Bradford & District | Archive | 2000 | May | 26
From the Telegraph & Argus, first published Friday 26th May 2000.
Bradford University's Fellow in Music Antony Hall is to leaving after four years in post - but has made sure his last concert will be one to remember.
He will bow out when the university's Wind Orchestra and Chorus play at Bradford Cathedral tomorrow in their last concert of the season with a programme including Glinka's Russlan and Ludmilla Overture, Sibelius' Second Symphony and Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen.
Mr Hall will become a freelance professional trumpet when he leaves the job - which is usually only for two or three years - on August 31. A new Fellow in Music will be appointed.
In his time based at the university's Tasmin Little Music Centre, he has sought to diversify the repertoire of its many ensembles.
"Nowhere else have I seen such a remarkable diversity of musical talents and backgrounds and I will be sorry to leave," said Mr Hall.
"However, I do believe that the ensembles are the best they have ever sounded and this last concert will be the best leaving present I could wish for."
Among the talented musicians he has conducted is Rebecca Godridge, who is in the second year of a degree in chemical engineering at the university and has recently passed her diploma exams for the violin.
"Students such as Rebecca are few and far between at a music college, let alone a university with no formal course in music," said Mr Hall.
"She is a fantastic violin talent and, together with the other members of our ensembles, really does embody what it's all about at the music centre - playing music for the love of music. I hope I'm lucky enough to continue to have contact with musicians such as Rebecca - we really are witnessing a professional in the making."
Rebecca will be playing the fiendishly difficult Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen at Saturday's concert.
Violinist Tasmin Little said: "I have been delighted to see how the hard work by Antony Hall has ensured that the music centre remains a most innovative and active part of the university.
"The music centre has really moved forward in the last two years, and I have been impressed to see the variety of activity that is achieved by the musicians."
Saturday's concert starts at 7.30pm and tickets are £4 (£2 conc) on the door.
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
© Newsquest Media Group 2008