Week 1 Courses, 21-28 July 2012

Once again, the Summer School begins with an array of early music delights; welcoming back Emma Kirkby, David Miller and The Dufay Collective. Andrew Griffiths, known to us as a member of Stile Antico, is rapidly making a big name for himself as a conductor. He will join us in week one to direct the choir in a concert of French Baroque music.

Old friends, Fretwork return to coach Viol Consorts, whilst soloists from the Retrospect Ensemble coach Chamber Music and Chris Bucknall begins teaching our two week long Baroque Dramatic Choruses course. We are also pleased to offer a very welcome return to the Balinese Gamelan course and of course Lewis Riley will once again be leading Jazz and Improvised Music.

One Week Courses

Choir

Director Andrew Griffiths
Mondonville Dominus Regnavit
(ed. Halliday/Le Concert d’Astrée – hire only on arrival
at Dartington)
De Lalande Cantate Domino
(ed. Sawkins, purchase only on arrival at Dartington
Charpentier Te Deum in C major H. 145
(ed. Bartlett, The Early Music Company)

Orchestral Workshop

Director Rhiannon Evans
The all-comers orchestra will explore French Baroque music from the 17th and 18th centuries. Pitch will be A440. Players of all levels are welcome.

Chamber Music

Coordinator Rhiannon Evans
with soloists from the Retrospect Ensemble
The chamber music course will offer one formally organised session each day. Each participant will be assigned to a group in advance, and suitable repertoire chosen depending on numbers and standards. Pre-formed groups are welcome to bring their own repertoire. Groups can get together informally at other times (when some coaching may also be available). If you wish to take part in this course, please complete the Chamber Music booking form with your application before 1 June, as places are limited. If you have any specific requests for pieces you would like to work on please mention these on the form and we will do our best to include them. You will be contacted with details of your group and suggested repertoire before the start of Summer School.

Instrumental and Vocal Masterclasses and Workshops

Dame Emma Kirkby voice**
Andrew Watts voice
Gail Hennessy baroque oboe*
David Miller lute, theorbo and baroque guitar*
Matthew Halls harpsichord

Vocal Ensembles

Director Sally Dunkley
The golden age of English music: Elizabethan and Jacobean motets and madrigals. Small vocal consorts will be formed at the start of the week to work on both sacred and secular English music. Repertoire will include some of the pieces written after the death of Henry, Prince of Wales in 1612. A full repertoire list will be given in the final details in June. We will aim to form well-balanced and flexible groups, so please assess your vocal skills and sight-reading ability on the application form.

Improve Your Sight Singing

Director Rhiannon Evans
Are you confused by clefs? Perplexed by pitches? Ruffled by rhythms? This course is open to all, but is aimed mainly at those who enjoy singing in the choir and other vocal activities, but are not fluent sightsingers (or maybe can’t read music at all). It will cover all the basic elements of music notation (using English rather than European or American terminology), using various games and exercises to improve confidence in reading rhythms and pitching intervals. As the course is meant to complement the choir rehearsals, musical examples will be taken from the week’s choir repertoire wherever possible.

Bach on the Harpsichord

Director Colin Booth
An introduction to the harpsichord, the instrument and its playing techniques, for pianists who want to explore Bach’s music. Participants should bring one or two rehearsed pieces from any of Bach’s keyboard suites, plus another Bach piece of their own choice.

Baroque Dance+

Director Sarah Cremer
This course is open to all ages and abilities, and explores the dances of Rameau’s opera Les Indes galantes. In close collaboration with the Baroque Orchestra, all instrumentalists will be invited to dance.

Mediaeval & Renaissance Music

‘Al Manere Minstrelsy’
Directors The Dufay Collective
The Dufay Collective present their ever-popular course in early music from the 12th to the 16th centuries. Participants should bring their own instruments, be able to read music, and be willing to work in mixed ensembles. Existing groups and singers are also welcome. Individual and group coaching can be arranged directly with the tutors. Classes will cover medieval and early renaissance instrumental ensemble and vocal music including early dance music and improvisation, songs for troubadours and pilgrims and early polyphony, secular and devotional.

