Summer School Courses - Week 3

07 August – 14 August

We conclude our journey though Haydn’s ‘Esterházy Masses’ with the Harmoniemesse, plus a first for Dartington with Saint-Saëns’ Requiem. Vaughan Williams is featured in a number of projects including the London Symphony for the all-comers orchestra, and the chamber choir with Flos Campi. Harrison Birtwistle will be working with writer Stephen Plaice, director Stephen Langridge and designer Alison Chitty on a new work of music theatre, and James Weeks leads a course in Choral Composition.

We welcome back Joanna MacGregor, and Helen Reid will perform the newly commissioned piano concerto by David Matthews. Another premiere will be Ben Wallfisch’s work for chamber choir and orchestra. Tunde Jegede will introduce a project on African Classical music, as well as making a documentary work around the slave musician Joseph Emidy. A week of wind, brass and strings is complemented with accordion and mandolin, plus the ever popular Tango.

Courses marked with a plus+ are suitable for those with little or no musical experience. Those marked with one asterisk* are for advanced participants only. Those classes marked with two asterisks** are for advanced participants only and are subject to an application process. See Advanced Courses for details.

ONE WEEK COURSES

Choir

Director Hilary Davan Wetton
Haydn Harmoniemesse (Bärenreiter, sung in Latin)
Saint-Saëns Requiem (Kalmus, sung in Latin)

Orchestral Workshop

Director Stephen Dummer
Vaughan Williams A London Symphony
The all-comers orchestra will study Vaughan Williams’ London Symphony. Players of all abilities are welcome.

Chamber Choir

Director Jeremy Walker
The chamber choir will explore a number of early twentieth century English works, including Vaughan Williams’ Toward the Unknown Region and the enigmatic Flos Campi, for solo viola, small orchestra and wordless choir. This course is best suited to experienced singers. Participants may be chosen by audition at the beginning of the week.

Vocal Ensembles

Directors EXAUDI
The vocal ensembles course will study a range of 20th century English part songs (with a few forays into the 19th and 21st), including Britten’s Flower Songs, Vaughan Williams, Stanford, Tippett, Skempton and others. Unlike the choral courses, the emphasis will be on consort singing, one-to-a-part as far as possible, and participants will need to be confident in holding a solo line. As well as learning and (informally) performing the repertoire, there will also be the opportunity to work on vocal technique and the art of ensemble singing with members of EXAUDI during the sessions.

Chamber Music

Director Becka Rickard
with the Solstice Quartet
For all the following options, you MUST complete a chamber music form and indicate your preference, (FULL-, PART- or TEA-TIME), when you book. Places are limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Coaching from the resident quartet will be available for all options.
FULL-TIME
Sign up in advance to do chamber music from11.15-12.45 AND 2.15-3.45. You will be assigned a morning group and an afternoon group. Groups and repertoire will be fixed by 1 June and music sent out for pre-practice by 1 July.
PART-TIME
Choose whether to do 11.15-12.45 OR 2.15-3.45 when you arrive, depending on the week’s schedule. Groups and repertoire are fixed on the Sunday morning of week three, so you should not expect to start playing until Sunday afternoon or Monday morning.
TEA-TIME
Sign up to do chamber music from 3.45-4.45 every day (i.e. after the normal teaching schedule) in order to avoid clashes. Groups and repertoire will be fixed by 1 June and music sent out for pre-practice by 1 July.
PLUS ‘THE CHAMBER POT’
A daily play-through of major works from the chamber music repertoire from 3.45-4.45 – no need to sign up in advance. Absolutely all are welcome, but you should be prepared to double-up or swap if necessary. If none of these options suit you, there will be notice boards and meetings where you can arrange your own informal groups, but please be aware that you are unlikely to receive coaching from the Solstice Quartet.

Instrumental and Vocal Classes

Jessica Cash Voice
Ian Partridge Voice
Joanna MacGregor Piano*
Helen Reid Piano
Matthew Trusler Violin
Peter Sulski Viola
Karine Georgian Cello**
David Kenedy Cello
Peter Buckoke Double Bass
Alison Stephens Mandolin
Craig Ogden Guitar
Anna Noakes Flute
Melinda Maxwell Oboe
Stephen Dummer Clarinet
Laurence Perkins Bassoon
Stephen Stirling Horn
John Wallace Trumpet
David Purser Trombone
Ian Watson Accordion

Organ Masterclass**

Director David Titterington
Free-choice of romantic or contemporary works suitable to be played on the organs of St Mary’s Totnes and St John’s Church Torquay. The specification of these instruments can be found on the NPOR (National Pipe Organ Register) website: www.npor.org.uk
Please advise the Summer School office of your repertoire choice when you apply.
Please note this class is subject to a process of application – See Advanced Courses for details.
Closing date for applications: 9th April.

Wind-and-Strings Combined Chamber Music*

Directors Laurence Perkins and David Kenedy
Bach Brandenburg Concerto no 4 (2 flutes, violin, tutti strings, harpsichord continuo)
Dvorak Serenade in D minor, op 44 (2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 3 horns, 1 cello, 1 double-bass.)
An exciting and rewarding opportunity to explore in depth two large-ensemble masterpieces. Please note that this is a course for diploma standard players – only apply for these groups if you are well above grade 8 standard and confident in tackling music which is musically and technically challenging. Music will be sent out in advance for personal practice, and players will be expected to know their individual parts. Daily tutored sessions will lead to an informal performance at the end of the week. Other mixed ensemble works will be available for general chamber music. Please note that the Bach will be performed on modern instruments at modern pitch (A440). Places for both ensembles will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Choral Composition

Director James Weeks
Under the guidance of James Weeks, participants will write a short piece to be performed informally at the end of the week by vocal ensemble EXAUDI, who will also be available to test material during the writing process. All pieces should be composed to English texts written before 1700 and participants should select their text prior to arrival (it is a good idea to bring alternatives as well). Pre-composed pieces will not be eligible for performance at the end of the course, though it is acceptable to bring sketch material to work on during the week. The total available forces are eight solo voices, SSAATTBB, and any combination of those voices may be used (it is not essential to use all eight). One or both altos may be countertenors. The course is limited to eight participants, and participants must sign up before the start of the week.

New Rhythms

Director Tunde Jegede
An exciting opportunity for woodwind, brass and string players to work closely with a composer on his own works. Tunde Jegede is a composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist who is uniquely placed between the worlds of Contemporary Classical, African and Jazz music. This series of workshops will examine notions of expression in contemporary classical music, with particular emphasis on rhythm, and participants will learn and play Tunde’s compositions. There will also be a series of complementary lectures.

Tango Music and Dance+

Directors Laura Hansen & Carlos Morera
Laura and Carlos return with their much-loved Tango course, which includes lessons in both music and dance separately. Anybody with proper shoes (no rubber soles) is welcome at the dance workshop. In the music workshop, no previous experience of Tango is necessary but instrumentalists (all strings, flutes and piano) need some sight-reading ability. Participants should commit for the whole week in order to enjoy the Tango Ball.

THREE WEEK COURSE

Advanced Conducting**

FULL TIME
Director Diego Masson
This is the first week of a three week course, and offers the opportunity for advanced conductors to work intensively under the direction of internationally renowned conductor, Diego Masson. This course is subject to a process of application and audition, and participants must commit to all three weeks.
See Advanced Courses for details.
Closing date for applications: 12th March. Please note that this course will finish on Monday 30th August as there will be a performance on Sunday 29th.