on rare occasionsa college may make this a condition of entry (if,for example, they feel they need more information

about your performance in certain aspects of thesubject). Most Music students will have takenA level Music, but it’s possible to read Music atCambridge without having studied the subject atA level; however, if you don’t have A level Music,you will normally need to have achieved a Merit orabove at Grade 8 ABRSM Theory to be eligible fora place. A level Music Technology is not normallya substitute for A level Music or Grade 8 Theory. Ifyou have obtained other qualifications, such as theIB, you can find information on entry requirementson the Undergraduate Study website; see: www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/entrance-requirements/other-qualifications

Do I need to have learned piano?

The undergraduate Music course has only a smallkeyboard component. However, progress in subjectssuch as composition is certainly easier if you are ableto try out ideas on the piano. For this reason, it isimportant that you have some keyboard ability – aminimum of Grade 6 is generally thought desirable.

Where do I apply?

All Music students attend lectures and sitexaminations in the Faculty of Music. However,admissions are organized by the colleges. Mostcandidates apply to a particular college, but you canalso submit an open application (see p. 14).

When do I apply?

The deadline for applications to Cambridge ismid October, which is much earlier than for mostother universities. You can check the precise dateson the Undergraduate Study website; see: www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/dates-and-deadlines

If you are intending to apply for an Organ Award,please note that you need to submit both youracademic application and a special Organ Awardsform (the COPA, or Cambridge Online Preliminary

Application form) by the very early deadline of 1September. Choral Award applicants apply in midFebruary, i.e. only after they have been awarded an

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academic place (see p. 27). Those who are interestedin applying to the Instrumental Awards Schemeshould submit the relevant form to their college bythe end of February, again after they have secured anacademic place.

When and where do interviewstake place?

The majority of interviews take place in Cambridgein the first three weeks of December (some may bea little earlier). Interviews are usually held in thecollege to which you have applied. Should you needto travel a long distance, your college will usually beable to accommodate you for at least one night; thisis normally free of charge.

Will I have to sit a test?

The Music course at Cambridge is academicallyrigorous, and you will need to prove that you arecapable of working at a high level. All collegesinclude some kind of testing at interview. Most willask you to discuss or write about a musical extractthat you are given to study for a short period beforethe interview; others may conduct simple auralor harmony tests. Some may ask you to do someelementary keyboard tests as well. You shouldcheck with each college individually about the exactrequirements. In addition, colleges will ask you to

supply samples of written work prior to interview;this usually consists of two essays and either anoriginal composition or a harmony and counterpointexercise.

How will I know if I’ve got a

place?

You will be informed in writing of the college’sdecision before the end of January. If you havealready taken your A levels, you may be offeredan unconditional place; if, like the majority ofapplicants, you are still studying, you will probablybe offered a place conditional on achieving gradesA*AA at A level, as described above.

What happens if I don’t get into

my first-preference college?

If your application is strong but your preferredcollege is not able to take you, you are likely to beput in the Winter Pool for other colleges to consider.Approximately 30% of all Music undergraduates gaintheir place via this mechanism; pooled students oftengo on to perform at the very top of their year-group.


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Saskia

Bunschoten-

Binet, 2nd-year

Music student,

Girton College

I really knew nothing about Cambridge colleges

when I applied – I didn’t have family who went

to Oxbridge – so I applied to Pembroke pretty

much on a whim. My school, a comprehensive,didn’t think my AS grades were good enough,

but my heart was set on Cambridge and I

was prepared to give it a go and, if necessary,

reapply after A levels (Geography, History and

Music) with my grades in hand. I didn’t apply

for any other universities or conservatoires

at that stage, but that’s not something I’d

necessarily recommend.

I was interviewed at Pembroke and didn’t get

in, but I was pooled to Robinson and called

for a second interview there. That just felt like

such an amazing hour of my life; I felt a realconnection with the college. Robinson offered

me a place, and I asked for a deferred place and

got it. Then in the summer, when the results

came out, I was told I hadn’t met my offer from

Robinson; however, Girton stepped in and

agreed to take me straightaway.

I felt very quickly that Girton was the perfect

place for me. I really love to cycle, so I don’t

mind at all that it’s not in the centre of town,

and I have a bay window overlooking the

orchard. Also, there’s a really strong musical

community here – there tends to be about four

Music students per year – and I have the most

amazing Director of Studies.

In retrospect, I completely disagree with my

school’s advice not to apply to Cambridge.

Schools often think that they ‘know the system’

and know what’s best for you, but if you wantto apply, you should just go ahead – there’s

nothing to lose.

Can I afford to study at

Cambridge?

Tuition costs at Cambridge are in line with mostother UK universities; however, living costs can work

out substantially cheaper. College accommodationrepresents excellent value for money, college cateringis flexible and well subsidised, and transport costs arenegligible (most students walk or cycle).

An extensive programme of financial support ensuresour students can meet the cost of their Cambridgeeducation, regardless of background. The CambridgeBursary Scheme offers UK and EU students non-repayable bursaries of up to £10,500 spread overthree years to help with living costs; please note thatawards are dependent on household income. Yourcollege may offer additional sources of funding forspecific costs or to help in particular circumstances,

and you may also consider applying for a Choral,Organ, or Instrumental Award (see pp. 24–31).

Take a look at the finance section of theUndergraduate Study website to find out moreabout financing your studies at Cambridge:www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/finance

What if I have a disability?

Your disability will not affect your application toCambridge and, should you be offered a place,every effort will be made to provide a suitable and

supportive learning environment. The DisabilityResource Centre – www.disability.admin.cam.ac.uk/students/prospective-students – is an essential

first point of contact. They can provide you withadvice on the accessibility of colleges in relation tothe Music Faculty, and information on the supportavailable to you; they may even be able to put youin touch with a student who has a disability similarto yours, so that you can find out about their

experiences here. We recommend that you discloseyour disability in your UCAS application so that youcan be contacted to arrange any special requirementsfor interviews.

Will extenuating circumstances

be taken into consideration?

The Extenuating Circumstances Form (ECF)has been designed to ensure that the Cambridgecolleges have the information they need for accurateassessment of any applicant who has experiencedparticular personal or educational disadvantage.

