University of Glamorgan Blogs

Here’s RWCMD Acting graduate Clare Dunne talking about her lead role in Detroit at the National Theatre.

RWCMD’s jazz musicians have their wellies at the ready as the hugely successful RWCMD Jazz Time takes up residence at The Hay Festival next month. 

Described by Bill Clinton as the ‘Woodstock of the Mind’, the festival, which celebrates its 25^th anniversary this year, will incorporate new late music venue, The Sound Castle, embracing an explosion of new musical talents within funk, gospel, soul, folk, hip-hop, electronic and jazz.  Its line up, which includes Mercury Prizewinner Speech Debelle and iconic Welsh singer songwriter Cerys Matthews  is billed as vibrant, open-minded, progressive and youthful.

 RWCMD Jazz Time will perform daily concerts from 12-1pm throughout the festival. Ranging from stunning improvisations to highly charged ballads, reggae to contemporary world grooves, RWCMD’s Head of Jazz Paula Gardiner will present some of the most exciting young musicians on the scene including Joe Webb Trio, Melly – Underneath The Umbrella Tree, Alex Haines, Lloyd Haines, Huw Williams with Greg Sterland, Margot Morgan – Your Voice, Dan Smith, Greg Cordez, The James Clark Quintet, PC’s Tribute to Ornette, Ben Treacher, Jasmine Power, Tom Ollendorf Quartet, Cat Wright Trio and Jonas Seetoh and Band.

The Hay Festival takes place 31^st May – 10^th June 2012.  RWCMD Jazz Time is free but ticketed.

Final year Composition student Ben Vaughan is one of the composers involved in this week’s Atmospheres New Music Festival – two days of new music by up and coming composers. We catch up with him during final rehearsals for his show, A Wooden Heart.

Tell us about your project

Basically, for the project that finishes off my degree, I wanted to write an opera – and this is it!

What’s it about?

It’s about a girl who inherits her puppet-maker father’s failing business after he disappears. In her struggle to save what her father valued so much, she becomes obsessed by creating the perfect marionette puppet. In her desperation, she begins to delve into mysterious forces, and her obsession begins to haunt her…

Sounds a bit scary – is it?

Well, I have always wanted to devise a creepy fairy tale and I’ve finally got the chance. The design that has been produced by Poppy Armitage (a final year theatre designer) is beautifully minimalistic, and includes puppets whose unsettling features will stay in your head long after you’ve left the theatre. Usually the cast end up chasing me around with them during rehearsals because… I’ll admit it, I’m scared of them!

So who’s involved?

As a close-knit college, it’s great to collaborate with fellow students. The cast of singers are all from the college, plus the design and production team. I’ve got a whole orchestra of musicians to help me out, plus the drama department helping me with the script. And it is being perfomed here in the Richard Burton Theatre – we have these fantastic facilities onsite where our work can be performed. The cast have been absolutely brilliant throughout the rehearsal process and have managed to bring the music to life – each character has been incredibly interpreted.

How’s it all going?

All the cast, orchestra and production team have been working their hardest to try and push for the best production possible. The show has come together beautifully in the last two weeks and tonight is the final rehearsal before the tech and dress tomorrow. Everyone is excited and raring to go!

A Wooden Heart takes place in the Richard Burton Theatre on 11 May.

Six RWCMD music students will be competing in the semi-finals of the inaugural Ian Stoutzker Prize tonight, which takes place in our new world-class chamber concert hall, The Dora Stoutzker Hall.

“I am pleased that the College has agreed to establish this annual prize for a student with outstanding talent and potential and I am delighted that with such a distinguished panel of judges it is being organized so meaningfully and as an integral part of College life,“  said Ian Stoutzker.

The prestigious new competition has been open to all Royal Welsh College music students, nominated by their teachers. Last term the first round saw 18 students whittled down to six, and tonight only three musicians will be chosen to go forward to the final on Wednesday 4 July, which will be awarded by a distinguished jury.

“There are no restrictions on what the students can present, they just need to choose something that showcases their full range of talents and abilities,” saidJohn Cranmer, Director of Progammes and Research for Music.            

Principal Hilary Boulding added, “We are very grateful to Ian for his generosity in establishing a prize which will support a highly talented young musician from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama to progress towards a career in music.  For many years, Ian has been unstinting in his support for young professional musicians through Live Music Now.  This prize is a further testament to his dedication to young musical talent.  And of course, it’s very exciting that the prize final will take place in the beautiful chamber hall that carries Ian’s mother’s name. “