Archive / 2016 / Courses
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2016 course information
Early and Middle Eastern Music, improvisation, poetry, and fairy tales
Week 1 is a fantastic week for singers: the Big Choir is directed by Stile Antico’s Andrew Griffiths, in a spectacular programme of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 and Renaissance motets from Italy; vocalists can study John Dowland’s lute songs with the glorious soprano Emma Kirkby. William Lyons and Peter Oswald direct an exciting course on London theatre music and song of the 16th and 17th centuries; Emily White and Gawain Glenton direct the gorgeous polyphony of Andrea Gabrieli for cornetts, sackbuts and voices, while Nicholas Clapton welcomes singers to his open vocal workshop.
There are classes and workshops for viol consorts, lutenists, reeds and recorders, cornetts and sackbuts, with David Miller, Fretwork, Carole Cerasi, The City Musick and The Brook Street Band. Improvisation and composition courses are led by the jazz pianist Huw Warren, and composer, fiddle and hurdy-gurdy player Stevie Wishart. Middle Eastern music and song is directed by the Lebanese oud player Abdul Salam Kheir and Egyptian singer Merit Ariane Stephanos, exploring the myriad interconnections between Arabic music and the Mediterranean.
Literary journeys abound this week, with performances and poetry led by Alice Oswald and Simon Armitage. The writer and mythographer Marina Warner runs a creative writing course, retelling migration and cultural exchange through 1001 Nights and fairytale. Week 1’s concerts are full of flair: from Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, fiddle fireworks from Corelli, Vivaldi and Leclair, In Nomine settings from Byrd and Purcell, and Terry Riley’s minimalist masterpiece In C, to medieval and Middle Eastern collaborations.
The Big Choir
Andrew Griffiths
The charismatic and internationally-acclaimed conductor Andrew Griffiths, returns to Dartington to direct Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610. A choral treat, this music is virtuosic and thrilling, as well as sweetly languid and colouristic. We’ll be pairing it with other early Renaissance Venetian composers, alongside The City Musick’s Advanced Renaissance Wind Band.
SESSION 1
Vocal Ensembles
Stile Antico
Andrew Griffiths and members of Stile Antico coach singers of all ages and abilities in smaller ensembles, focusing on early madrigals and motets.
SESSION 2
Vocal Masterclass
Emma Kirkby
‘I feel lucky that my career was characterised from the start by ensemble singing, especially with my first love, the lute; so we’ll have a joint session with David Miller’s class of accomplished lute and theorbo players early on. I’m happy to coach students in their choice of repertoire; there will also be an emphasis this year on the beautiful songs of John Dowland, and I’ll send beforehand a choice of ensemble pieces.’ This is an Advanced Selected course, please see the Advanced Courses page for application details.
SESSION 2
Vocal Workshop
Nicholas Clapton
‘Ever since coming to Dartington for the first time in 1995, I’ve always encouraged participants in my class to perform a wide and varied repertoire of their choice, on which we can work both technically and interpretatively. Aged from 16 to 80+, they have responded with everything from Machaut to Maxwell Davies – fabulous!’
SESSION 3
Middle Eastern Singing
Merit Ariane Stephanos
A wonderful opportunity to explore vocal repertoire with the celebrated Egyptian/German singer and composer Merit Ariane Stephanos. We’ll be looking at music from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Andalusia, and understanding the myriad interconnections between the Middle East and the Mediterranean. You’ll learn to express yourself through colour and ornamentation, and to improvise within the Arabic modal system (maqam) and rhythmic patterns (iqa’).
SESSION 3
The Big Choir Plus
Gavin Roberts
Some extra rehearsal opportunities for The Big Choir repertoire, with the wonderful choir repetiteur Gavin Roberts.
SESSION 4
Advanced Renaissance Wind Band
The City Musick
William Lyons and the ever-popular City Musick members return for their wind ensemble course. This year we will focus on the repertoire for cornets, shawms, dulcians and trombones from the Regensburg part books, the Lerma Codex, and German 17th century music for mixed ensemble, including stringed instruments and continuo. This is an Advanced Selected course, please see the Advanced Courses page for application details.
SESSION 1
Lute and Lute Ensembles
David Miller and Toby Carr
David Miller’s course in session 2 provides a unique opportunity for advanced and experienced players of early plucked instruments to develop their accompanying and continuo skills, whilst recreating the lush and sumptuous qualities of a large 17th century continuo group, with lutes, archlutes, chitarroni and guitars. In session 1 Toby Carr will offer intermediate and beginner lute-players technical support and coaching. There’ll be opportunities to collaborate with singers from Emma Kirkby’s class on her Dowland project.
SESSIONS 1 & 2
Viol Consorts
Fretwork
The brilliant and ground-breaking viol consort Fretwork, supervise and lead tuition at all levels. Repertoire will include English, French, Italian and German music of the 16th and 17th centuries.
