By Ambar Madhok, Third Year, English
Bristol University Music Society is a society with 10 fabulous student led ensembles that showcases such an incredible range of music! As social secretary, and an avid player within the society, I felt the need to properly introduce it to the rest of the student world, and help break down some stereotypes that ‘classical music is boring’.
I was lucky enough to interview our incredible Vice President Esther, who is currently in her final year studying pharmacology. She plays the niche instrument known as the baritone horn, and mainly plays in ‘brass band’, alongside some other ensembles within the society.
When she sought out universities to join, a key criteria was that ‘the uni must have a brass band’. Bristol caught her attention due it being incorporated within the overall society BUMS, and because of this, she’s discovered she’s had ‘so much exposure to other classical groups’, and has recently joined some other ensembles she never would have considered before.
BUMS’ ensembles range from clarinet choirs, string orchestras, with a mixture of auditioned and non-auditioned groups. There are regular concerts that are either free for students, or at a reduced price, offering such high-quality music. Some of these groups, such as Minerva choir, don’t even expect you to be able to read music – so there is no expectation for Mariah Careys to be singing in every choir!
However, if you are reading this thinking, I don’t have a musical bone within my body, don’t fret – you are just as key to a concert as the musicians themselves. The variety of music played within a BUMS concert is so vast: within brass band for instance, Esther revealed the range in genres from traditional brass band music, which is mainly ‘marches and hyms’, all the way to ‘film music and contemporary music’, wherein they have played ‘Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder, and Caravan from Whiplash’ – yes the infamous drum solo, all the way to classical music by Imogen Holst.
Oh, and some classics such as covers of ‘Angels by Robbie Williams, and Hips don’t lie by Shakira’! The mixture of ‘serious and fun’ music surely makes it enticing to anyone and everyone.
Of course, classical music will offer an extremely different viewing experience to a typical gig in The Fleece, with most of BUMS’ concerts taking places in churches. However, Esther provided some insight into how you could approach watching a concert: ‘Don’t expect it to be boring’, she stated.
She said when watching a concert herself, one of her favourite experiences is when she just allow herself to zone out, where she would just ‘think about things I don’t normally think about’, and that the best type of music is a ‘piece that just sends shivers over you’.
Matilda Collard
Moreover, when thinking about concert etiquette – yes there are strange rules of not clapping between movements, or rather the breaks within the pieces, however, within BUMS, we won’t get offended if this happens – instead it’s rather sweet knowing that we have audience members watching who have most likely never watched a classical concert before.
For those whose curiosity is now at its peak, come along to one of BUMS’s next concerts, and allow yourself to see where the music takes you.
Featured image: Bristol University Music SocietyHave you been to a BUMS concert before?