The information provided on the form – which isavailable at www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/decisions/extenuating-circumstances-form

– will help Admissions Tutors by giving contextagainst which they can judge the academic record ofan applicant; it will indicate whether the student hasexcelled in spite of, or been hindered because of theirpersonal/educational circumstances. The ECF willalso provide information that is useful when assessingtheir performance at interview, should they be calledfor interview. The ECF should only be used where anapplicant’s education has been significantly disruptedor disadvantaged through health or personalproblems, disability or difficulties with schooling.

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I had my interview on my eighteenth birthday,

which wasn’t ideal! I came from a public school

where the Director of Music was an Oxbridge

graduate, so there was some understandingof what was expected. We were given ‘mock

interviews’ which, frankly, were a bit ridiculous.

I’m pretty sure the people who got in from my

school would have got in without the practice

interviews, and those who didn’t could have

had all the practice they wanted and it wouldn’t

really have helped.

Before my main interview at Trinity Hall I had a

one-hour test; we were given the whole melody

and quite a lot of the bass-line of a Bach chorale

and asked to fill in what we could – tricky

enough, but it wasn’t very long, just abouteight bars. Then we had the first eight bars

of a fugal exposition with some of the parts

taken out, and we had to fill those in too. That’s

something I had no experience in at all – there’s

really no preparation for counterpoint at A level

– but being a keyboard player, I had played

fugues before, so that kind of got me through

it. The last exercise was a five- or six-bar piano

passage, where we had to explain the function

of certain chords, and that was fine.

My academic interview was with the Director

of Studies in Music, Andrew Arthur; becauseAndrew is by himself at Trinity Hall, he always

likes to bring in a colleague from another

college, and I had Ben Walton. Before the

interview I’d been given a passage of text to

read (Carl Dahlhaus on musical value) and an

extract of music to look at (from a middle-

period Beethoven sonata). For the first part of

the interview, I had to summarise Dahlhaus’s

argument and talk through the extract – what

were the characteristic features, what was

strange about it, which period was it from and

who might have composed it? I happened to

identify it correctly, but I don’t think it wouldhave mattered very much if I hadn’t. A friend

who was interviewed at King’s was given a

similar piece by Beethoven and he said it was

by Strauss, but the reasoning behind his answer

was quite sensible and, in a way, that says as

much about a candidate as ‘getting it right’.

I was apprehensive, but Andrew and Ben are

such great guys and – bizarre as it sounds –they really made the interview enjoyable. I’d

submitted two essays from my A level course

in advance – one was on Byrd’s Mass for Four

Voices and the other on Schubert’s ‘Unfinished’

Symphony. We discussed a few things from

my essays and some points from my Personal

Statement. Each question began with

something I was familiar with, then Andrew

and Ben took it farther. I had a chance to

argue some points that I felt warranted more

discussion, but more than anything else, it

felt like a chance to learn a lot from two great

musicians who obviously approached theseissues in a way that was beyond me.

My second, non-academic interview was with

the Dean and the Senior Tutor. They asked me

‘If you had a minute to convince someone it

was worth studying Music at university, how

would you go about it?’, which I found quite

challenging; but I think that anyone who comes

for an interview here has to relish the challenge.

You have to be prepared to think quite freely

about things, and be daring, be willing to ‘go

wrong’. When you come for a supervision at

Cambridge, you’re not shouted at for gettingthe wrong answers; you’re helped along in the

right direction. It’s the same thing at interview;

if it’s not going very well, they’ll give you the

stepping stones to get back on the right path,

and then see where you go. They’re absolutely

not out to trip you up. They want to see you in

your best light.

When my offer came through, about a month

after the interview, I felt absolute joy and

massive relief. The funny thing is, though,

that even after I got my offer, I still thought ‘Is

Cambridge actually the right thing for me?’ Butit certainly turned out to be the right thing, and

that’s something I’ve really come to trust about

this place. They don’t make mistakes very

often.

Keval Shah, 3rd-

year Music student,

Trinity Hall



14/44

A place to call your ownDr Ben Walton demystifies the Cambridge college system

Choosing a college when you firstapply to Cambridge might seem quitea challenge. There are lots of them(31!), and reading all their websites canleave you wondering how to measure

one up against another. At the same time, makingthe right choice feels crucial, since the college iswhere you’ll spend a good amount of your timeas an undergraduate, eating, sleeping, socialisingand learning. Your time as a Music student atCambridge, in other words, will probably be

significantly shaped by your college experiences.

With a bit of background information, though, thechoice is by no means as daunting as it looks. In thefirst place, two of those 31 colleges (Clare Hall andDarwin) are for postgraduates, and of the remainder,several fall into a particular category: some takemature students (defined as 21 or over in the yearyou start your course; these include Hughes Hall,St Edmund’s and Wolfson), while others (MurrayEdwards and Newnham) only take female students,and Lucy Cavendish only takes female maturestudents. And if you have no specific preference, youdon’t have to choose a college at all, but can submit

an open application, so that a college will be chosenfor you.

In academic terms, meanwhile, almost all aspectsof the application process and the degree course inMusic are the same across the colleges. If you areinvited for interview, all colleges will normally askyou to submit work in advance (see The Low-downon pp. 10–13). On the interview day itself, there willtypically be two interviews; for one of them, you willusually be given a piece of prose about music and/ora piece of music to discuss in the interview, and therewill also be some short musical tests (more details canbe found on individual college websites).

If you receive an offer of a place, it will come froma college, either the one that interviewed you, orfrom another following the Pool process – see: www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/decisions

After admission, all students, regardless of college,follow the same degree course, and all attend thesame lectures and seminars in the Faculty. In arelatively small subject such as Music (with anintake of around 65 students each year), the small-group supervisions that supplement the lectures willtypically be organised by your college Director of

Studies, but they will frequently take place outside

the college, and with a mix of students from variouscolleges. In terms of facilities, almost all colleges arewell equipped for musical activities, and most havemusic societies, as well as spaces for performance andrehearsal and practice rooms.

