The University of Lancaster Music Society (ULMS) have gone from strength to strength this academic year, and to top it off, all seven ensembles that make up the society will be performing in a final Proms concert on campus for your entertainment. Here is a brief run-down of what Lancaster’s biggest society has been up to over the last eight months:
The Big Band took part in the Sunderland Jazz Festival, in which Michael Jay won the award for the best drummer. They have also played at Dalton Rooms and run a music workshop for Fleetwood High School. The Wind Band have performed at a freshers’ concert and Campus Fest, for which vocalist Georgia Treglown’s cover of Skyfall with the band acted as a great opener.
The Swing Group have provided music for the ballroom dancing society’s charity gig in the Park Hotel and have performed at the Platform in Morecambe. The String Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra have performed in a joint concerto concert, as well as joining the other ensembles at Campus Fest. It was the String Orchestra’s first year playing at the festival, and the Symphony Orchestra concluded the night underneath a huge fireworks display.
The Choir have competed in the North Wales Choral Festival, hosted a joint concert with the Wind Band and performed a pop song medley at Campus Fest with the other university choirs. The Brass Band have recently taken part in the Whit Friday Marches in Saddleworth, in which they received a higher average score than York, making up slightly for Roses… They have also hosted the Unibrass competition on campus, which saw 14 brass bands from different universities compete against each other and partake in workshops from industry professionals.
ULMS also collaborated with the theatre and dance societies in a performance of Cabaret which received good reviews and was a sell-out every evening.
Rachel Harrington, president of ULMS, said: “I am so proud of everything ULMS have achieved this year, from increasing awareness of our small groups around Lancaster with performances in local venues to our amazing collaboration of Cabaret with LUTG and LUDanS. I just know Proms is going to be the icing on the cake. It’s the highlight of every year and there has been an incredible build-up so far.”
All of the ULMS ensembles will be coming together on Saturday, June 22nd at 7pm in the Great Hall, combining their favourite songs from the year with some new numbers. You would be mad to miss the conclusion to a phenomenal string of musical events – it’s going to be one for the history books!
To pre-order tickets, which are £6 for students, email ulms.tickets@lancaster.ac.uk or visit www.ulms.org.uk/concerts/proms-ticket-order-form. See you there!