SESSIONS 1, 2 & 3
Renaissance Reeds, Recorders, Brass and Strings
William Lyons, Nicholas Perry and Richard Thomas
Group and individual tuition with members of The City Musick, on shawms, crumhorns, dulcian, rackett, recorders, early violin, cornetts, sackbuts, bagpipes and renaissance percussion. We will be covering a broad repertoire of dance, theatre, court and civic music from the 15th to the 17th centuries.
SESSION 2
Clavichord and Harpsichord
Carole Cerasi
One of the world’s foremost early keyboard players focuses on the music of Bach and Handel, Scarlatti, and the early French and English schools. Carole Cerasi is a keyboards professor at the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal Academy of Music.
SESSIONS 2 & 3
Music and Song from Shakespeare’s Theatre
William Lyons and Peter Oswald
This course is ideal for actors, singers and musicians. We will seek to create, together, a short music/drama piece based on the myth of Cupid and Psyche. We will use, as a template, Peter Oswald’s version from his play The Golden Ass as well as generating new text from the workshop sessions. There will be, ideally, a combination of dialogue, songs and instrumental pieces that explore different ways of combining music and drama. The preparation of the music will involve aspects of the way music would have been used in the theatre of William Shakespeare. Players of period instruments are particularly welcome. We will look at the way songs, dances, and the use of underscore would have been used, and employ these in the creation of our version of the myth.
We will perform our creation at the end of the week and participants are warmly invited to come with a willingness to step forward as creator/performers. If you wish, you can read the Cupid and Psyche myth before coming on the course, either in Peter’s play (Oberon Books) or the ancient Roman original, (Penguin, The Golden Ass, by Apuleius.)
SESSION 3
Cornetts and Sackbuts – Renaissance Polyphony
Gawain Glenton and Emily White
Cornetts and sackbuts were regularly mixed with singers in the 16th century, and this year we’ll focus on the burnished harmony and polyphony of Venetian composer Andrea Gabrieli. This course aims to give students a taste of this very special combination, as instrumentalists learn from vocalists, and vice versa. Singers should be able to sing a line to a part if needed; all voice-types are welcome to work on this gorgeous music.
SESSION 3
Oud Workshop
Abdul Salam Kheir
The legendary Lebanese oud-player returns to Dartington to lead a course on Arabic music for the oud. Abdul is known to audiences the world over, from Womad Festival to collaborations with Ex Cathedra and soprano Catherine Bott. His course will focus on Arabic classical and folk styles.
SESSION 3
Chamber Music
Rhiannon Evans, Claire Williams and The Brook Street Band
Directed by Rhiannon Evans, the chamber music programme is open to all instrumentalists; daily coaching is available. Please note: Singers are not able to pre-book for Chamber Music as the Chamber Music course is aimed at instrumentalists.
SESSIONS 1, 2 & 4
Cross-Currents: Writing from the Ocean of Stories
Marina Warner
Stories rise up from the depths, travel near and far, appearing in recognisable but new guises in different places and at different times. In times of crisis, conflict and migration, stories can open relations and exchanges across cultures, languages and historical antagonisms. On this creative writing course with Marina Warner, participants will take their cue from stories found in 1001 Nights, myth and fairy tale – responding, retelling and re-visioning them in complete imaginative liberty.
SESSION 2
Jazz, Improvisation, Composition and Medieval Music
Stevie Wishart and Huw Warren
A chance to work separately, then together, with two of the world’s leading improvisors, thinkers and composers. Stevie Wishart – hurdy gurdy player, medieval violinist, composer and Hildegarde of Bingen scholar – directs a compositional and improvisational class in session 2, while the brilliant pianist and composer Huw Warren leads a free jazz and world improvisation class, also in session 2. In session 3, both classes will join to work together. You will also be joined by Alice Oswald’s poetry group later in the week, to create a short, informal performance.
SESSION 2 & 3
Homer’s Odyssey
Alice Oswald
The poet and compelling performer Alice Oswald will be using Homer’s Odyssey to discover a different kind of poetry – not oral or literary, not page or performance, but something between all four. The course will try to learn from Homer that poetry is essentially a way of remembering. There’ll also be a chance to collaborate with the improvisation course run by Huw Warren and Stevie Wishart, leading to a short, informal performance combining words with music at the end of the week.
SESSION 3
Middle Eastern Music and Song
Abdul Salam Kheir and Merit Ariane Stephanos
Abdul and Merit will teach you to sing and play a wide range of folk and classical songs from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, as well as the tradition of Mwashshahat, which originated in ancient Andalusia. They will be focusing on performance conventions and styles, giving you an insight into Arabic modes, rhythms and improvisation.
