Metropolis!

I can hear music,

I can hear music,
The sound of the city baby seems to disappear,
I can hear music,
Sweet sweet music,
Whenever you touch me baby,
Whenever you're near.

Although here in SUWO, it's the music that touches us... and is near... us...

SO, there was not a SUWO rehearsal last night, which, as you can imagine, had many of us crying into our pillows and declaring our lives officially over and devoid of all meaning. However, we had barely managed to tug our bedtime upholstery towards us and ready our tear ducts before finding out that the reason why rehearsal was off this week was because of Metropolis.

When not busy being a really fun word to say, "Metropolis" is a 1927 German expressionist science-fiction film written by Fritz Lang and Thea Von Harbou, and directed by Lang. It cost ridiculous amounts of money to make and was met with mixed reviews upon release. Due to its being 150 minutes long and containing footage that might give a very prudish person pause, large chunks of the film were cut out after its initial release, subsequently being lost to the mists of time. Many attempts were made to restore the film, until in 2008 a print of the original cut was found in a museum in Argentina. One rather arduous restoration process later, and the film was shown on screens in Berlin and Frankfurt on 12th February 2010. Praise be to Wikipedia for providing this background information, and here's a link to the article should you wish to read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_%28film%29

So, like other films at the time, Metropolis is supposed to be watched with a chap sitting at a piano providing the sound that equipment at the time was unable to capture. Evidently "chap sitting at a piano" was not grandiose enough for these people, so composer Gottfried Huppertz was recruited to write an original score for a full orchestra - a score that takes a total of 150 minutes to play, and has to be timed perfectly, lest the orchestra fall behind the movie while it's being shown. Not exactly the easiest of tasks. But for former SUWO president, up-and-coming conductor and wearer of shiny waistcoats extraordinaire George Morton, and various past and present obscenely musically talented students of the University of Sheffield, this task was a mere bag o' tell. "150 straight minutes of playing, in the dark, to a movie?" they seemed to say, "Please, present us with a challenge!"

And so, after what I will assume was much rehearsal behind the scenes, these talented individuals came together as one and performed this Mount Everest of a score last night. And it was spectacular. From the banging and clanging of machines by the percussion to the sweeping romantic interludes by the flutes and oboes to the quite hilarious (I thought) interlude of the French national anthem by the trumpets, the orchestra took this movie, and this score, and made it their own. The applause at the end was loud, thunderous, and slightly painful for those doing the applauding by the end. But sore arms were a small price to pay for what we had just seen.

For obvious reasons all involving either copyright or the inherent impoliteness of operating phone during a performance, I have no clips to share with you all this week, and nor do I know if any footage of the performance has been taken by someone slightly more official than me. If so I shall be sure to link to it in future, and if not, I shall close by saying that this was an amazing show, and one that I will certainly be remembering for a good while.

Until next week, adios!

Week 8 Rehearsal

"Music is like oxygen!"

Where 'music' is actually 'love', and the quote is stolen from Moulin Rouge.

Just a short update for now, SUWO's Blog readers. Last week was, in theory, our first tour rehearsal. We played a few different pieces, mostly stuff that we've played in previous years, such as Suite of English folk dances by Ernest Tomlinson (whose movements have such hilarious names as Jenny Pluck Pears, Dick's Maggot, and Hunt the Squirrel, and The Jungle Book by Sherman, Sherman and Gilkyson, arranged by Marcel Peters. We also tried a piece hilariously called Whirlegigg by Kenneth Hesketh, which was quite fun and jaunty, and played Colonial Song by that legend incarnate, Percy Grainger, conducted by that other legend incarnate, George M Marton (the M stands for Magestic).

That's all from SUWO blog for a few weeks while we all go on Easter break. But we'll be back after that for more news on our tour pieces, and more lovely photos and videos. Peace out, everyone. :)

Photos and Videos from Weekend Rehearsals Before Concert

"Play that funky music, white boy!"

Except in SUWO, you do not have to be white, nor does the music have to be funky.

Greetings, readers of SUWO's blog!

I do apologise for the delay in posting these photos and videos. However, I do assure you that, if you're at all interested in the inner workings of SUWO, that mysterious world of rehearsals that happens behind the closed doors of Firth Hall, then this is well worth the wait.

On with the photos!

a rather grand, centralised view of the orchestra as we set up.

same orchestra, same general setting-up hullabaloo that is customary at the beginning of rehearsal, slightly different angle.

the back of the orchestra, as discretely photographed from the noble position of Horn 4.

brass, playing in the chambers. Or at least, attempting to play. Some of the trombonists gave up and stood up in order to play over the awkward benches. Also notice our music stands, cunningly disguised as benches and book-holders.

Another angle. SUWO's greatest achievement to date: getting all of SUWO, plus most of the instruments, into this room, and not having to take out any awkward tables to do it.

...now for the videos, most of which are us playing various sections of Peter Graham's Windows of the World, and certain amateur filmers might have perhaps forgotten to film us playing other stuff.

Still, enjoy!

Certain select and prestigious members of SUWO and MUWO practising whirlers.

The introduction to the final movement of Windows of the World.

The start of the fourth movement of Windows of the World. This starts with the horns announcing their presence (as horns are wont to do), then the rest of the brass...responding, perhaps? Before filming this one of the trumpeters said "You're going to film us, aren't you?" Well... yeah.

The horn solo in the second movement of Windows of the World. Apologies for the back-of-head-view. Hopefully next year's writers will have seats in the orchestra that are more advantageous for getting photos and videos of everything.

Stay tuned for the next blog post, where we start practising for our amazing tour to Amsterdam!