On the 4th of December 2025, I attended a concert by the University of Surrey Orchestra and Choir at the University Hall at 7:30 pm. As a third-year jazz and pop vocalist, I deliberately chose this concert because it was outside my usual musical genre. Most of my experience is rooted in contemporary pop and jazz, but during this semester I developed a growing interest in classical repertoire as a way of expanding my musical understanding. Through lectures, I realised that being a successful musician requires not only technical skill within one genre, but also a broader awareness of music as a whole. Attending this concert allowed me to step outside my comfort zone and reflect on how classical performance practices could influence my own vocal work.

I arrived a few minutes late and unfortunately missed the first performance, so this review begins with the second item on the programme. The orchestra and choir were conducted by Russell Keable and Amy Kearsley, both experienced and well-established conductors. Their confident presence and clear conducting created a strong sense of direction and cohesion throughout the concert, which was inspiring to observe.

The choir performed I Saw the Ships by John Rutter, Peace I Leave With You by Amy Beach, and The Dance from Three Bavarian Dances by Edward Elgar. Overall, the ensemble showed strong musical commitment, with many singers performing confidently and expressively. However, some weaknesses were noticeable, particularly among first-year students, which is understandable at this stage of training.

In the male voice section, there were moments of slight lack of synchronisation, as well as occasional coughing during sustained passages, especially in the first piece. This was distracting at times and may have been caused by insufficient warm-up, breath support, or general physical preparation. There were also moments when some singers did not follow the conductor closely and sustained notes longer than indicated. For example, at the end of The Dance from Three Bavarian Dances, a few singers held the final note beyond the cut-off, resulting in unnecessary breath noises. Despite these issues, the overall choral sound remained effective, and such imperfections are a natural part of developing ensemble skills at university level.

The orchestral performance was particularly strong. The musicians demonstrated a high level of preparation and ensemble awareness, clearly reflecting extensive rehearsal. Notable players included Margaret Roberts on piano and Chris Wiley on oboe, whose performances stood out for their confidence and musical clarity. The orchestra also performed Orpheus in the Underworld. Before the performance, the conductor invited the audience to stand and participate in simple movements during the famous final section. This was an effective way of engaging the audience and breaking down the traditional barrier between performers and listeners. As a vocalist, this interaction made me reflect on the importance of audience connection and how involving listeners can enhance the overall concert experience, something I aim to explore more in my own performances.

After the interval, the concert continued with Fantasy Overture: Romeo and Juliet. The orchestra delivered an expressive and dramatic interpretation, clearly communicating the contrasting moods of the piece. However, I noticed some rhythmic insecurity in the percussion part, where the performer occasionally lost confidence after missing entries. As someone who has experienced similar moments on stage, I strongly related to this situation. When I make a mistake during a performance, my focus can shift towards the error rather than the continuation of the music. Through the lectures, I have learned the importance of maintaining flow and not allowing small mistakes to disrupt the overall performance. This awareness helped me view the situation with empathy rather than criticism.A similar moment occurred in the final piece, which included selections from My Fair Lady, when a cellist briefly missed an entry due to a page-turn issue but recovered quickly. The choir performed confidently in the final section, although at times they were slightly overpowered by the orchestra.

Overall, this concert was highly educational for me as a pop vocalist. It allowed me to critically observe classical performance practices and reflect on ensemble discipline, stage focus, and performance resilience, which I aim to apply in my future vocal performances.

On the 4th of December 2025, I attended the Ensemble Concert at the University of Surrey, held in PATS Studio 1 at 7:30 pm. The concert had a warm and festive atmosphere, clearly influenced by the time of year, which immediately created a strong connection with the audience. The evening featured a wide range of ensembles and showcased many talented musicians who, overall, performed with confidence and commitment.

The first ensemble was the String Orchestra, who performed And So It Goes by Billy Joel, Serenade for Strings by Edward Elgar, and selections from Wicked by Stephen Schwartz. The ensemble demonstrated good balance and blend, particularly in the Elgar, where sustained phrasing and dynamic shaping were handled sensitively. Their intonation was generally secure, and the ensemble maintained a clear sense of musical direction. In And So It Goes, the expressive legato lines were effective, and the group showed strong control over tone and phrasing.

The Wind Band was one of the highlights of the evening and received strong applause from the audience. Their performance of Stevie Wonder in Concert was energetic and engaging. The players followed the conductor closely, listened attentively to each other, and demonstrated a strong understanding not only of their own parts but also of the ensemble texture as a whole. Rhythmically, the group was tight, and stylistically they captured the character of the music very well.

