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13 Jan 25 | Events
The Power of Music on Wellbeing
As the sun rises and a new day begins, Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective brings three inspiring events on Friday 28 February, inspired by the power of music on wellbeing. Events include a grounding yoga session with violinist and yogi Elena, a panel discussion with members of the collective and Professor Eric Clarke on looking after your wellbeing, an important part of general good health, and ending with a concert like no other in the Sheldonian Theatre. Read on for all the details of this inspiring celebration from Kaleidoscope Founder, Tom Poster:
Kaleidoscope’s Music and Wellbeing day starts at sunrise (or thereabouts!) with a grounding, juicy yoga class, accessible for all ages and stages, to start the day mindfully. This session will be led by Kaleidoscope’s own Elena Urioste, who is not only a violinist but also a qualified yoga instructor.
A pre-concert discussion and Q&A with members of Kaleidoscope and Professor Eric Clarke offers insights into what really goes through the minds, hearts and bodies of performing musicians (with parallels, undoubtedly, to many other walks of life!). The discussion will also explore practical ways to look after physical and mental health in challenging times.
As the day culminates, we invite our audience to an intimate musical listening experience, with performers and audience alike bonded through breath and mindfulness, in a communal listening space with chairs and relaxed inviting and comfortable bean bags. The evening programme opens with a solo musician and grows to an ensemble of five, featuring works that explore themes of dreams, hope and spirituality: Beethoven wrote his transcendent Heiliger Dankgesang after recovering from a serious illness which he had feared would be fatal, while the Argentine composer Osvaldo Golijov’s klezmer-inspired clarinet quintet, The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind, electrifyingly combines dance tunes and dreamlike introspection, conjuring an intense state of communion. There will be recent music from Jessie Montgomery, and folk traditions will weave through the programme, including brand new arrangements by myself (Tom Poster).
Staging a concert in a more relaxed and immersive setting is a new experience for us. By encouraging people to listen ‘differently’ (which is to say, comfortably and mindfully, not necessarily upright in a chair, and free to respond naturally to the music’s flow), we hope to bring listeners closer to both the visceral power and the solace of this music. After all, no two people are affected by music in the same way, so why should we expect everyone to listen in exactly the same manner? Our overriding wish is to provide magical collective experiences, so we hope to tempt you to join us on this exploration.
You can book your tickets for the Early Morning Yoga, Panel Discussion and Evening Concert, all taking place on Friday 28 February. Don’t miss out!
13 Jan 25