So what are the differences? Location, obviouslyenough, though in a town as small as Cambridge, itrarely takes long to get from one place to another. History, too, with the oldest college founded in 1284and the youngest in 1977. Teaching arrangements

can have a defining influence on a student’sexperience of studying Music – you can clarifythese with individual colleges – and colleges differin size, both in terms of physical space, numbers ofstudents, and accommodation arrangements, as wellas accommodation costs – see: www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/finance/living-costs

Numbers of Music students also differ, with a fewcolleges taking as many as five each year, while othersmight take only one or two. Full information aboutnumbers of Music students at each college, by collegeand year, as well as number of applications to eachcollege, can be generated here: www.undergraduate.

study.cam.ac.uk/apply/statistics

At the same time, while music societies tend to varyonly in levels of activity and ambition, there are somesignificant disparities between college choirs andorgan scholarships in terms of level, expectations andcommitment – see: www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/files/publications/choral_booklet_2015.pdf

That leaves the less definable aspects, to do with thepeople, surroundings and the general atmosphere.While each college has its own distinct character,it’s the college experience in general that works,both socially and academically. In fact, it works sowell that whichever college you go to, you’ll almostcertainly end up feeling it was the right choice!

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15/44

The choir was a big part of my applying to

Trinity. Anyone applying to Cambridge will

know that there are a number of choirs around,

all of which come in slightly different flavours

– King’s and St John’s have boy trebles, Trinity

and Clare have sopranos – and really the bestway to find out what is right for you is to come

and hear them. Choose five or six that you

might like, and go to services there. That’s

what I did, and I was just blown away by the

atmosphere and by the sound at Trinity. The

choir performed amazingly, and I thought ‘This

is something I’d really like to be a part of ’, but

I also really liked the general musical scene

within the college.

Trinity’s a very friendly college, and it’s also a

very academic college. I think over the past ten

years or so we’ve often come near the top in

terms of final exam grades, so there’s a degree

of pressure that I think might not be true of

other places. I’d also say that with a community

of around 1500, we’re a lot less cloistered and

tightly knit than some other colleges, but

we’re very, very accommodating; with so many

different subjects and nationalities – and we

really have absolutely all sorts of people – you

have to be. It’s a traditional college, but it’s not

particularly formal. There’s formal Hall three

times a week, which costs a tenner for a very

good meal, but you can do that as little or as

often as you like.

There are generally between twelve and fifteen

Music students at any one time; we’ve got two

full-time music staff – a Director of Music anda Director of Studies in Music – and the Music

Society is very active. The Chapel is the second

biggest concert venue within the University – I

think only West Road Concert Hall can hold

more people – and there are at least three

events per week.

I’m quite involved with the Music Society, and

I ran an outreach day at Trinity where we had

about 75 kids from the local community and

about 30 students all up on the stage, playing

away together. It was probably my favourite

day at the University! Everyone talks about

Trinity’s huge investment fund and how wealthy

the college is. That really doesn’t permeate the

culture, but it’s clearly a great resource. And

it means that if I say ‘Can we try something

we’ve never done before?’, everyone from the

Master and the Bursar down to the support

staff is happy to say ‘Yes; we’ll give it a go’.

There’s a degree of trust because you’re known

personally by the college authorities. That ‘can

do’ philosophy is, for me, one of the very best

things about the collegiate system.

Jack Butterworth,

2nd-year Music

student, Trinity

College

PhoebeMcFarlane, 2nd-

year Music student,

Murray Edwards

College

I’d heard of King’s Carol Service, so I thought

‘Right, I’ll apply there’. I looked it up, and

they have about five students a year, which

was another point in its favour. I went for an

interview at King’s, but got pooled to Murray

Edwards. At first, when I found out it was an all-

girls college, I thought ‘Oh, no!’, because I had

been at a girls’ school for seven years. I think

it’s fair to say that because of the all-girls thing,

most people at Murray Edwards have been

pooled, and they really don’t know anything

about the college when they get the offer. The really lovely thing about Murray Edwards,

though, is that they do an offer-holders’

overnight stay in March. That really helped

because, just walking in, you can tell how laid-

back and welcoming the college is, and it also

means that when you turn up in October you’ll

see some familiar faces.

I’m the only Music student in my year at

Murray Edwards, which means I get loads of

attention from my fantastic Director of Studies.

And because Music is such a small subject

– there’s something like 55 of us in my year –it’s quite usual to have supervisions at other

colleges. At one point last year, I had four in

one day, involving a forty-minute cycle ride

from Homerton to Girton, which was a bit of

a stretch, but actually it’s a really nice way of

dipping into other colleges.

People are always bringing up the question

of whether or not girls’ colleges are outdated.

I’m not sure where I stand on that, but it’s

certainly not the kind of horrendous thing I first

envisaged; it’s nice to be able to walk around

in your pyjamas, but it’s not in the least like

school. It’s not like there are ‘no boys allowed’;the college is very happy for you to have friends

round at any time.

I wouldn’t say your college completely defines

your experience at Cambridge, but there’s

definitely such a thing as ‘college spirit’. For

example – and maybe because it’s a newer

college – it seems to me that there is much less

pressure, exam-wise, at Murray Edwards and

more emphasis on your general well-being.

I do feel that without a collegiate system, if

people were having problems, they could easily

be overlooked. In a college, you really feel likepeople know you and care about you as an

individual; it’s an added level of security.



16/44

Cambridge uses the word ‘Tripos’ to referto an undergraduate course taken in aspecific subject. The word’s etymologyis far from clear, but it’s thought to referto the three-legged stools on which

candidates once sat to be examined.

The Music Tripos, like other Cambridge undergraduatecourses, has two Parts, of which the first is sub-divided: Parts IA and IB are taken in years 1 and 2,with Part II completed in the final year. In earlierdays, examinations were undertaken orally, buttoday’s students are assessed through a mixture of

coursework submissions, practical examinations andwritten papers. A particular strength of the teachingmethods at Cambridge nowadays is the combination oflectures (which can involve a whole year-group, or bein smaller classes for more specialised topics) togetherwith small-group sessions, called supervisions, providedby the student’s college. In these, students are givenfurther support in each of their particular courses. Forcomposition and portfolio work, teaching is mostlyone-to-one – but even so-called ‘discussion’ supervisionsrarely involve more than three or four students.

