Cambridge Festival: Music in the Flesh

In this workshop, we explored how we perform and listen to music in the Western classical tradition, and how historical insight can inspire us to perform and listen differently. Bettina Varwig (Faculty of Music) in conversation with Margaret Faultless (violin), Rachel Stroud (violin), Andrew Skidmore (cello) and Nicholas Mulroy (tenor).

We played and sang our way through a range of music from the 17th and 18th centuries (Bach, Corelli, Purcell, Vivaldi) and discussed how this music takes shape gesturally and affectively in our musicians’ bodies, fingers and throats. We invited our listeners, in turn, to attend resonantly with their whole bodies, and thereby tune into the power of this music to transform its participants in body, mind and spirit.

Read a review here.

Selected audience feedback:

A revelation: “Seeing” the music as the violinists move their bows … changing position in the room to experience the music differently, and being closer to the musicians. Wonderful! So glad we came!

The discussion about the properties of skin in relation to listening to music was most interesting. A wonderful experience that provided an extraordinarily serene and transcendent intervention in the day.

I always want to dance in classical music concerts! It feels so weird not to, but I feel conditioned as well to sit still. … I love to listen with my whole body to connect with myself and others. Beautiful to do it here connecting with myself, everyone else here, musicians, ideas, the space. … I engage a lot with free improvisation and feel inspired to experiment with movements in my sound making.

Unlearning the conventions of concert going is an invaluable, joyous experience. Bettina’s accumulation of metaphor and its expression in music is hugely informative in my own musical practice.

Such an incredible way to see Prof. Varwig’s work in the flesh! This will make it much easier to feel connected with my own body and the magic of performance!

I realised how embodied music is - and especially classical music. I would now love to play a musical instrument.

Enjoyed the movement of the performers. Enjoyed the chocolate! Lovely space. Very impressive!

The braveness, risk taking, openness - being free in expressing the inner and outer body - Bravo!

The encouragement to listen with my whole body-soul-senses was an extraordinarily effective path to engaging with the music. Lying on the floor, dancing, but also being so close to the wonderful physicality of the musicians in this outstandingly beautiful place. I’m so glad I came. An extraordinary experience.

This was revelatory. I love music. I know nothing about it. I’m probably a bit tone deaf. I love moving to music (but I’m hopeless at dancing). This was a glimpse into an entirely new and fascinating world! The collaboration of the musicians, singer and Bettina - the spontaneity - being so close - I would like to lear more about music, maybe to play. Thank you so much!