Music on film with Mick

Capturing Music On Film will be on December 14 at 7.30pm.

Mick is a prolific documentary film maker who has been responsible for programmes on the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 during the past 40 years. He has made biographical films about musicians including Plácido Domingo, Rudolf Nureyev, Bob Marley and Benny Goodman. This multi-media event will include his opera film Mozart in Turkey which featured a performance of Il Seraglio in the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul.

Mick, who lives in the village of Aldsworth, just west of Funtington, six miles from Chichester, said: “Two of my greatest passions in life are listening to music (classical, pop, jazz, world, etc) and making documentary films. It is especially good fun when the two can be combined together in the form of music films. I have been filming music making for more than 40 years, in many different countries within Europe, the Americas, Africa, China, Japan and the Middle East. While I like filming musical performances (in studios, concert halls and cathedrals etc), I especially like filming the whole creative process of composing, rehearsing and staging music.

“The focus of my Christmas lecture at Chichester University on December 14 will be on the performance of music and the process of music-making. I will be showing half-a-dozen examples of how I have filmed with a range of musicians, including the tenor Plácido Domingo, the composer Sir Michael Tippett, and the conductor Sir Charles Mackerras. I will also show examples of the highly-influential African-American gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and the wonderful African singer Angelique Kidjo from Benin. My plan is to end the evening with substantial excerpts from the opera movie Mozart In Turkey featuring a performance of Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio, filmed within the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul.

“I am a huge fan of the Funtington Music Group events. Thanks to the energy and dedication of David Tinsley and his small team, each year there is a range of excellent events – all staged within the spectacular Chapel of the Ascension on the growing campus of Chichester University.

“As a regular visitor to the FMG events, I am enjoying seeing the growing number music students from the university attending. The Funtington Music Group has already raised a substantial amount of money for the music department of the university, donating more than £50,000 towards student bursaries and the purchasing of instruments.

“I am very happy that several of my past music films have played at Chichester’s special little Cinema at New Park – mostly during the summer film festivals.

“Films have included: Mozart In Turkey about a production of Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio staged with Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace in 1999; Africa Live about the spectacular Roll Back Malaria Concert in Senegal in 2005; and The Godmother of Rock & Roll about the influential gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, made in 2010.

“Currently I am producing a new music/history documentary film called The Jazz Ambassadors. It is all about the role of African-American jazz during the Cold War between the USSR and the USA. It features the music of Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. I very much like the mix of music and politics.”

Visitors are welcome to Funtington Music Group meeting for a ticket price of £15 payable at the door or may be pre-booked on 01243 378900.

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It's packed with ideas and tips to ensure you make the most out of the festive season.

There's recipes, suggestions for presents and everything from choosing your tree to recycling your packaging and paper.

Go to www.chichester.co.uk/christmas/