Music & Performing Arts – B2 English Listening Exercise

9 local residents 10 preliminary rehearsal 11 folk songs 12 winter festival

13 bass guitar 14 sheet music 15 boat trip

16 soundproofing 17 breathing techniques 18 noticeboard

Alex: Hello everyone, and a massive welcome to the university! My name is Alex, and I’m the current student president of the university’s music society. I’m here today to tell you a little bit about what we do and, hopefully, convince a few of you to join us. The arts and culture scene here is fantastic, and getting involved is a great way to take a break from your academic studies.

The music society has a really rich history. It’s been running for decades. A lot of new students assume it was set up by the university’s music professors to give their students extra practice. But actually, it was a group of local residents who originally started it back in the 1970s, as a way to bring the town and the university closer together. We’ve kept that community spirit alive ever since.

We have several different ensembles you can join, but today I really want to extend an open invitation to all undergraduates to join our main choir. People often get intimidated because they think they need to pass a terrifying audition to get in. Let me reassure you, that’s not the case. Our only requirement is your attendance at a preliminary rehearsal. This just allows our conductor to hear your voice in a relaxed setting and figure out your vocal range, so we know where to place you.

We also sing a really wide variety of material. Last term, we focused heavily on classical pieces, which was incredibly rewarding but quite challenging to learn. This semester, though, we are mainly doing folk songs. They are a lot of fun, much easier to pick up, and they sound absolutely brilliant when sung by a large group.

Our main goal right now is preparing for our next big performance. We were originally hoping to sing at the university graduation ceremony in the spring, but the venue changed. Instead, we’ve been booked to perform at the winter festival in the city centre. It’s going to be a massive outdoor event with hundreds of people watching, so we really need as many voices as possible!

Of course, if singing isn’t really your thing, we have instrumental groups too. Our orchestra is always looking for string players. The jazz band is also very popular; they are currently full for saxophone and trumpet players, but they are desperately looking for someone to play the bass guitar. So, if you’ve got experience with that, please do get in touch.

Now, regarding costs, there is a small membership fee of ten pounds for the academic year. This money is really useful for us. It doesn’t just cover the hire of the concert hall for our performances, but it also pays for all your sheet music, which can otherwise be quite expensive for students to buy individually.

We’re a very sociable bunch, too. It’s not just about practicing and performing. We usually organise a big formal dinner at the end of the year, but next month we are arranging a boat trip for all new and existing members. It’s a great way to break the ice and get to know people outside of the rehearsal room.

As a member, you also get access to our dedicated practice rooms down in the basement of the arts block. They used to be a bit echoey and you could hear everyone else playing, but over the summer, the university kindly installed new soundproofing. So, you can go down there and practice as loudly as you like without disturbing anyone.

Finally, we also invite professionals to come and help us improve our skills. We had a famous composer visit last year to talk about writing music. Next week, however, a professional opera singer is coming to run a workshop on breathing techniques. It’s completely free for members and is absolutely vital for any vocalist or wind player.

If you’re interested in joining any of our groups, you can always check out our social media pages. However, the best place to find the weekly schedule and the physical sign-up sheets is the noticeboard in the student union building. Just put your name down, and we’ll see you at the next session. Thanks for listening!

9 fiddle 10 animal gut 11 bow 12 chemicals

13 tree resin 14 neck angle 15 chin rest

16 steel 17 feedback 18 local workshop

Dr. Aris Thorne: Good evening, everyone, and thank you for inviting me to your music society. My name is Dr. Aris Thorne, and tonight I’ll be taking you on a journey through the fascinating evolution of the violin.

When we trace the history of this beautiful instrument, many assume the violin evolved directly from the guitar, or perhaps the lute. But actually, its most direct ancestor was a medieval instrument known as the fiddle. This early version was quite different from what we see in orchestras today, but it laid the fundamental groundwork for the entire string family.

As the instrument evolved, the materials used to construct it went through significant changes. In terms of what they were strung with, you might expect they used wire, or even silk, as was common in Asia. Instead, early European makers relied on animal gut for the strings. This material provided a warm, rich tone, although it was notoriously difficult to keep in tune during damp weather.

Looking at the violin’s design, people often think the curves are purely for visual appeal or perhaps acoustic resonance. In reality, the distinctive cut-outs on the sides were created to give the player’s bow clearance to move freely. Without those deep inward curves, the musician would constantly hit the wooden body when trying to play the outer strings.

During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the craft reached its peak in Cremona, Italy. Some historians argue that the wood’s density was the key factor in their quality, while others point to the climate of the era. However, recent studies suggest that the chemicals used to treat the wood gave those antique instruments their unique voice. These treatments originally protected the wood from worms, but accidentally created an acoustic masterpiece.

Much has also been said about the famous varnish applied to these masterpieces. People love to romanticise that it contained crushed jewels or exotic oils. But it was essentially just a mixture of local tree resin and oil. This simple recipe protected the instrument and allowed the wood to vibrate naturally.

As we moved into the nineteenth century, music transitioned from small chambers to massive concert halls. To be heard over a full orchestra, the violin needed more tension. Makers didn’t change the body size, nor did they alter the bridge much. What they actually modified was the neck angle, tilting it back to increase the volume and projection of the instrument.

With the music becoming far more complex, players had to shift their hands rapidly up and down the fingerboard. You might imagine they simply practised more, or used a different grip to hold the instrument secure. In fact, the invention of the chin rest in the 1820s was what truly allowed virtuosos to perform such dazzling pieces without dropping the instrument.

Entering the twentieth century, materials evolved once again. Traditionalists still preferred the old strings, and some experimented with nylon. Nevertheless, steel became the standard choice for most players because it stayed in tune much better under modern stage lighting and heavy touring conditions.

Then came the electric violin. Early models were heavily criticised for looking like toys, or sounding like synthesizers. Yet, modern versions have gained immense respect, primarily because they completely eliminate the problem of feedback when played on a loud stage alongside drums and electric guitars.

It’s been an absolute pleasure sharing this journey with you. Next week, the society won’t be meeting here in the lecture hall, and we aren’t having a film screening either. Instead, we’ve organised a visit to a local workshop where you can see a luthier in action, carving a violin from scratch. Thank you for your time, and I’d be happy to answer any questions.