Many important areas of study run through all threeyears of the Music Tripos – these include historical

studies, performance, analysis, and composition.By the end of Part IB, most of the major periods ofmusic history, from medieval music to the twenty-firstcentury, will have been covered in three large courses– currently, early music, the (very) long nineteenthcentury, and music since 1914. During the first year,in a course called Music and Musicology Today, youwill be given an overview of many present-day areas ofthe discipline; these include ethnomusicology, music asperformance, composition, popular and world music,music and science, and music and education. Withinthis paper, you will also be required to choose betweengiving a short recital, submitting a composition, andwriting an extended essay on a subject of your choice.During the first year you will also learn about variousapproaches to music analysis (focussing on Baroque andClassical repertoire), study basic elements of harmonyand counterpoint, and have your aural, practical andkeyboard abilities boosted in special smaller classes.

There are six papers in Part IA, all obligatory apartfrom the options mentioned above.

In the second year, you continue with your studies ofhistory and analysis, looking at later nineteenth- andtwentieth-century repertoire in the case of the latter.The tonal skills developed in the first year now broadenout to include options in orchestration and scoring forfilm. These – history, analysis, and tonal skills – arethe three compulsory papers in Part IB; in addition,you are asked to choose three courses from a widerange of more specialised papers. These include adissertation (on a subject of your choice), a portfolio of(free) compositions, a recital, notation (of early music),and keyboard skills. Alternatively, you can choose toinvestigate further such topics as music and scienceor ethnomusicology. Finally, there are a number ofoptional history courses. These change regularly tokeep them fresh; recent options include Soviet Musicand Power in the 1920s, Middle-Eastern Music,The Birth of the Orchestra, Carmen in Context, andSchubert’s Winterreise.

The range of choice increases further in the third year,where there are no compulsory papers. All the majorstrands such as analysis, composition, performance,

tonal skills, music and science, and dissertation canbe taken on to an advanced level, and a wide range ofspecialisms, historical and otherwise, is also on offer.Parisian Polyphony, The Keyboard Music of J.S. Bach,Boris Godunov, Latin American Music, Sibelius, MilesDavis, and North Indian Classical Music are just someof the subjects offered in the last couple of years. Aswith the second-year courses, these papers changefrequently to keep them lively and up-to-date, but awide representation of history, genre and style is alwaysavailable. Part II students take six papers in total, inthis case from no fewer than 17 options.

Overall, the Music Tripos is designed to give the bestpossible grounding in all areas of the subject. Andas the amount of choice increases from year to year,Music students at Cambridge have an unmatchedopportunity to tailor the course to personal strengthsand enthusiasms.

Tradition and innovation

Dr John Hopkins details the structure and content of the Music courses at Cambridge

Image, above:

A postgraduate at

work in the Centre for

Music and Science.

16


17/44

Emma Kavanagh,

2nd-year Music

student, Jesus

College

First and foremost, Part IB Music – as with all

years of all degrees at Cambridge! – requires a

real passion and interest in your subject. After all,

you’ll be studying music full-time for three years

– you have to really love it! The Cambridge music

course is very academic, and it has not only been a

fantastic learning experience, but has also inspired

me to explore new areas of music, while also

further refining my existing interests.

In addition to the compulsory modules of

Historical Studies, Analysis and Applied Tonal

Skills, I chose optional modules on Soviet Music

and Power in the 1920s and Carmen in Context,

while also writing a 7,000-word dissertation on

Britten’s opera Peter Grimes. The compulsory

modules seek to build upon your understanding

gained in Part IA, and their breadth has really

complemented the more specific focus of my

options.

After the broad (and somewhat stretching!) scope

of Part IA, it was good to be able to specialise;

some students will look to refine their skills in one

area, such as history or composition, while others

will prefer to keep it broad. The choice of options

in Part IB is substantial, allowing you to select

modules that suit your tastes, interests and skills.

Having greater control not only over the modules

you take, but also over the kind of assessment

that you encounter means that you can tailor the

course to suit you – it feels like it has been a good

preparation for my final year.

I’m really involved with the music scene both

within my college and in the University as a whole,

and while it can sometimes be tricky to juggle

deadlines with choir rehearsals and so on, I’ve

never found it too much to handle. Cambridge

is an intense learning environment, but also an

inspiring one. I’ve loved my time here so far,

and the opportunities open to you here are

unparalleled.

Part IA throws you in at the deep end. We get

about two essays a week, as well as harmony

work – which might include string-quartet

writing, sixteenth-century counterpoint, piano

variations, or fugal exposition. We get a lot of

contact time in the week – which I think is great– but it’s certainly a heavy workload.

In first-year Music, we have six papers, of which

two are History papers. History 1 covers the

Medieval and Renaissance; History 2 deals

with the later eighteenth and nineteenth

centuries, but it goes up to the beginning of the

twentieth century. So, you get a very broad and

comprehensive view of the history of Western

Music, which I think is really important; often at

school you get bits and pieces of music history,

but you don’t really have the chance to join the

dots.

There’s also an Analysis paper, divided into two

parts. This year we’ve been studying roughly

the first half of the Beethoven piano sonatas,

which for me, as a pianist, has been fantastic –

it’s such an important set of works, and it works

really well in relation to the history course; you

can start drawing your own links, in a closer

manner, and that’s really exciting. For the

other half of the Analysis exam, you have to

write about an unseen extract; in preparation

for that, we’ve looked at a lot of Bach, but also

some Handel, Scarlatti, Couperin and Vivaldi,

so you get a sense of the forms of the period

and the various developments in compositional

technique.

There are another two papers, in Harmony

and Counterpoint and Practical Skills, and thesixth paper is made up of lectures on Music

and Musicology Today, plus an option for

composition, performance or an extended

essay. So, we have a tiny bit of choice in Music

and Musicology Today, in which we also write

two essays about any of the topics covered in

the lecture series. Personally, I think it might

be nice to have a little bit more choice in Part

IA; on the other hand , it ’s important to have

a thorough grounding, and the fact that you

cover so much material in the first year means

that you’re better informed when you come

to make your choices in Part IB and Part II.

Because if you’re never exposed to something,

how can you possibly know whether you like

it or not? I know people, for example, who

had never really looked at early music before,

but now they’re really into it and will probably

continue with it.

You can be a more dedicated or a less dedicated

student, you can spend endless time reading for

your essays, or not spend much time at all, but

Part IA does encourage a lot of work. It’s very,

very demanding, but I think the best way to

learn is to be completely immersed.

