Lunchtime concert series to take audiences all around the world

Love will be in the air when a new series of lunchtime concerts opens at the University of Kent in Canterbury, sponsored by Furley Page Solicitors.

A trio of musicians from CantiaQuorum, one of the UK’s newest and most exciting ensembles, will deliver a programme of powerful music in their From Russia with Lunch concert on Valentine’s Day (Wednesday, February 14). You can expect to hear Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet and Lyadov’s The Music Box among the Russian romantic regulars.

Vocalist Ramnath Venkat Bhagavath will bring his south Indian classical Carnatic sound to the lunchtime concert series on Wednesday, February 28. Having previously impressed at the renowned Swathi Sangeethotsavam festival in Trivandrum, the University Music Scholar’s performance will include a selection of different Ragas and Thalas in the Carnatic music tradition, accompanied by violin, mridangam and ghatam.

English music, including works by Warlock, Vaughan Williams and John Ireland, will be brought to life by the University of Kent String Sinfonia on Wednesday, March 14. Under the direction of Floriane Peycelon, the talented student players will also perform John Williams’ Dartmoor 1912 – an iconic piece used in the film War Horse.

Having opened the series, CantiaQuorum will also close it on Wednesday, May 9, with a concert to celebrate the music of Claude Debussy in what is his centenary year. Déjeuner with Debussy will place his impressionist masterpieces at the heart of France’s musical makeup, while also celebrating forebears such as Rameau.

Furley Page Senior Partner Peter Hawkes said: “This year’s spring concert programme contains a real variety of genres from across the globe, performed by highly talented musicians.

The lunchtime concerts will take place in the Colyer-Fergusson Hall at 1.10pm and admission is free, with a suggested donation of £3. For more information, visit www.kent.ac.uk/music