The History of the Summer School

The Summer School grew out of the first Edinburgh Festival in 1947, an event launched by John Christie of Glyndebourne as a means of post-war cultural healing, and as a platform for his operatic endeavour. “… but where is the teaching?” asked several of the major artists, most notably Artur Schnabel. The Salzburg Festival was to have a Summer School for Art led by Oskar Kokoschka – could not Edinburgh have something similar for music? The Festival’s director Rudolf Byng had too much on his plate, but Schnabel’s sometime student William Glock suggested that a Summer School for Music could be established in one of the English boarding schools – and so it came to pass that the event was launched in 1948 at Bryanston. Britain was remote from the musical and cultural thrust of the European and American mainstream, and the Summer School quickly became a meeting ground for those hungry to explore a new musical landscape – not only in terms of contemporary music, but also areas of early music that had hitherto been largely neglected.

Legendary figures such as Hindemith, Enescu, Copland, Carter and Boulanger helped to underscore a vital commitment to composition from the outset. Meanwhile, at Dartington the emergent Amadeus String Quartet was being nurtured in the context of musical exploration led by Imogen Holst. Both she and the quartet were immediately a part of the Summer School at Bryanston and helped to pave the way for its move to Dartington five years later, an initiative led by Peter Cox, as Dartington’s Arts Administrator, who was also to become the founding Principal of the College of Arts. Aided by John Amis as administrator and Bea Musson as registrar, the Summer School was directed by William Glock for more than thirty years, and for much of that time Glock ran it in tandem with the BBC Proms. Dartington was affectionately referred to in the BBC music department as ‘the annexe’. The BBC was a useful resource and ‘powerbase’ from which Glock could inform and influence Summer School planning; indeed a number of BBC stalwarts would become regular Summer School tutors, notably Hans Keller.

A family of regular artists emerged – Vlado Perlemuter and George Malcolm, who gave title to ‘the Trogs’, the team of helpers who stage manage the complex weave of courses and concerts, and look after artists. Many Trogs who generally come from student backgrounds, go on to become leaders in the wider cultural world. Every year has its high points, but 1957 was a particular highpoint, with the visit of Stravinsky and a composition class that included Peter Maxwell Davies, Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, Hugh Wood, Richard Rodney Bennett and Cornelius Cardew as students. The midfifties are often recalled as the Italian Years with Luigi Nono, Bruno Maderna and Luciano Berio teaching. Then also, fond Dutch memories – with the Netherlands Wind Ensemble, and the Dutch connection – remain vibrant with those participating in early music.

William Glock was succeeded as Artistic Director by Peter Maxwell Davies, who was in charge for five years – with his ensemble ‘The Fires of London’ very much in residence. In 1985, Gavin Henderson took over running the Summer School in tandem with the Brighton Festival, the Trinity College of Music and now The Central School of Speech and Drama. Gavin changed the title from Summer School of Music to Dartington International Summer School, reflecting the programming of other disciplines – dance, film and theatre – but all with a musical connection. He extended the period to five weeks, increased the range of composition courses and greatly enhanced the programme of early music. He instated the advanced opera course, brought in Keith Tippett to direct a Jazz course, and then Herbie Flowers to explore aspects of Rock and song writing with the RockShop. Orchestral provision has lead to the consolidation of the Festival Orchestra for three weeks and of period instrument work in the Baroque Orchestra for the first two weeks. While previously the choir was regularly accompanied by two pianos, Henderson has ensured that it always works with orchestra. The bedrock of the Summer School remains the choir, the instrumental masterclasses and workshops, the composition courses and the wide mix of chamber music.