Marianne Schönle,

1st-year Music

student, Girton

College



18/44

Rebecca

Whiteman,

3rd-year Music

student, Selwyn

College

Part II of the Music Tripos is massively varied. I had

a list of 17 options, and while some papers such as

Analysis, Performance and Keyboard Skills build

directly on what you’ve done in previous years, I

chose areas that were mostly completely new to me.

I did a course on Parisian Polyphony, looking

at sources from the thirteenth century. That

was very different to anything I’d done before

because it was focused on codicology – looking

at the actual manuscripts. I also did North Indian

Classical Music (which was an introduction

to the music, but also a social history paper),

Latin American Music and the Politics of

Representation, as well as The Shadow of Sibelius.

Perception and Performance was really

interesting, because you learn how to use

statistical programmes and run your own

experiments, which is great in terms of

transferable skills. My experiment was on how

different genres of music affect what you might

be prepared to pay for things in a shop. I think

that, in general, you can tailor Part II options to

your particular interests – you can stick closely to

[musical] techniques or you can branch off into

politics and psychology. This was particularly

helpful for me, as I’m going on to do a Psychology

conversion course (MSc) at Nottingham next year.

I also chose to do a dissertation on a

contemporary composer called Ivan Moody, who’s

a priest in the Orthodox Christian Church, so I was

looking at Orthodox theology and iconography.

I had a great supervisor who has been very

encouraging about potential PhD topics; I’m very

tempted by some kind of PhD combining Music

and Psychology.

I think you approach Part II with some trepidation;

it’s quite scary knowing it’s your marks from third

year that count the most towards your degree.

Having said that, I enjoyed third year most, and

it’s the year I did best in, because I chose options

which really interested me, and I didn’t have to do

all the technical things, such as tonal skills, which

were not my strong point. I also found that I had

more confidence in my own opinions than in

previous years: even in exams, I was disagreeing

with things and bringing in my own ideas, and I

think that really helped in terms of my marks.

It’s a good idea to spread the work-load. I read

around a lot for my dissertation in the summer,

decided on my topic before Michaelmas Term,

and completed a first draft in the Christmas

holidays. There’s a temptation, of course, to

choose all the Lent Term courses and have a

wonderful time in Michaelmas doing absolutely

no work, but working steadily means you have

time for other commitments. My main instrument

is cello, and this year I did the Instrumental Awards

Scheme. I also took up Chapel Choir for the first

time. You can’t work all the time, and actually

I found doing something other than academic

work helped to focus me, especially during Easter

Term, when I had no lectures or supervisions

and could easily have spent all of my time in the

library.

The courses I took this year have really broadened

my taste, and I’ve come out loving music even

more than I did before. Whether music leads

to a job for me, or remains a hobby, it has been

wonderful to study it like this.

Postgraduate Courses

In addition to the PhD, there are two postgraduatecourses in the Music Faculty, each with a range ofoptions.

MPhil in Music StudiesThis is a one-year course combining structuredteaching with supervised independent study, leadingto an extended coursework submission. Thereare common elements in the programme, butyou specialise in one of seven areas: Musicology;Theory, Analysis and Criticism; Ethnomusicology;

Jazz, Popular and Media Music; Performance

Studies; Music and Science; Composition. Manystudents on this course go on to a PhD, either inCambridge or elsewhere.

MMus in Choral Studies

This course is for training in the art of choralconducting. Its primary role is to enable studentsto acquire the technical skills necessary for workingwith choral groups of all types; however, there arealso opportunities for concentrating on specifichistorical repertoires and for learning about thehistory and practice of choral music more generally.Cambridge is unique in the number of international-level choirs it supports; this makes the Universitythe ideal situation for a course such as this. MMusstudents are offered a placement with a leadingchapel choir as part of the course, and in thiscontext they have the chance to observe the choir’swork and, occasionally, to direct services. The basic

elements of the course are: Choral Conducting;Seminar Course; Options (two from the followinglist: Extended Essay, Editing Project, Performance);College Placement.

18


19/44

Lark Insurance Group is one of the UK’s Top10 independent insurance brokers andspecialist in musical instrument insurance.We insure over 10,000 musical instruments

worldwide and are proud to be sponsors of the Endellion StringQuartet’s concert series in Cambridge and London.www.larkinsurance.co.uk

The Endellion String Quartet is represented by:Hazard Chase Ltd.,

25 City Road, Cambridge CB1 1DPTel: 01223 312400 Email: [email protected]

The Endellion String Quartet is grateful toNigel Brown OBE and The Stradivari Trustfor their continuing support of theQuartet and its recordings. The Stradivari Trust

www.endellionquartet.com(@hazardchaseltd)

The Endellion String Quartet celebrates its 36th anniversary in 2015. Overthe years, the quartet’s schedule has included regular tours of North andSouth America and concerts in Australasia, the Far and Middle East, SouthAfrica and Western Europe. Recent and future highlights includeappearances at Carnegie Hall in New York, Queen Elizabeth Hall inLondon, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern,International Festival of Music in Tarragona, Tchaikovsky Concert Hall inMoscow, Montreal’s Pollack Hall and a tour of Mexico, including

performances at the Festival Internacional Cervantino and the Festival deMusica da Camara de Aguascalientes.

In Britain, the Endellion String Quartet has appeared at many major seriesand festivals, and has frequently broadcast on BBC radio and television. Itspresence in London has been marked by several series both at theSouthbank Centre and Wigmore Hall in addition to its prestigious residencyat Cambridge University and its ongoing series at The Venue Leeds.

Advocates of education, the quartet has undertaken three short-termresidencies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USAand, from 2001 to 2010, was Associate Quartet of the Royal Northern Collegeof Music. Since 2011 the quartet has been the ‘Visiting Quartet in Association’with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in addition to providing studentcoaching as part of its ‘Quartet in Residence’ at the University of Cambridge.

Each season, the Endellion String Quartet gives six concerts at WestRoad Concert Hall in Cambridge. For full details, please see:www.cambridgelivetickets.co.uk. Tickets (2015-16 season): £27 (standard),£6 (students and under 16s). Group discount: 20% for groups of 10+. TheEndellion String Quartet thanks Lark Insurance for its sponsorship of theirconcert series in Cambridge and London.

