There is an unmissable week of concerts and events at Bangor University, presenting a diversity of wonderful and worldly music. Performed by internationally acclaimed musicians and with plenty of opportunities for audiences, visitors and local musicians to take part, CoMA is a music event with a difference.
CoMA, Contemporary Music for All, was established in 1993 to create innovative yet accessible new music opportunities for musicians of all abilities and backgrounds. They stage events, offer one-off workshops and can help schools, festivals and large organisations get started with contemporary music. They are committed to quality of participation, using professional musicians who have the ability to lead and inspire, and utilizing repertoire written by leading composers.
In Bangor they offer daily lunchtime and evening concerts that consists of a plethora of different musical genres and styles. They feature American piano classics, music by Arensky, Bach, Mozart, Reger and Schumann, contemporaries Param Vir and Jason Yards and gypsy jazz from Piotr Jordan and Dunajska Kapelye. The late evening concerts include John Mcleod’s little Chinese opera ‘Thrashing the Sea God’ and Stephen Deazley/Martin Riley’s extraordinary roller coaster ‘Death’s Cabaret – A Love Story’. During the middle of the week there is a chance to celebrate, American avant-garde composer, John Cage’s 100th birthday.
There is also a week-long Summer School on offer – it has a long standing reputation for offering high quality tuition from inspirational tutors in a friendly and supportive environment. It has been duped ‘The best Summer School in Europe’.
One of the most unique opportunities of the festival is at the ‘Allcomers Orchestra and Chorus’. The Welsh premier of Stephen Montague’s ‘Dark Sun’ is a chance for audiences, friends, families and local musicians alike, to play alongside Summer School musicians. It is sure to excite and inspire those that take part – it is scored for orchestral and non-orchestral instruments – the piece has key roles for wine glasses, radios and fire extinguishers!
Another highlight is sure to be the performance of Hymnkus, penned by John Cage in 1986. It is widely regarded as his response to both early music and minimalism – new fashions for the mid-1980s. In this ‘stopwatch controlled’ performance, the summer school musicians will be imaginatively placed throughout the concert area to play meditative verses with 17 syllables per verse. The result is a beautifully prosaic echoing that lasts for half an hour.
There is so much on offer throughout the week at CoMA for both the hands-on music aficionado and for the passive bystander. Something is sure to catch your ear during the week and you may be part of the show before you even realize it.
CoMA International Summer Music Festival runs from the 30th July to the 3rd August at Bangor University, North Wales. For those looking for local Bangor Hotels then look no further than the Luxurious Tyn Rhos Country House Hotel offering luxury affordable accommodation just a short drive from festival