This month we returned to in-person music-making for the first time since the lockdown in March, a month which saw the cancellation of concerts for professional and amateur musicians across the country.
University Music at the University of Birmingham have this month returned to in-person music-making for the first time since March, a month which saw the imposition of a UK-wide lockdown and the cancellation of concerts for professional and amateur musicians across the country.
Taking into account recommendations by the University, as well as professional guidance for the performing arts by the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS), music-making has returned to campus as part of a staged approach in rebuilding the renowned practical music offer at the University, which will for the first semester include a focus on chamber music, as well as the trialling of choral activity and jazz groups.
Simon Halsey CBE rehearses socially-distanced undergraduate student singers in the Elgar Concert Hall
With participants following safe working practices across the University Music offer, with support from the dedicated team of full-time professional and academic staff, plans are underway to increase activity for the second semester, with students encouraged to form their own small groups through the burgeoning Chamber Music network.
University Music provides the University of Birmingham with one of the liveliest music-making scenes of any campus. With around 1500 positions available in our 35-plus ensembles, members participate in a variety of instrumental and vocal groups, across a range of abilities and styles. University Music is open to students, staff, and the local community, and provides participants with opportunities for professional coaching, exceptional concerts, as well as the chance to apply for yearly scholarships.