Ralph de Souza violin Andrew Watkinson violin Garfield Jackson viola David Waterman cello

P h o t o © E

r i c R i c h m o n d

The Endellion String Quartet ‘sets the audience ablaze’ (Dai l y

T elegr a ph) e ver y where the y pla y, ‘capti vating concertgoers with a

remarkable rapport, pla ying to each other with a sense almost o f disco ver y,

communicating to the audience on a le vel o f unusual intimac y’ (Guar d i an).

‘ There’s al wa ys a feeling when listening to the Endellion Quartet that you’re

listening to the Urtext method o f quartet pla ying. Ma ybe 35 years o f pla ying

together has brought to them as a group a uni formit y o f thought and

instinct that allo ws them to pla y as a single entit y.’

Gr amo phone

‘The Endellion is arguably the f inest quartet in Britain, play ing w ith poise, trueintonation, excellent balance and a beautif ul tone.’ N ew G r ov e Di c t i onar y of M u s i c and M u s i c i an s


20/44

‘T

he performer, for all his intolerablearrogance, is totally unnecessaryexcept as his interpretations makethe music understandable to anaudience unfortunate enough

not to be able to read it in print.’ These startlingcomments – allegedly made by the composer ArnoldSchoenberg1 – are characteristic of a tendencyin musicology over many generations to regardperformers as ‘second-class citizens’. Their primarytask was to reproduce faithfully what was in thescore and to obey the intentions of composers, whowere deemed to have the upper hand.

Fortunately, a quite different way of conceiving whatperformers do has been gaining momentum duringthe past twenty years or so. For example, it is nowpossible to study music not only in terms of the greatcomposers and the works they produced, but also on

the basis of the creative practices in which performersare engaged, and the contributions they make to ourunderstanding of what music is and how it affectsus. This is true not only of popular music andworld music, but also of classical repertoire by greatcomposers such as Schoenberg. Think how differentan approach to music history would be if it focusednot solely on composers and works, but on changingperformance styles, on how performance has beenexperienced over the ages by performers and listeners,and on how performances have been producedon different instruments and variably captured inrecording media. As for analysis, many would nowargue that, however enlightening it is to look at musicin the score, one also needs to consider its uniqueproperties on particular performance occasions.

In recent decades Cambridge has become a majorcentre for the study of performance. It is widelyrenowned for its exceptionally rich and vibrantperformance culture: on any day of the week, theremight be ten or more concerts taking place in theMusic Faculty and a range of colleges, not to mentionthe wider community. An astonishing number ofensembles – featuring professional and studentmusicians – make up a performance scene that isunrivalled in the UK, if not internationally. Within

1 The comments were attributed to Schoenberg by his niece, Dika Newlin,

in Schoenberg Remembered: Diaries and Recollections (1938–76) (London:

Pendragon, 1980), 164. There is reason to doubt the attribution, however.

the Faculty, students have the opportunity to takeperformance for credit at every level, and one ofthe courses on offer – Introduction to PerformanceStudies – brings together practical music-makingand scholarly enquiry into performance, embracing

historical, analytical and psychological perspectives.This interface between ‘thinking’ and ‘doing’ – tocite Joseph Kerman’s2 tongue-in-cheek distinctionbetween scholars and practitioners – is avidlypursued in many contexts outside the classroom.For example, the recently launched Centre forMusical Performance Studies,3 which plays a leadingrole in musical performance studies close to homeand across the globe, supports a programme ofmasterclasses, workshops, side-by-side events (inwhich student musicians play alongside high-calibreprofessionals from Britten Sinfonia and the Academyof Ancient Music; see pp. 33 and 34), and other‘talk-and-play events’ such as the lecture-recitals

and open rehearsals led by Alfred Brendel, RobertLevin, Angela Hewitt and Murray Perahia duringtheir residencies as Humanitas Visiting Professorsin Chamber Music. Events like these shed lighton the knowledge that is created and conveyed inperformance, and on how musical performance takesshape over time.

The opportunities described here, along with thesuccessful CAMRAM scheme (details of whichare explained on p. 21), are one reason for the‘performance buzz’ in the Faculty and across theUniversity, which benefits hugely from the ambitiousmusical activities pursued at the 31 colleges. There isalmost too much on offer! But if there is an excess, itis one with huge benefits for student performers at alllevels and in all subjects. The world-class standardsachieved by the best of our musicians, coupledwith the depth of knowledge and understandingengendered by the academic study of performanceon offer within our curricula, knock on the head anyclaim that performers are ‘totally unnecessary’ inone or more ways. Indeed, the musical environmenthere is living proof that music cannot exist withoutperformance, whether real or imagined, and thatthere is much more to performance than people haveoften been led to believe.

2 Joseph Kerman, Musicology (London: Fontana, 1985), 196.

3 See www.mus.cam.ac.uk/about-us/music-environment/cmps

Performancein the Music

FacultyProf John Rink explains the central role of

performance within the Music Tripos

20


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Michael Buchanan

(trombone)

Conservatoire or university? This is theperennial question for music students. Likeso many applicants, I was torn betweenthe two throughout my sixth-form days.The CAMRAM scheme, introduced in myfinal year, would certainly have made thedecision easier. The opportunity to studyat Cambridge while reaping the benefits

of a connection to the Academy was, forme, extremely rewarding; it enhancedenormously the already rich musicalexperiences enjoyed at Cambridge.

One of the greatest (and perhapsunexpected) benefits I found was theexceptional – and sometimes daunting –amount of musical freedom the Universityallows you. Outside the degree courseitself, Cambridge brims with opportunitiesfor ‘stage-time’, and these opportunitiescome at rapid pace. The vibrancy of thisstudent-led musical life calls not just forself-sufficiency, but for ever more inventiveand self-critical ways of rising to creativeand technical challenges.

While such a set-up is both exciting andeffective, external and professional adviceremains vital. Regular access to theAcademy’s ‘world’, with the peer-supportand camaraderie of students and theguidance of knowledgeable professors,was, I found, the ideal complement tomy university education. The more self-explorative aspects of performing atCambridge and the clear, sometimes hard-line guidance I received while studying as aninstrumentalist at the conservatoire turnedout, for me, to be the perfect combination.

Raphael Colman (cello)

Extra-curricular music at Cambridgeis nothing short of astonishing. Thequantity and variety of productions andconcerts offer opportunities to every sortof performer, and it is particularly amazingthat students maintain such a high levelof playing on top of their very demanding

degrees.