Viol Consorts

Directors Fretwork
Fretwork invite viol players with some experience of consort music to come and play music from all periods and all countries, ranging from the earliest music written for viols, through the great ‘golden age’ of consort music in England, to transcriptions of Bach and finally to try some of the more straightforward contemporary music written in the last 20 years. Players will be grouped into viable consorts and can choose their own repertoire. Complete beginners can try the viol in two sessions during the week.

Early Brass: Trumpets and Trombones

FULL TIME
Directors David Staff & Emily White
This course is for those who are interested in the history, development and playing of the late seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth century trumpet and trombone. Trumpeters will focus on trumpet ensembles, working without vent holes as much as possible. Trombonists will be looking at historical performance on period instruments encompassing five hundred years of the instrument’s history. Playing will be as a trombone choir, and with individual lessons. This is the first week of Early Brass, and it is possible to attend just one or both weeks of this course.

Balinese Gamelan Banjar+

Director Saj Landey
The wonderful Indonesian tuned percussion instruments of the gamelan vary widely in terms of the level of musicianship required to play them. The ‘banjar’ in a Balinese village is the heart of the community, and the meeting place where gamelan practice takes place. This morning group is a wonderful start to the day, and is open to anybody, regardless of age or previous musical experience. The group will study a mix of ancient and modern gamelan pieces throughout the week. The course will culminate in a short, informal performance.

Balinese Gamelan Examined

Director Saj Landey
This course is designed for those who have had experience of playing Balinese gamelan, and for music teachers who have an interest in world music. The course will focus on studying in depth a piece of modern Balinese gamelan repertoire, using this piece to examine Balinese gamelan structure and composition. Ideas for using gamelan music in the classroom will also be introduced for teachers on the course. This class is suitable only for those over 16 years old.

Beginners Composition

Director Joe Cutler
This course is suitable for musicians who are fluent in notation, but have little or no experience of composition. Participants will initially write for a solo instrument from within the group. These compositions will then be developed into chamber works performable by members of the group. Please bring your instrument if possible. We will look at a range of works written for solo instruments from Bach to Berio and Skempton, and we will also look at flexibly scored pieces such as Terry Riley’s In C and Frederic Rzewski’s Coming Together.

Jazz and Improvised Music

FULL TIME
Lewis Riley director and piano
Peter Fairclough drums and percussion
Kevin Figes saxophones
Andy Hague brass
Riaan Vosloo double bass
Brigitte Beraha vocals
Each day will start at 9.30am with an open workshop given by each of the tutors in turn, except on day one which will be a welcome meeting. 11.00am-1.00pm will be the full ensemble of students and tutors led by Lewis. The afternoon will include daily small group sessions (in preparation for informal student concerts) and sectional rehearsals, each led by one of the tutors. The week will also include a jazz tutor’s concert and student jam sessions, culminating in a performance by the full ensemble on Friday evening.

Two Week Courses

Baroque Dramatic Choruses

Director Christopher Bucknall
This course will run in parallel to the Advanced Opera course and will work on French Baroque repertoire and other complementary pieces. In particular it will work on Charpentier and the chorus for Actéon, leading to participants on this course forming the chorus for the Advanced Opera performances in week 2. This course is suited to confident singers and the chorus for the opera performances may be selected from within the main course group because of required chorus size. This course will also culminate in a performance, separate to the Advanced Opera.

Baroque Orchestra**

FULL TIME
Directors Nicolette Moonen & Jenny Ward-Clarke In Week 1 the Baroque Orchestra will work on an orchestral suite from Rameau’s opera Les Indes galantes as well as repertoire for this week’s concert. All participants will also take part in the Baroque Dance course with Sarah Cremer and learn to dance to the music of Les Indes galantes. Please note that this course is subject to a process of application – Click here for details. The Baroque Orchestra
runs for two weeks, and participants may do one or both weeks.
Deadline for applications: 23 April

Advanced Baroque Opera**

Charpentier: Actéon
FULL TIME
Director Tim Hopkins
Musical Director Robert Howarth This is the first week of a two-week course designed for emerging professional and advanced student singers. Tim Hopkins and Robert Howarth will give coaching on Charpentier’s Actéon. Please note that this course is subject to an audition process, and participants must commit to both weeks. Please Click here for details.
Deadline for applications: 16 March

+ These courses are suitable for those with little or no musical experience.
* These classes are for advanced participants only.
** These courses are for advanced participants only and entry is subject to an application process. Click here for details.