Summer School Courses - Week 4

Sir Charles Mackerras returns to Summer School for the first time since 1965 to continue our Haydn choral series, with The Creation. We embark on a fortnight’s focus on Japanese music with composer Somei Satoh in residence and the hugely popular Henschel Quartet return, bringing with them Kazuki Sawa. Pavel Novak, returns to attend a complete performance of his 24 preludes and fugues composed for William Howard.

ONE WEEK COURSES

Choir

Director Sir Charles Mackerras

Haydn Creation (Novello, sung in English)
Please note that some of the coaching will be taken by Jonathan Tilbrook.

Chamber Choir

Director Jonathan Tilbrook

The course is aimed at experienced and inquisitive choral singers with good sight-reading and musicianship skills, in order to form a small, well balanced ensemble. (Auditions may be required in the first session in order to ensure appropriate size and balance.) The repertoire will include Vaughan Williams Mass in G Minor and Purcell Verse Anthems and will offer a number of small solo opportunities for which singers will be chosen after a brief audition.

Chamber Music

Coordinator Barbara Sue White
Henschel Quartet

Ensembles are formed on arrival at Summer School, coordinated by Barbara Sue White and her team.
Players meet through an initial chamber music meeting at the start of the week, and through advertising on noticeboards.
Ensembles decide upon their own timetable and repertoire – bring your own music or borrow repertoire from the Summer School library.
Group members may change throughout the week depending on their other course choices, so be prepared to be flexible.

Instrumental & Vocal Classes

Dame Josephine Barstow Voice*
Richard Edgar-Wilson Voice*
Stephen Kovacevich Piano**
William Howard Piano
Geneviève Laurenceau Violin
Kazuki Sawa Viola
Gemma Rosefield Cello
Lynda Coffin Flute
Melinda Maxwell Oboe
Janet Hilton Clarinet
Laurence Perkins Bassoon
Sue Dent Horn

*These classes are for advanced level participants only
**This class is for advanced level participants only who will be chosen by audition at the start of the week.

Wind Chamber Music

Director Laurence Perkins

For those who love playing wind chamber music, this is the course for you! The course is open to players from around grade 3 to diploma standard, exploring a wide range of music for small and large ensembles. Players who sign up for this course will be expected to commit to the allocated session times each day, and will be allocated a group with other players of roughly similar standard, with tutoring in some of the sessions. There will also be opportunities for playing with other chamber groups through the week. Please note that it is not possible to send out music beforehand for this course – parts will be distributed on the Sunday to all players. Please ensure that you are as accurate as possible in your self-assessment of playing standard when applying.

Dartington Festival Light Orchestra

Directors Herbie Flowers, Alan Gout, Katharine Adams, Claire Lacey, Adam Bushell, Peter Ripper, Andy Baker

This fabulous course is back for its eighth year. A chance to work and play alongside a team of top professionals who will happily share with you their skills and experiences of pretty much every aspect of the music business. There is something for everybody – all ages, all standards, with a number of different options during the day:

Morning session 9.15 – 10.45am
An opportunity for orchestral instrumentalists to explore some of the vast repertoire of light music from the heyday of BBC Radio programmes such as ‘Music Box’, ‘Music While You Work’ and ‘Friday Night Is Music Night’. The culmination of this course will be ‘A Concert Of Light Music For All The Family’, with works by Robert Farnon, Eric Coates, Ronald Binge, Vivian Ellis, Arthur Wood, and present day composers from around the world. Plus a few surprises. By special request, lyric sheets of ‘My Fair Lady’ might well be handed out for the audience to sing along to. Bring Teddy – we’re sure to do ‘The Teddy Bears’ Picnic’.

Afternoon session 2.30 – 3.45pm
A warm invitation is extended to all DISS instrumentalists at a loose end, including accordion, brass, and saxes to join us in joyful preparation for our legendary ‘Tea Dance’ on Thursday at 3.30pm on the lawn. This hugely popular event includes full orchestral arrangements of unforgettable songs by Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Henry Mancini, Gershwin, Ivor Novello, Rogers & Hart. Waltz, quickstep, foxtrot, cha-cha, the tango, and the ever popular Gay Gordons. Oh, and the famed jive competition – fabulous prizes! We will also need to top and tail some of the best loved Strauss waltzes, polkas and gallops in readiness for Friday’s ‘Grand Viennese Ball’. Costumes optional but highly desirable.

For further information please contact herbie.flowers@btinternet.com

Write an Opera: Professional Development for teachers

Directors Royal Opera House

We welcome the Royal Opera House to lead their internationally acclaimed course for school-teachers. Led by a team of professional artists the course equips teachers with practical skills to support the development of their students’ learning through the arts. It provides the tools and structures to enable the undertaking of an in-school project in which students are able to devise and stage their own opera from scratch.

For more information and to request an application form, please contact ROH Education directly on 020 7212 9410 or email education@roh.org.uk.

TWO WEEK COURSES

Advanced Composition

FULL TIME
Director Somei Satoh

This is a unique opportunity to work with one of Japan’s leading composers. Six students will be selected to participate in daily masterclasses with Japanese composer Somei Satoh and write for the Summer School’s resident ensemble. The course will culminate in a concert of works composed during the two weeks. This is the first week of a two week course.

Please note: The closing date for entry onto this course was March 9th 2009. We are no longer accepting applications.

Advanced Opera: Puccini’s Madama Butterfly

FULL TIME
Director Alexander Oliver

This is the first week of a two-week course designed for young professional and advanced student singers. Alexander Oliver will give specialist coaching on Madama Butterfly leading to two concert performances in the Great Hall. This course works closely with Diego Masson’s Advanced Conducting course. This is an invaluable opportunity for singers on the threshold of their professional careers.

Please note: this course will finish on Sunday 30 August 2009

Applications for both bursary and non-bursary students wishing to attend this course must be made by 16 March 2009. Please send an application form, covering letter, CV, recording of your singing, tutor’s reference and a large stamped addressed envelope if you would like your recording returned. Auditions will be held in London in early May.

THREE WEEK COURSE

Advanced Conducting

FULL TIME
Director Diego Masson

This is the second week of a three week course.