An Introduction to Music at Royal Holloway

At Royal Holloway there is plenty to do, in particular when it comes to music. Of course given the social distancing measures that must be adhered to this year, events and socials may be slightly different than previous years, but all of our societies are doing their best to adapt to the new norms!

Jane Holloway Choir

The Jane Holloway Choir was set up in January 2018 as a non-auditioned choir for students, and prides itself on being run by students for students. The choir strives to provide its members with the chance to sing in an amateur choir at weekly rehearsals, and perform in chapel services and concerts, both on campus and in the local area.

The Jane Holloway Choir is a great opportunity whether you have previously sung in choirs and are eager to continue, or you are completely new to choral singing and would love to explore it in a friendly and enjoyable environment. Their main hope is to help members to grow as musicians, to provide the opportunity to explore a broad range of musical genres, develop sight reading and musicianship skills, all while making friends for life.

Despite the uncertainty faced this summer, many members participated in a virtual choir, which you can see on their YouTube channel.

Currently with the current restrictions in place there is some uncertainty as to how the choir will be operating in Term 1. Be sure to keep an eye on their social media pages for further updates!

Facebook: @JaneHollowayChoir

Instagram: @Jane Holloway Choir

YouTube: Jane Holloway Choir

[email protected]

Musical Theatre Society

The Musical Theatre Society (more commonly known as MTS) work all year round to stage full-scale performances, concerts, showcases, workshops, theatre trips and lots of socials! Although this academic year will be slightly different, they still have a lot of exciting opportunities to get involved with. They also send out regular newsletters so follow the link to subscribe and to ensure you get all the updates: http://bit.ly/MTSNewsletter

Last year, MTS put on a range of productions, including Legally Blonde, Chicago and Joseph. They also performed their Weekend Show, which is when MTS put a show together in just 48 hours!

Like the college itself, MTS will be having a blended approach to their activities this year. When and where possible, they will be hosting socially-distanced events, including socials, workshops and rehearsals. These will also be done virtually so that as many people as possible can attend.

This term, MTS are very excited to announce their Autumn Term Production, In Your Dreams! – described as “a collection of songs from shows we will (probably) never do”.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RHULMTS/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rhulmts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhulmts/

Website: https://rhulmts.wixsite.com/rhulmts

TikTok: @rhulmts

Freshers’ Big Band

FBB is an un-auditioned jazz band that welcomes all aspiring jazz musicians! Last year, a new committee was formed, and the band went through a major reform, enabling it to expand significantly. This coming academic year, they aim to focus primarily on swing music, as it has so much to offer in terms of big band repertoire!

In the past, FBB has performed in concerts organised by the band itself and the Department of Music, REPLAY Festival, as well as various gigs in venues such as pubs. A highlight of last year was their performances at the jazz concert that celebrated the 25^th anniversary of Undergraduated Big Band. Other performances were lined up, such as playing during an Open Day in Founder’s Square and at the Physics Society’s Ball, however these were cancelled due to COVID-19. They are in the process of organising rehearsals, performances and socials in line with current government restrictions, so stay tuned!

Rehearsals are set to take place on Monday at 7:30-9pm.