orchestras, choirs, etc, at university

For those of you who played an instrument and/or sung a lot in choirs until you left school, did you find it hard to keep it up and find the time at uni or not really? Or perhaps you didn't really want to keep it up? I play viola and sing a lot in choirs and I hope I'll be able to do so as much when I go to UCL!

Reply 1

SianyLou

10

I tried to carry it on, but there was so much other stuff to do that choir didn't matter much anymore. I was in a girls choir called Cantamus who have just won the Xiamen Choir Olympics in China, so I was quite serious about singing before...guess the motivation just left me :frown:

Reply 2

dismal_laundry

15

There is a music society at UCL- the director is professional, and there is an orchestra, an auditioned choir, and a non-auditioned choir. Not bad for a university without a music department. The most minimal commitment is for one evening a week. You should be able to do something...you probably know all this anyway.
Aren't you doing BA Language and Culture? That's my course too.

Reply 3

antares

i sang at a rock choir at my uni for 3 years and we met 2 days a week. we worked very hard but if you love it you find the time for both. on my last year i thought of quitting it but then i thought how i would miss it and i do not regret it. yeah it was harder for me than those who did nothing but it was worth it.

Reply 4

Helenia

20

I was head chorister in my school chapel choir and had played cello in the County Youth Orchestra for 2 years before uni (was about grade 7). I got to Clare to discover 4 people in my section of halls alone who were better on the cello, I didn't even make it into the college orchestra, let alone the uni ones! There was also no chance in hell of me making the Chapel Choir, so all I do now is a couple of concerts with the choral society.

Reply 5

Kew

16

Helenia

I was head chorister in my school chapel choir and had played cello in the County Youth Orchestra for 2 years before uni (was about grade 7). I got to Clare to discover 4 people in my section of halls alone who were better on the cello, I didn't even make it into the college orchestra, let alone the uni ones! There was also no chance in hell of me making the Chapel Choir, so all I do now is a couple of concerts with the choral society.

Out of interest, which CYO were you in? I'm in the Herts one, though the forthcoming summer course is my last, as I'm 21... :frown:

Technically we had to be grade 8 to get in, though I wasn't when I first got in - the tactical advantage of playing the cello! :wink:

Why didn't you carry on with CYO at uni, didn't you have time? We've got quite a few Cambridge people in mine (including two medics), so it can't be impossible to make time for it.

At Reading (in my first year) I was in the University Symphony Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra, and at Royal Holloway (where I was transferred straight into the second year) I got into three orchestras - the Symphony, Chamber and String Orchestras. I failed to get into the Baroque Orchestra, though.

Edit: Sorry if I come across as being nosy, Helenia, I'm just interested! I don't often come across cellists in other CYOs... :smile:

Reply 6

ChemistBoy

16

I was a lay clerk (adult singer) at Blackburn Cathedral, played the trombone in lots of things including County stuff and sung in lots of other stuff too. I let it slip during undergrad (not through lack of opportunities) but I still kept singing in the chapel choir there (I had applied to be a choral scholar at New College, Oxford passed the musical tests, failed the academic interview :frown:

). After a year travelling I decided that I should go back to it and started playing my trombone again, I now play for a local brass band and have been involved in every university ensemble (that has trombones in it) at some point I also dep regularly for big bands in the area, however I rarely sing anymore.

Music is an important part of my life, but it takes up a lot of time and sometimes you just have to concentrate on other things. My advice is to make sure that if you do let it slip that you get back into it at the earliest opportunity.

Reply 7

jessicat

OP

Yeah , I will be doing Language and Culture :smile:

I'm really looking forward to the music stuff at UCL. When I went for the open day they said that they put more effort into music than into the actual degree, which sounded pretty fun to me, hehe :P Playing in the opera sounded cool aswell :smile:

Reply 8

dismal_laundry

15

WooHOOOO! Language and Culture!

Reply 9

jessicat

OP

Are you going in Sept? I'm not going til 2007 cos of the gap year :s-smilie:

Hope it's good tho, I'm really looking forward!!I hear the reading list is really long though...

Reply 10

dismal_laundry

15

Yes, I'm going in Sept 2006...thought I might have to defer at one point because of a health issue, but it's OK now. It better be good!!!!!

I've only got the list from the French Department, which looks comprehensive but not excessive. Do you have the core course list? Is it the one in the handout from the dept. which was given to people invited to interview? The first book on that one is the Trask. (They mailed me the list and I did the questions on it electronically.) Or is it available elsewhere? Let me know if you know. I can't raise anyone on the phone over there- they must be on vacation.

Reply 11

sexysax

14

Even though I am a music student, I am still in an orchestra, 2 choirs and a jazz band at uni. I somehow manage to fit it all in!

Reply 12

jessicat

OP

I haven't got the list, i dont think i get it until next year :s-smilie:

Ah well , I'm looking forward anyway.
Music at UCL looks great- i mean i think it will be a lot of my social stuff, so its worth the time put in :smile:

and i cant imagine not playing or singing for a whole year, altho ill be doing that on my gap year :P

Reply 13

dismal_laundry

15

Good! I'll probably go out for the non-auditioned choir.

orchestras, choirs, etc, at university

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