Fringe Music Showcase wins Best Society Collaboration

Patrick Reardon-Morgan, President of the Music Society and a 3rd-year music student, on a recent awards success…

“Triumph for seven of Cardiff’s music societies, who last Friday (8 May 2015) took home the Students’ Union’s prize for Best Society Collaboration.

“The Music, Operatic, Jazz, Brass Band, Blank Verse, City of Cardiff Concert Band and Healthcare Music Societies were awarded the trophy for their showcase concert in March, which took place in the SU’s nightclub Y Plas as part of Cardiff Fringe 2015. This festival, now in its second year, celebrates society activity with a week-long programme of events, including everything from baking to stand-up.

“The four-hour Music Showcase was designed as an exposition of the fantastic work done by musical societies throughout the University and beyond. The Healthcare Music Society ensured students from the Heath Park campus were represented, and the City of Cardiff Concert Band even boasts some non-student members.

“The other five societies are based in the School of Music, supporting fifteen ensembles between them. Twelve of these were represented at the Showcase, with sets varying in length from ten minutes to half an hour.

“Brass Band brought the house down with a crowd-pleasing arrangement of the Ghostbusters theme, while Operatic Society reprised favourite items from both their March production of The Fairy Queen and their gala concert last November. Having secured partial funding for Wind Ensemble’s (now Wind Orchestra) trip to the finals of the National Concert Band Festival in Manchester, the Music Society was proud to present a programme of highest quality wind band music.

“The Jazz Society both opened and closed the show, which was finally concluded with Big Band’s performance of ‘Reach’ by S Club 7.

“With two stages – one on the ground floor and one on the balcony – the music never ceased. Blank Verse, the female voice choir who seek to create a ‘relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere’ in rehearsals, performed on the latter, and this description is apt to describe the evening itself.

“Though the music was consistently excellent, the Music Showcase had none of the formality of a traditional concert. By doing this, the seven societies involved were able to entice students who would not normally hear many of the musical styles on show. This kind of outreach must certainly have played its part in the Students’ Union’s decision to name it Best Society Collaboration.”