Help support the future of your Festival...
The Canterbury Festival has a distinguished history as
the major promoter of international arts in East Kent, and the
Festival Foundation has been set up to ensure that the greatest
successes are yet to come.
...by leaving a Legacy: By remembering the
Foundation in your will, or donating a gift to the Foundation, you
will help to secure the future development and long-term financial
stability of the Canterbury Festival - Kent's International Arts
Festival. Your gift or legacy will help to ensure the
continued provision of high quality international performances,
enable major projects such as the commissioning of new plays and
compositions, the hosting of premieres and the development of
wide-ranging education and outreach projects within the local
community.
Please contact the Festival Office to request a Foundation
leaflet, which gives full details of possible ways of giving.
Thank you for your support - which will help us to secure the
future of the arts in Kent. (Email: Laurie@canterburyfestival.co.uk)
... and young Musicians in East Kent:
The Foundation supports young musicians in East Kent who show
exceptional talent and wish to pursue their musical training, but
who would require financial support to achieve their
ambitions. An annual award, The Canterbury Festival
Foundation Bursary for Young Musicians, is
presented to the winning musician to support them in their music
training and to pursue their ambitions. Find
out more or Apply
now!
The Canterbury Festival team suggested I do a blog as
part of my Ambassador role. I haven't done a blog before so this is
my first attempt, but I think the idea is that I keep everyone up
to date with my activities and can offer advice/information or
points of view to anyone who wants to contact me about my
experiences as a young musician.
I was obviously really pleased to win
the bursary competition and I enjoyed the whole experience. Meeting
the judges beforehand and introducing my pieces was a bit nerve
wracking but it really helped to have a rehearsal for all this in
the afternoon and the festival staff were really friendly and put
me at ease. It was good to know where I'd be performing and to try
out the pieces and the introductions. The hall had a lovely
acoustic but I had to work hard to project. I think that having
this time in the afternoon helped me to relax and so I was able to
enjoy the evening, however despite doing competitions before the
nerves never completely disappear! After the competition, I was
invited to the festival offices to meet the staff and to receive
the first installment of the bursary. They were all incredibly
supportive and explained to me what my role as the 'Canterbury
Festival Young Ambassador role' would entail, and I'm really
excited about promoting the festival through various events through
the year.
One of
the questions I have been asked a lot is what I will do with my
award. I have already spent some of it on improving my violin which
now has a new chin rest and repairing a small crack. My bow is on
loan from the Benslow Music Trust, but eventually I will need to
buy my own and they are very expensive. My teacher at the Royal
College of Music is developing a new shoulder rest; whilst these
will be expensive they are designed not to interfere with the sound
of the violin and improve your posture so I also intend to get one
of these when they come available. Last summer I went to Italy to
do an intensive masterclass course with my teacher. This was a
brilliant experience, sharing a flat with 3 of his other pupils who
were already studying at the RCM and having lessons and practicing
at Palazzo Ricci in the heart of the small Tuscan town of
Montepulciano really allowed me to develop as a musician
(especially the 6 hours practice a day!). I intend to use some of
my bursary to allow me to go for two weeks this year.
I spend most of my time juggling school work and practice and
making a decision about whether to apply to university to study
Music or conservatoire was really difficult. I spent much of my
summer switching between the two. I was advised by my teacher to
take a gap year before applying to conservatoire to develop my
playing further. After a visit to the Oxford open day and a visit
from an admissions tutor I decided to apply there as well, however
I was reluctant to apply for deferred entry as this could lower my
chances. I finally decided to apply for university, and in December
I spent 4 days in Oxford for my interview. The experience is one
that I will never forget. Knowing nothing about what to expect, my
first interview went quite well. Next was the audition in which I
played the Bach Gavotte en Rondeau that I had played for
the bursary competition. Knowing the piece very well and having
performed it before meant that I was less nervous for this than I
thought I was going to be (I have discovered that playing your
repertoire to a small audience before a big recital/competition is
fantastic preparation!) My second interview however was very tough
and I came out very worried and bewildered, but on December 21st I
found out I had a conditional offer of 3 A's which was a brilliant
Christmas present! The course at Oxford can comprise of up to 25%
performing which I think will really suit me, and after my degree I
hope to take a gap year and then go for postgraduate at RCM so
still sticking with the performing plan!
need Oxford university photo
here.......
At the moment I am just through
my January exams which meant my violin became a bit neglected
however I am now starting to get my teeth into some Beethoven and
Weniawski as well as working on developing my technique further. At
school we have the house music competition coming up, in which I am
helping to organise, including playing and arranging a version of
Schindler's List for violin, cello and harp which I hope
will be really beautiful, and singing in an a cappella arrangement
of Coldplay's Paradise which is proving to be a real experience! We
also have the Kent College Prom Concert coming up which always
proves to be a really fun evening and playing some prom classics
like Walton's Crown Imperial and Elgar's Pomp and
Circumstance.
In May and June I am performing at "Friends of the Festival"
events which will allow me to display some of my new repertoire as
well as allowing me to give something back to the wonderful
organization which has allowed me to develop my playing and enhance
my future so much!
Best Wishes
Caitlin