For a Music student who wants totake performance seriously, it can betempting to take part in everything,possibly at the expense of practice andmusic lessons. When I started, that wascertainly my experience. Music lessonsare expensive and time-consuming, andon top of concerts and essays they seemedan untenable option. I had come toCambridge from the Royal Academy ofMusic, having finished the first year of theundergraduate course on the cello and,

for me, the real benefit of the CAMRAMscheme was the stability it offered; thatguarantee of music lessons – I was ableto keep my teacher from the previousyear – imposed necessary structure onan otherwise chaotic musical year. Thescheme has allowed me to progress as acellist, and it puts musicians at Cambridgein an excellent position if, after graduating,they intend to apply to conservatoire.

Eleanor Kornas (piano)

I was thrilled when, in my second year atCambridge, the opportunity came to studypiano with Rustem Hayroudinoff as partof the CAMRAM scheme. My teacherwas very flexible, and I was really pleasedthat we managed to arrange lessonsaround my full Cambridge schedule oflectures, rehearsals and choir commitments(amongst other things!). I found it

extremely useful to get different and evenconflicting opinions on pieces I had studiedbefore with other teachers, as it helped meto think more about my own ideas andwhat I wanted to do with the music. Itwas also simply very exciting and fun togo into the Academy and feel the ‘vibes’of such a place and to feel myself a partof that. I would certainly recommendthe scheme if only because the experienceencourages Music undergraduates toconsider options that may never havecrossed their mind before.

Best of both worldsIn 2013, Director of Performance Margaret Faultless set up CAMRAM, a scheme that allows Cambridge Music

undergraduates access to instrumental lessons and workshops at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Here, three participants share their experience of this ground-breaking collaboration.

The CAMRAM scheme was set up in 2013

and enables Cambridge Music students

to take lessons at the Royal Academy of

Music in London alongside their studies

at university. The second- and third-year

instrumentalists on the scheme are

assigned a teacher at the Royal Academy,

and in addition to receiving individualtuition on their principal instrument,

they are invited to attend a number of

departmental performance classes.

INFORMATION



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Calling all composers…Richard Causton, Reader in Composition, looks forward to a new generation of composers in Cambridge

The creation of new music has alwaysbeen part of Cambridge’s DNA. Fivehundred years ago, Robert Fayrfaxstudied at the University. He wasfollowed, about a century later, by

Orlando Gibbons, whose music still resounds invirtually every Cambridge college chapel. Morerecently, Judith Weir (currently Master of the Queen’sMusic), Thomas Adès, Errollyn Wallen and GeorgeBenjamin have all studied here.

In view of this overwhelming creative heritage,

you might think you have to be a genius to come

to Cambridge as a composer, or to flourish as oneonce you’ve arrived here. That would be quitewrong: I have lost count of the students who arriveda little unsure of themselves, or uncertain as towhether composition was for them, and who left,after three years, with their own confident, secureand original musical voice. Every year, our third-year undergraduates go on to take postgraduatecomposition courses, to work on commissions forperformers and groups of all kinds, and to have theirmusic broadcast and recorded at the highest level.Very often it is those who were least confident when

they first arrived who do the best in the long run.

This is partly to do with the unrivalled wealth ofopportunities that Cambridge offers to studentcomposers. The best composition lesson you canhave is to hear your music performed live, andthanks to Cambridge’s extraordinary level of studentmusic-making, even the most ambitious of pieces(including orchestral works and operas) regularlyreceive professional-level performances here. Thereare also fantastic opportunities to work with visitingprofessional musicians of the highest calibre: in thelast year alone, our students have had their piecesperformed by ensembles such as the Birmingham

Contemporary Music Group (conducted by OliverKnussen), Britten Sinfonia, and the Arditti StringQuartet. These opportunities are complementedby weekly Composers’ Workshops given by leadingfigures in the musical world, such as Sir HarrisonBirtwistle, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Julian Anderson, Trevor Wishart, and GeorgeBenjamin. But perhaps most important of all is thespecialised one-to-one tuition in composition thatCambridge offers its students; this allows you towork over an extended period with a professionalcomposer on developing your ideas and honing yourown original compositional style.

Our students’ creative work is remarkably diverse;it includes concert music written within the Westernclassical tradition, electronica, jazz, and film music– the latter often composed under the guidance ofXiaotian Shi, who is Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow inScreen and Media Composition (see p. 39).

Above all, Cambridge is a place where you canexperiment and explore your musical own ideas,surrounded by stimulating and like-minded people.We pride ourselves on how friendly, welcoming andinclusive our new music community is here, and welook forward to meeting our next wave of young

composers!

©K a t i e V a n d y c k

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It’s been over a year since Igraduated with a degree in Musicfrom Robinson College, and I’mcurrently renting a shared housein North Cambridge. I made the

decision to live in Cambridge since, despitebeing expensive to live in, it’s a prettyunbeatable place for pursuing a musicalcareer. The amateur choirs here are asskilled as professional ones elsewhere,and I’m hoping to write for a large varietyof ensembles in the city. I also lookforward to collaborating with artists fromother disciplines: in particular, I hope tocollaborate with a computer game designeron a new rhythm-action game, and witha playwright on a ‘play with music’ aboutfracking.

I also hope to develop my compositionaltechnique through further study. Followingthe release of my Free Compositionportfolio results, I was awarded the ArthurBliss Prize for Composition. I am usingthe prize money towards funding further

composition study at the University ofWinchester.

Many of my current and recent projectswere a direct result of my time at the MusicFaculty. Last year I was supported bymembers of the Music Faculty in applying

for a grant from the Performing RightsSociety’s ‘Women Make Music’ fund:this resulted in a new work for violin andpiano – Stay Together, Learn the Flowers,Go Light – which was premiered at Kettle’sYard by Peter Sheppard Skaerved andRoderick Chadwick. I have also beencollaborating with the Lucy CavendishSingers, and hope to work with them againthrough the ‘Adopt a Composer’ scheme.

My time at the Music Faculty waswonderfully nourishing for me as acomposer. The courses in Post-1945 ItalianMusic, Britten, and Music and Science wereconstantly fascinating and introduced me tosome of my favourite pieces of music. I wasalso very fortunate to be supervised by threeoutstanding composers: Jeremy Thurlow,Giles Swayne and Richard Causton.