As a musician, I also noticed some performance details that could be improved. The ensemble Vox Hominum performed Northern Lights by Ola Gjeilo. While the overall sound was atmospheric and well-balanced, there was very little communication with the audience. The singers focused mainly on each other, and the lack of outward engagement made the performance feel distant. In the middle of the piece, two performers made mistakes in their parts and exchanged smiles with each other, which was distracting and slightly unprofessional, as it drew attention away from the music.

In the final ensemble, the Brass Band, there were moments of insecurity, particularly from the trumpeter, who frequently missed notes. This suggested that rehearsal time may have been insufficient. At the end of the first piece, the trumpeter played an incorrect pitch, creating a noticeable wrong entry that disrupted the ending of the piece. Additionally, breath noise in this band was quite prominent, especially in Stop the Cavalry, which affected the clarity of the performance.

From a management perspective, the concert team worked very effectively. They communicated clearly with the audience and maintained a smooth flow throughout the evening, which I found inspiring and educational. However, I noticed a small staging issue during the final performance, where an unused music stand remained on stage. It felt unnecessary and slightly distracted from the ensemble visually.

Overall, the concert was atmospheric and enjoyable, despite minor issues that are common in live performance. It reminded me that performance anxiety affects everyone, regardless of experience. Through my lectures, I have learned to approach these situations more thoughtfully and to manage mistakes without losing focus. This concert reinforced my understanding that professionalism is not about being perfect, but about staying composed, continuing confidently, and supporting the performance even when things do not go exactly as planned.

On February 26, I had the opportunity to work as the concert manager at a concert held at Pats Studio 1. About a week before the event, I received an email asking me to create a list of tech times for the performers. Unfortunately, I only saw the email three days before the concert—this was a moment of carelessness on my part. As soon as I saw it, I quickly put together the tech times and sent them to the performers in a single email. I arranged the tech times from the largest group to the smallest, so that no one would waste time setting up their equipment.

I also read through all the necessary information about the role of a concert manager and made sure to follow all the instructions to the best of my ability. On the day of the concert, I arrived on time and got to know the other managers and performers. I memorized their names and the order of their performances to make sure I could guide them properly.

Later on, we faced a challenge: Gennie, one of the performers, couldn’t attend and sent an email about her absence. I quickly updated the tech times and shared them with everyone, ensuring everything stayed organized and no one got confused.

During the rehearsals, one of the performers ran late, and I kindly reminded him that it was now time for the next performer to rehearse. Just before the concert began, I stood by the door with my assistant to hand out the concert program and greet the audience.

We also worked on arranging chairs in the front, tidying up the space, and getting the stage ready for the first performer. In the green room, I made sure to keep the noise level low so it wouldn’t disturb others. I always kept an eye on the stage through the door window and listened for applause, so I’d know when to open the door for the next performer.

After the concert, I cleaned up any leftover food and drinks in the green room, made sure nothing was left behind, and checked the hall for any forgotten items.

I think the concert was a success overall, and the audience seemed to really enjoy it. Even though I made a few mistakes, like missing the email at first, I learned a lot about being more responsible and organized for future events. This experience taught me to stay on top of my communication and to always double-check important information. I also realized how important it is to stay calm and flexible when things change unexpectedly, like with Gennie's absence or the late performer. This concert management role really helped me grow in my skills and gave me more confidence to handle future concerts effectively.

This semester, I’d like to reflect on my own ensemble experience. Our group consisted of five members: me as the vocalist, James on piano, Jonah on guitar, Callum on drums, and Subhan as a second vocalist. We prepared for our concert, which took place on April 2 at Pats Studio.

Originally, we planned to perform two songs. However, we realized that the second song didn’t work well as a duet with the second vocalist, so we decided to add a third, shorter piece that suited a duet format. The other two songs, I performed solo with the band.

Jonah, our guitarist, was quite busy with his exams, so he didn’t always have enough time to practice his parts thoroughly, and sometimes he would lose his place during rehearsals. We also faced challenges in scheduling rehearsals that worked for everyone—Callum, our drummer, couldn’t always attend, but we still did our best to keep practicing as a group.

Sometimes I invited my vocal teacher to our rehearsals, and her feedback was really helpful for both me and the band. She mentioned that I could work on being more assertive within the group and develop my leadership skills by taking on more responsibility. I found this feedback valuable, as it made me reflect on my role and how I could contribute more effectively.

Overall, I think one of the biggest challenges for our group was communication and making time for joint rehearsals. Even with these obstacles, though, I feel that we managed to perform quite well in the end.

From this experience, I learned how important it is to coordinate schedules and ensure that everyone is on the same page. I also learned that being in a group means not just focusing on my own performance, but also supporting others and helping the team move forward together. Working through these challenges taught me about patience, flexibility, and the value of good communication—skills that I know will help me in future group projects.