ARTS & CULTURE
CAMBRIDGE MUSIC FESTIVAL
Catch that on 7 November at Emmanuel United Reformed Church, and at the same venue on the 14th Trio Manouche, inspired by the Parisian swing of the Hot Club, play the music of Django Reinhardt, arrangements of swing icons like Nat King Cole and their own material. “This should be more like a pop concert than a classical performance,” Justin says. “It’s really vibrant, feel-good music, with banjo, violin and accordion.” Leading experimental pianist Zubin Kanga plays the Mumford Theatre on 13 November. He focuses on new technologies, including film, AI, motion capture, animation and virtual reality. “What Zubin Kanga does simply doesn’t conform to most people’s notions of classical music. Most probably aren’t even aware that it’s being done,” says Justin. The Choir of King’s College and the Academy of Ancient Music join forces at the college chapel on the 6th – the opening day of the festival – to perform Handel’s Coronation Anthems . “These anthems were performed at King George II’s coronation in 1727 and were an immediate hit. The most famous, Zadok the Priest , has been performed at every British coronation since – not to mention being the inspiration behind the Champions League football anthem. This will tingle the spine and lift the spirits.” cambridgemusicfestival.co.uk
Justin Lee, director of Cambridge Music Festival, is concerned by research that suggests people under 30 going to a classical concert for the first time feel unsure about the reserved nature of the audience, and how to behave. He’s on a mission to change all that, and is keen for his festival to appeal to as broad a range of listeners and audiences as possible, shaking up traditional preconceptions of what a classical music concert looks like. “If someone wanted to see classical music in Cambridge done differently, I wouldn’t really know where to point them,” he explains. “One thing we’re trying to ask with the festival is, ‘does it have to be that way?’” Justin points to the group of people aged 30 or under who are streaming classical music – up 42% last year – and listening to it via the radio. But just 7% of audiences are in this age group. He suggests part of the problem is that concerts often feel conventional, in programming and presentation. Among his highlights for Cambridge Music Festival, which runs 6-14 November at venues across the city, is saxophonist Amy Dickson’s performance of Philip Glass music for the violin, using circular breathing. “On a violin, it’s possible to create the continuous figures that Glass wrote. On a saxophone, you’ve got to breathe. She’s playing a wind instrument and breathing in at the same time, which is pretty amazing,” he says.
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