Music update by Graeme Stevenson

The start of the academic year always brings a renewed enthusiasm to University music groups - new members, clean crisp music, and plans to build on the success of previous years.

The chamber choir have a busy year ahead of them that will hopefully culminate in a visit to Leipzig in April next year. As well as participating in the University music society concerts, they will be performing to raise money for this trip.

The big band's first public performance this year will be at the University lunchtime concert on Friday 15 November. OPSOC, the students' association's society of the year celebrate its 40th anniversary this year with a production of Bye, Bye Birdie. As well as this show in May, there will be other events marking this anniversary throughout the year.

The lunchtime groups resume this month. The string ensemble will be working on Karl Jenkins' Palladio and some of the "Mannheim" Symphonies by Johann Stamitz. The Bach Consort will be rehearsing a variety of Baroque choral music. As well as cantatas by JS Bach, we will be singing works by Antonio Lotti and Buxtehude. The staff group 'can't sing won't sing' will continue to meet on Thursday lunchtimes with a pile of new music from shows to Edward Elgar sampling pop and spirituals. Staff are welcome at all of these groups. Details at www.dundee.ac.uk/music

The Friday lunchtime concert series begins on 11 October with a performance of Beethoven's String Trio in G Op9/1. Entrance is free and the concerts begin at 1.20 pm, lasting about 30 minutes.

This term's evening concert will be given by local musician, Rob MacKillop: "a top-drawer player...a master of his instrument; a player of real quality, with warmth of personality and communication skills to match...one of Scotland's top professionals"; and, "MacKillop displays dazzling virtuosity...the playing is exceptionally musical" are just some of the tributes written about this guitar player.

The concert will take place in the chaplaincy centre on Wednesday 6 November at 7.30pm. The programme will feature historical lute, cittern and guitar music of Scotland, music from the surviving Scottish lute manuscripts: Balcarres, Wemyss, Rowallan, Straloch and Brechin Castle and beautiful laments and dances for the cittern by Robert Edwards, a 17th century merchant of Dundee and minister of The Murroes. Also, 18th-century wire-strung 'guittar' music by James Oswald (from Crail) and Robert Bremner, and 19th-century gut-strung classical guitar music with a Scottish connection, including a set of variations on 'Ye Banks and Braes' by the great Spanish guitar-composer, Fernando Sor.

Ian Priestly, Dundee graduate and singer will be appearing at the Gardyne Road theatre this month in Lucia di Lammermoor with the cast of Tayside opera. Now a fully-fledged professional singer with a series of operatic and recital credits to his name Ian was a microbiology student at the University of Dundee graduating in 1985 and again with his doctorate in 1989. Earlier this year he performed Opera Galactica at Dundee Rep and will be singing in Viva Verdi in the Webster Theatre, Arbroath in November. Tickets available from the central box office, City Square.

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