Cambridge colleges and music

[BeckAndCall]

Can I ask for some collective knowledge here? I am at great risk of outing myself in real life here as the question is very specific and a few people overlap with me from school and JD, but here goes.

For those of you who went to Cambridge colleges or who have DC at colleges now, do you have any idea what range of instruments the colleges own themselves for their music activities?

My DD is a percussionist but will not be studying music but intends to continue playing symphony etc. Specifically, do the colleges have their own timpani and percussion instruments, does anybody know?

The websites are not detailed enough to tell me what we need to know and DDs next step is to email the music societies of all of the colleges but I thought I'd try you first.

Thanks to anyone who can help!

CUMS has their own timps and percussion instruments, but I don't know about individual colleges. I do think that she'd be best off contacting them all individually.

I expect that's what we'll have to do, grendels - thanks

I'm pretty sure Robinson had timpani when I was there. It's possible they hired them in for concerts but I seem to remember them being in the practice room permanently.

CUMS and CUCO will have a range of large things. Not sure about individual colleges, but I will ask DH when he wakes (he is the musician in this family) about what was available at Caius.

I'd talk to the Music Faculty. With something like percussion, they are likely to know which colleges have their own.

I'm fairly certain my college didn't have its own timpani...Has your DD already got a place or is she planning on deciding which college to apply to on the basis of which has the best percussion stash?!

It's the latter, widgeon - she's currently lower sixth.

We will contact the music faculty, I think, and have open days lined up. I hope all this research is worthwhile - with my elder two, we researched to the nth detail all the colleges and what they wanted and they didn't get in! Still, got to be prepared.

Thanks for the help guys.

And just to reassure you, widgeon, the top criteria will be which college offers her chosen course and fellows with interested in her particular areas - but there are at least 15 or 20 of those! Music is the second criteria.