Classified Section

A house where music lives

by George
Ward

rlE door opened to a
nail, high ceilinged
iom where the first
npression was of
00kS. music and
iore books. The

helves. which crept E
p the walls like ivy ‘
.nd even shot off;

ambling over the
zecond door, were

ztacked with volumes '

in music and reli-
gion, dotted here and
there with the bright
Flower-like covers of
whodunnits.

‘Taking up a third of the
room was a grand piano,
Ila lid open and a small
bowl of water standing
inside to combat the
dangers of low humidity.

l?‘rom the next room
came the sounds of three
voices singing an old S an-
lsh folk song with such ril-
llant clarity and precision
one could not help but
linger and eavesdrop.

The voices, counter-
Lenor_ tenor and baritone.
paused before setting off
again with a delicately
pointed version of Jake

hackray‘s slyly bawdy
Isobel Makes Love Upon
National Monuments. So
ii htly did they handle the
gece, it became hard to

elieve the indecency of
the lyrics.

FACE TO FACE

Openin the door into a
room fufil of sunshine,
dazzlin after the gloomy
book til ed glade, one came
face to face with the Can-
terbury Clerkes.

It is four ‘years since
these three men, then all
La Clerks in Canterbury
Ca edral Choir} decided

   
 
   
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
 
   
   
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
   
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
    

  
   
 

 

Kentlsh Gazette/Home Bay Pun/Whmmblo Frau, Jun: 23, um:

Helping students
in years to come

The vast field of further
education available to
today's school-leavers
helps thousands of
students each year qua-
lify for the work of their
choice, but does not
necessarily prepare them
for life in general.

But the home manage-
ment and family care
course at Canterbury Col-
lege of Technology arms
students with a wide
range of information that
will serve them in all
aspects of their future
lives.

The two-year course, run
by the National Council
for Home Economics,
aims to give students the
practical experience nor-
mally accumulated later
in life.

Since most of the girls
intend to work with chil-
dren much of the course
is centred around the
young. They gain valu-
able experience through
auxiliary work in many
primary schools and
playgroups throughout
East Kent, hel ing the
youngsters wih craft
work and reading.

They also visit the
elderly, learning about
the problems of old a e
through talking to 0d
Beople, shop ing for

em or simpy reading
tothem.

The course

Course tutor Mrs Joyce
Lewns explained that the
course was essentiall a
practical one. As we] as
developing imagination
and thrif through dress-
making and craft work,
the girls are taught to
deal with the commercial
side of running a home
and with house-buying.

They are, also taught
basic home maintenance
which will enable them to
overcome small prob-
lems with drains or elec-

     
 
 

  

All students, aged
between 16 and 18, had
enjoyed the course and
felt they had reatly
benefited from he ex-
perience.

Susan Richardson, of 20
King's Road, Heme Bay,
said she had especially
enjoyed working with
children in schools and

‘playgroups, and would

recommend the course to
an one hoping to work
wi hthe young.

“Although I have always
been interested in chl-
dren I was very wary of
them, but now I feel quite
confident to look after
them." she added.

When she leaves the col-
lege in June, 17-year-old
Susan will work as a
nursing auxiliary at
I-lerne Bay's Queen Victo-
ria Hospi al before going
on to take her SRN in a.
London hospital.

Bargains
by train

Bar ains for train

travelers have been

announced by British Rail.
The cost of an Awayday
ticket is cut and 40p fares
for children are introduced
in a bid to get people to
leave their cars at home
this summer.

Awayday tickets now
cost up to 513 less, according
to the station of departure.
For example, from Canter-,
bu East or West two
chi dren travelling with
adults on an Awayday
ticket would pay only 40p
each. a saving of £2.60 on
standard fares.

The offer, which lasts
until September 9. also in-
cludes season ticket
holders and holders of
senior citizen Railcards.
Senior citizens can buy
half-price Awaydays on
their cards and can take

  

 
 

   

their grandchildren along .

 

-..\...:s;.'._4.a.-. _


and offer
blend of music to a far
wider audience.

Peter Giles, counter-

he'll" unique I

tenor, sorts through the "
piles of son s, many
arran ed for e trio by

himse , pulling out sacred .

medieval rounds,

s0ngs' lees — the

folk songs,
forerunner o the barber-
shop style — ma_dr1gals,
poems and music hall
numbers.

With their musical feet
set firmly in the medieval
period and branches
stretching out towards the

resent, comparisons with

he King's Singers are in-
evltable.

A SOLO

But, as Peter launches
into a solo the difference
became evident. Peter,
Tony Bussell and Martin
Renshaw are first and
foremost soloists
members of a trio second.

