And behind door number 22... a guide to some music of the more traditional kind
Catherine Munn and Jacob Martin list their Top 5 programmes to watch over the festive period.
And behind door number nine... some dazzling musical delights
The complete arts guide, for week 9
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to Culture!
Whether you’re busy getting to know your new flatmates, getting lost, panicking about the impending doom of finals, or like me, using up your free minutes harassing your landlord to do something about the grotty hole that you didn’t realise your house was when you signed over a years worth of your money so many months ago, we’re here to provide a little creative, cultural relief from your frenetic, student life.
We’ll use and abuse the fact that we’re the only 24 hour, independent publication on campus to our unique advantage to provide you with the low-down on the hottest, newest, weirdest and most wonderful artistic and cultural goings on, especially those created by your talented selves, in this, your new or old home sweet home.
Here’s the juicy business; our pick of the best bits of culture this coming fortnight:
Art
‘A Thousand Words’: An exhibition curated by Tracy Chevalier - York Art Gallery, 13 September to 11 January 2009.
A picture tells a thousand words… Curated by the best-selling author of Girl with a Pearl Earring and York Art Gallery’s writer-in-residence, ‘A Thousand Words’ focuses on some of the gallery’s own collection to communicate the idea that paintings depict the middle of a story.
In her novel, Chevalier found inspiration in the painting of the same name by Johannes Vermeer. Similarly, in this exhibition, Chevalier invites readers to be inspired and invent beginnings and endings to both seldom seen works and those that are more well-known. Chevalier has also written down her thoughts on labels next to the pictures and a blackboard-style runs around the gallery, so that visitors have the chance to add their own ideas and engage with those of others. This is bound to be a thought-provoking exhibition. ‘Out of the Shadows’ - York Art Gallery, 20 September to 25 January 2009.
The dramatic effects of light and shadow have captivated artists throughout time. This exhibition builds upon this, compiling prints, paintings and drawings to bring the different ways in which artists tell stories with light ‘out of the shadows’.
‘The Grand Tour’ - the streets of York, showing currently until 2nd November.
‘The Grand Tour’ is a collection of famous paintings set around the streets of York and was the city’s cultural highlight of the summer period. But with thanks to extra funding from Yorkshire Forward, we can still experience the enjoyment of masterpieces from the likes of Monet and Turner for a little bit longer. From Castlegate to Marygate, there is a famous painting to be admired and ‘The Grand Tour’ has created five tour routes of the paintings around the city, all of which are downloadable from the website. A great chance to take in some of York’s most attractive sights along the way, ‘The Grand Tour’ is a must-see.
Music
‘Schichiseikai’ at the National Centre for Early Music (just off Walmgate) - Tueday 14th October, 7.30pm. From out of the ‘shomyo’ (Buddhist sutra chanting) tradition, six Monks lead by Mimami Chukin from the Daikoji Temple, Kyoto will perform what will doubtless be an atmospheric and spiritual performance perfectly suited to the intimacy and reverence of the converted church venue. Their voices are said to ‘resonate together in beautiful unison to create a rich variety of harmonic overtones’.
Mercy and Grand: The Tom Waits Project at the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall (SJLCH) - Wednesday 22nd October, 7.30pm.
In honour of the gravelly maverick himself, Mercy and Grand will present an evening comprising ten songs by Tom Waits as well as a few numbers by Kurt Weil, a sea shanty, a hymn, a couple of gypsy tangoes and a Fellini film score. This concert, arranged by Yorkshire’s own musical legend Gavin Bryars, ‘evokes the heart of Tom Waits’ music and places it in the context of the great European and American song-writing traditions.’
Couperin: ‘Messe pour les Couvents’ at the SJLCH - Wednesday 29th October, 7.30pm.
For something to nurture those of you out there with a taste for something a little more classical, next Wednesday’s portion of the University Concert Series continues the monastic thread with Couperin’s ‘Messe pour les Couvents’ and motets by Couperin, Charpentier and Campra presented by the Music department’s renowned Peter Seymour along with postgraduate singing students.
For more information about events at these venues, check out the websites for the National Centre for Early Music (NCEM) and the University of York Concerts series.
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