Even more inspiring than the courses waswitnessing the music-making of otherstudents. Various fellow composersexcelled in putting on rather crazy but

brilliant new music events at the lastminute: Joe Bates and Anthony Friend’sFilthy Lucre nights; Gregor Forbes’s NaeBalls; Kate Whitley’s chamber operas.

I’m delighted, post-graduation, to seethese initiatives continue, and inspired to

observe my contemporaries working out forthemselves how to compose (and make aliving) in the 21st century.

For myself, I continue to explore thequestion of contemporary engaged music.When not writing or playing music, myother passion is exploring the question ofhow to live sustainably and tread lightlyon the earth. I believe climate change tobe an issue of enormous moral significanceand one that raises profound political andeconomic questions. My own calling isto explore in my compositional work thequestions that climate change raises.

Drawing on contemporary eco-philosophyand psychology, I hope to create works ofart (both purely musical and in partnershipwith other art-forms) that are ‘engaged’ ina new way. George Monbiot theorizes, inthe context of environmental journalism,that language which creates a senseof threat and induces fear is counter-productive; such emotions can cause

people to cling tightly to what they own.My own preference, in a world whereisolation and individualism are the norm,would be to use music to reconnect peopleto what they value and love.

Kate Honey explains how Cambridge influenced her quest for a new music of engagement

Composing to connect

Kate Honey at Kettle’s Yard



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Organ Scholarships Open Day

The annual Organ Awards Open Day is held in

early spring and extends over a 24-hour period,

beginning and ending in the late afternoon.

Meals and overnight accommodation are

provided for all prospective applicants in

various colleges.

After an initial welcome and registration over

coffee, the activities begin with an opportunity

to observe either a rehearsal or an evensong

sung by one of the University’s college

choirs. Supper is then taken at one of the

colleges, followed by an organ workshop led

by the Director of the Organ Awards Scheme.

Prospective applicants start bright and early

the following morning in order to attend the

choristers’ rehearsal at either King’s or St John’s

College. This is followed by a presentation

(at which parents are welcome) given by anAdmissions Tutor and the Director of the

Organ Awards Scheme. The presentation

covers general points about admissions, the

various steps involved in applying for an Organ

Award, and the nature of the various academic

interviews, musical tests and auditions that

take place during the Organ Trials. A panel

of current organ scholars is in attendance in

order to share their experiences as both organ

scholars and academic students. After an

opportunity to ask questions, lunch is taken ingroups at different colleges. Everyone then has

the chance to meet two chapel choir directors

of their choice in the relevant colleges. This

is a good opportunity to find out more about

the timetable and activities of specific chapel

choirs, and will help candidates choose which

colleges to apply to for an Organ Award. Finally,

tea is provided in one of the central colleges.

Although this marks the end to the formal

programme of the Open Day, several choirs

then hold rehearsals and services which you

may like to attend. You can move from college

to college, as desired, during the rehearsals,and it’s a great way to hear more choirs and

organists in action.

Glittering prizes The University offers a range of awards for exceptional musicians. Could one of them be yours?

There is no doubt that winning a Cambridge Choralor Organ Scholarship holds a certain cachet. OnGoogle, images of candle-lit Gothic arches withcassocked choristers singing directly from mediaevalmanuscripts are juxtaposed with reports of first-classflights to exotic tour destinations and nationallytelevised liturgical feasts. In reality, there is rather lessglamour and rather more ‘Wet Tuesday in February’commitment involved in being a Choral or OrganScholar, but the prestige of these awards is significant,and the experiences on offer – the transferable skills, thediscipline, the musical techniques and the close, social

community – are well worth those treks to Chapel ondark, fenland nights.

Which college?

Choral and Organ Scholarships come in all shapesand sizes: some college choirs sing seven servicesevery week, requiring a weekly commitment of up to20 hours; others ask for just two hours on a Sundayafternoon. Every permutation imaginable existsbetween those two extremes. You need to consider thesubject you wish to read, how much time you wantto devote to singing/playing, individual practice, and

whether you also wish to pursue other extra-curricularactivities (drama, sport, etc.). Academic work mustalways, of course, be your first priority. On average,

humanities students, such as those reading Music, tendto devote about 40 hours per week to their degreestudies; for scientists (Engineers, Medics, etc.), thatnumber can be more like 60. If you are a Choral orOrgan Scholarship applicant who is also keen to playon the college tiddlywinks team, you need to considertime-management when deciding where to apply.Cambridge offers several ways to help you choose thebest college for you, and we hope that the informationprovided over the next couple of pages will be useful.

Open days and visitsOrgan Scholarships Open DayThis two-day event takes place in late February or earlyMarch. Most participants for this come during Year 12(i.e., the academic year before you apply), but you’rewelcome to come during your GCSE year as well.Activities include observing various choirs in action,trying out a number of different instruments, meetingseveral Directors of Music, discussing the applicationprocedure with an Admissions Tutor, and generallygetting a glimpse into life as an Organ Scholar.Participation is free, but booking in advance is required.You can find more information about the next round

of open days from the Organ Scholarships website atwww.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/finance/music-awards/organ

Choral awards and organ scholarships

Sarah MacDonald

Andrew Arthur,

Director of Music,

Trinity Hall

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Choral Awards Open DayThis one-day event takes place in late April or earlyMay, and again, most participants come when theyare in Year 12 (the academic year before applying);however, Year 11 participants are welcome too. AnAdmissions Tutor and the Director of the ChoralAwards Scheme lead a plenary session. This isfollowed by a brief singing workshop, which givesa taste of the audition process. Participants areencouraged to visit colleges in small groups, meetDirectors of Music, and ask lots of questions.Participation is free, but booking online in advance

is required; see www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/finance/music-awards/choral-awards for moreinformation.

University/College/Departmental Open DaysThere are also plenty of centrally organised OpenDays throughout the year; these provide you withthe opportunity to look around lots of colleges, andmany of the University departments. Just search theUniversity website for ‘Open Days’.

Individual VisitsIt can also be helpful for potential Choral and OrganScholars to visit Cambridge independently. On anindividual visit, Directors of Music can make time tohear you sing or play, and then offer specific guidanceon what you might need to work on in preparationfor the audition. You should also try to hear one ormore choirs in rehearsals

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