Explore the summer school
The Summer School & Festival runs from 23 July – 20 August 2022.
Decide whether you’re attending courses, concerts or both, and then choose a package that’s right for you. You can also choose from a range of accommodation options on our beautiful estate as required.
summer school concerts are now live!
We are delighted to report that our stunning programme of concerts is now available to book. There’s something for everyone – including a range of family-friendly events. View the full programme here >
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latest from @dartingtonarts
Don't miss this on BBC Radio 3 this Sunday! Featuring our artist in residence @jasonsinghthing . We can't wait to listen ahead of our own Vaughan Williams 150 celebrations at this year's Summer School.
The Lark Descending
Between the Ears
Half environmental warning, half re-imagining of a classic work - The Lark Descending features the premiere of Hinako Omori’s new electronic arrangement of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending.
When Vaughan Williams wrote his most famous work in 1914, the skylark would have been a ubiquitous presence in the British countryside, but today the skylark is on the "red list" of conservation concern. This bird may have inspired one of the most famous pieces of classical music ever, but now we’re facing an increasingly silent sky.
Between The Ears explores what we have lost, presenting The Lark Ascending in a new light, with a fresh, electronic arrangement. Here, the soloist is the skylark itself - captured by veteran sound recordist Chris Watson in Northumberland this spring.
Naturalist and broadcaster Lucy ‘Lapwing’ Hodson explores the relationship between The Lark Ascending and the birds disappearing from our skies. Along the way, Lucy meets concert violinist Jennifer Pike at Vaughan Williams’s childhood home, producer and nature beatboxer Jason Singh, and writer and conservationist Laurence Rose.
150 years after Vaughan Williams was born, the contrast between the popularity of his most famous work and the steady decline of skylark numbers in the UK has never been as stark. Composer Hinako Omori's electronic re-imagining of the piece explores this contrast, in the premiere of her new arrangement Conversation With A Lark.
Produced in binaural sound, immerse yourself in the skylark’s world by wearing headphones for the best listening experience.
We're thrilled to offer musicians the chance to work on their composition skills with talented folk artist Cevanne Horrocks-Hopayian in Week Two of our Music Summer School this year (30th July - 6th August) in our Folk Composition course.
During the week, you'll experiment with different processes to provide the spark for your new folk composition. Led by award-winning composer and performer Cevanne Horrocks-Hopayian, this course draws techniques from her wide-ranging influences — from English, Scottish and Armenian folksong to conceptual art; from graphic scores to field recordings of the local environment. The course is open to all musicians, and by the end of the week we’ll perform our new arrangements together.
Head over to dartington.org/summerschool to book your spot on this fantastic course, or call: 01803 847080 (10am – 4pm Monday – Friday)
{Photo credit: Jodie Cartman}
#dartingtonmusic
Love to sing? Spend a revitalising week in the beautiful Devon countryside this summer singing at Dartington's world-famous Music Summer School & Festival!
Join us for our popular "Big Choir" choral courses for a week from 23rd July - 20th August, singing choral classics such as Monteverdi’s sumptuous Vespers, Handel’s dramatic Athalia, Brahms’ Requiem, and Vaughan Williams’ mystical songs. You can also opt to join a Gospel Choir with @blackvoicesuk in Week Four, or join the @nestfolk's Fire Choir led by @benseesings to sing folk protest songs in Week Two.
We're currently particularly short on tenors and basses for our Summer School choirs, so please help us spread the word to any deeper-chested singers you may know!
Explore the choral courses on the programme via our website, dartington.org/summerschool, and call our friendly team to book 10am - 4pm, Monday - Friday: 01803 847080 ☎
#dartingtonmusic
A brilliant opportunity just opened up for advanced singers who'd like to work with renowned Soprano, Juliet Fraser: we have one spot still available on our Vocal Masterclass in Week Four of this year's Summer School, 13 - 20 August! You'll explore how to tackle a brand-new score, how to integrate extended vocal techniques, how to commission a new work, and more.
If this is of interest, make sure you contact the Summer School team ASAP via email: summerschool@dartington.org or phone (10am - 4pm, Monday - Friday): 01803 847080
Bursaries available, so let us know if finances are a potential barrier!
We are very sad to hear of the death of Harrison Birtwistle. Harry first came to Dartington in 1957 as a student in the composition class while Igor Stravinsky was in attendance, studying alongside many other remarkable students such as Peter Maxwell Davies, Alexander Goehr, Hugh Wood, Richard Rodney Bennett and Cornelius Cardew, who would all go on to have influential careers in classical music. We were lucky to welcome Harry back many times throughout the rest of his life to teach composition in the summer school and premier new works. Here are two photos of Harry at Dartington.
The one in colour was taken by Kate Mount during the Dartington Summer School in 2019 with then artistic Joanna MacGregor, well known for her performances of Birtwistle's music and her rendition of his Clocks recorded in the Great Hall here. The other photo in black white was taken by Charles Davis and shows Birtwistle (right) in the Courtyard during the Summer School in 1972. The figure facing the camera (left) is the American composer Morton Feldman.
#classicalmusic #birtwistle #music #composer #obituary #summerschool #dartington
Would you like to support our work at the Summer School, make friends, develop your career in the Arts and events, and attend Summer School courses and concerts with generous discounts? We'd love for you to join our team as a volunteer!
There are several positions you can apply for (swipe for details), and the deadline for applications is 22 April. Find out more via: dartington.org/summerschool/volunteers
Do share this with anyone you think might be interested!
#dartingtonmusic