Their individuality gives
them the scope to tackle
almost any programme
required. Apart from op
— which they do not sing
and which one senses
nothing short of burning at
the rack would force them
to sing — they will adapt
their material to suit any
audience anywhere.

Sometimes, their music
will be entirely sacred. But
when playing at dinner
parties or small functions

he programme has a

much broader ap eal,
includin the t e 0 folk
song ric in dou le, if not

treble, entrendre in which
the British have tradi-
tionally delighted.

LO OK LIKE

Between them, they can
perform material in Span-
ish, Italian, German,
French, Old Dutch, Greek,
Latin and English, both
colloquial and Queen's!

Some numbers are well
known, some the result of
hours.. of careful sifting
through music libraries.
Others have been specially
arranged by Peter, and et
others, as their sta us
grows, been arranged
specially for them by con-
temporary composers.

and

  

Talking of or anisers of
concerts, reci als, ser-
vices, society and private
dinners, the can produce
a tailor ma e programme
to suit any occasion.

Tony, the very picture of
what a baritone should
look like, and tenor Martin,
remarkably relaxed for
one with so much energy,
work together in Canter-
bury Organ Company.
Peter is a part-time art
teacher. '

Thus, with some dex-
terous juggling of their
working days and the long-
suffering and invaluable
help of their wives and
families, they are able to
find time for their singing
commitments, now
stretching well into next
year.

Their tours have taken
them to France, Holland
and the West Country,
including frin e perfor-
mances at the gath Festi-
val. They are now looking
forward to bookings in
Germany, the USA and
Canada.

Part of the attraction of
the Clerkes' concerts is
their mobility. They are
not a trio noted for stand-
ing rooted to one spot for
the entire recital. Instead,
they like to spring up all
around the audience, ring-
ing it with their singing.

One wonders how much
these tactics spring from, a
desire to move around and
how much from necessity.
One church where they
sang was so small that half
the audience was invisible
to them. To give all a
chance to see as well as
hear the trio, they sang
from five separate parts of
the church — and con-

,. shoul

-»;.;...--;_..3m.....‘»‘»‘~*' - -.._._

tinued singing as they
scurried from spot to spot!
With their impeccable
musical backgrounds,
Tony, Martin and Peter
are able to call upon a wide
range of period instru-
ments to com lement their
voices. They clude harp-
sichord, spinet, chamber
organ, piano, cello,
recorders, bells, tam-
bourines and vulgano.

For any readers think-
ing, “What on earth is a
vulgano?" the first four
words of this paragraph
will give an acron m of its
approximate soun !

But such light touches of
showmanship also present
the trio with one of their

reatest quandaries. Just

ow far can one o in
packaging such an ac with
all the trappings of
showbiz withou osing cre-
dibility in the eyes of fel-
low music lovers?

BIT WARY

They are even a bit wary
of bein photographed in

_the Tu or costumes they

sometimes don for part of
their programme for fear
of seeming too gimmick
orientated.

But any such fears are
dispelled as soon as they
start to sing. In the words
of a collea ue of this
paper, “Sol dly based,
delicately balanced,
serenely topped, the gor-
geous soun of their voices
lingers in the memory."

En uiries for bookings
be addressed 0

Canterbury Clerkes, 33a

Gordon Road, Canterbury.

 

34
jg‘.

The Canterbury Clerkes, a trio of soloists specialising

in medieval music. Left to right: Martin Renshaw

(tenor), Peter Giles (counter tenor) and Tony Bussell

(baritone). Inset, thel Clerkes in period costume.
Pictures by Mike Waterman.

 

 
   

A

\

u u.u.y, d.nu are
instructed in cookery and
English to complete the
course.

Part of the field work for
second-year students
completing their course
has involved a group pro-

'ject which they have

organised themselves.
One group designed and
made a large alphabet
board with detachable
symbols, all made from
scraps of material, at a
cost of only 20p; An ideal
educational toy, the
finished article is to be
given to the Mary Sheri-
anCentre.

Another project was a
sturdy, open-plan dolls’
house with furniture
made from household
'unk. This will be handed

o the Gingerbread day

nursery, where some of
3116 girls have been work-
g.

tor only 40p each. Children
eligible for the scheme are
those up to 14 who would
normall be charged half

the adul fare.

  

Several of the students at Canterbury College of Technology await the examiner's verdict of their craft work.

Left to right: Parvin Sheybani,_Jean Maflin, Penelope Lyndon, Christine Body, Christine Perry, Hayley
Gowers, Janice Priston, Hilary Baker and Glenice Brissenden. ' -

.2’

ll