SESSION 4
Yoga
Justin Dalton
This course, based on the gentle, fluid Scaravelli approach to yoga, is suitable for participants of all ages and abilities. Yoga has been practised by many musicians – most famously Yehudi Menuhin – and it’s a great chance to loosen up the body before a day’s music-making. Justin will also be leading this course in Week 4.
7.45AM-8.30AM
Baroque Orchestra, Baroque Opera, Folk Music and Creative Writing
Week 2 is dramatic: it brings operatic virtuosity and brilliance to Dartington, alongside poetry, literature, ballads and storytelling. Tom Seligman leads The Big Choir and Baroque Orchestra in Handel’s delicious and vivacious Alexander’s Feast. Our Baroque Opera double-bill this year is John Lampe’s satiric Pyramus and Thisbe, a huge hit on London’s stage in 1745, and Purcell’s tragic and timeless Dido and Aeneas.
We’re blessed with a feast, too, of superb Baroque coaches – principal players from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, as well as their leader, Margaret Faultless. The young international Ensemble Meridiana, who met and trained in Basel, also join us, along with the wonderful operatic singers Hilary Summers, Andrew Watts and Ruby Hughes. There are instrumental courses led by Richard Tunnicliffe and Maggie Cole for strings, harpsichord and fortepiano, and Artistic Director Joanna MacGregor runs a Baroque Music on the Piano course.
Folk and poetry continues to be an important part of the programme: Northumbrian pipes-player and fiddler Kathryn Tickell returns to run a folk course, and Sally Davies directs our Dartington Folk Choir. The poet Jo Shapcott leads a poetry writing course. Concerts burn with a poetic intensity, from late night harpsichord music and Chopin’s complete Mazurkas, to a celebration of Kathleen Ferrier. Operatic fireworks, Baroque brilliance – and a ceilidh too!
The Big Choir
Tom Seligman
Tom Seligman steps in to conduct Handel’s gorgeous Alexander’s Feast.
SESSION 1
Vocal Masterclass
Hilary Summers
We’re hugely privileged to welcome the internationally-acclaimed contralto Hilary Summers to Dartington. Hilary has made a considerable name for herself in the world of Baroque opera, working with such luminaries as William Christie, Christopher Hogwood and Deborah Warner; she also collaborates with major figures in contemporary music, including Pierre Boulez and Michael Nyman. Above all, Hilary’s warmth, experience and personality will bring superb mentorship to this class. This is an Advanced Selected course, please see the Advanced Courses page for application details.
SESSION 2
Vocal Workshop
Andrew Watts
Open to singers of all ages and abilities, the superb countertenor Andrew Watts – acclaimed performer and Voice Teacher at the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House – will improve your vocal technique and performance skills in a relaxed, supportive and informative atmosphere.
SESSION 3
Advanced Opera Course: Lampe’s Pyramus and Thisbe, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas
Ruby Hughes, Margaret Faultless and Richard Williams
This exciting opera course brings together John Lampe’s satire on Pyramus and Thisbe, which took London by storm in 1745, as well as Henry Purcell’s timeless tragedy Dido and Aeneas. Richard Williams directs with his usual flair and creativity, and you will be coached by the acclaimed soprano Ruby Hughes and OAE’s leader, Margaret Faultless. This is an Advanced Selected course, please see the Advanced Courses page for application details.
SESSIONS 1, 2, 3 & 4
Chamber Choir
Rob Howarth
Rob Howarth puts the Chamber Choir through its paces, as it rehearses the marvellous choruses – from witches to sailors – in Purcell’s operatic masterpiece Dido and Aeneas. There will be a short audition for the Chamber Choir on August 7th.
SESSION 4
The Big Choir Plus
Gavin Roberts
Some extra rehearsal opportunities for The Big Choir repertoire, with the wonderful choir repetiteur Gavin Roberts.
SESSION 4
Teaching and Arranging Folk Music
Sally Davies
Sally Davies’ course is for musicians and music teachers with some experience and enthusiasm for arranging, and you’ll be looking at creating open harmonies for different sized ensembles. ‘Having sung the polyphonic songs of the Caucasus and The Balkans, I felt there was a crying need for British folk songs to have something of the bite and power of these Eastern European arrangements. It’s my intention to infuse English folk songs with some of these harmonic elements!’
SESSION 1
Folk Choir
Sally Davies
Sally Davies is an extremely experienced singer, composer and choir leader, and directs the Cecil Sharp House Choir with her distinctive and original arrangements of folk songs. The Folk Choir course will provide an intense and rewarding learning experience; you’ll be rehearsing folk songs from England and Eastern Europe, in spine-tingling a cappella harmony, for a concert later in the week.
SESSION 2
As I Walked Out One Morning
Kathryn Tickell and Amy Thatcher
The wonderful virtuoso Northumbrian pipesplayer, fiddler and singer Kathryn Tickell joins forces with the sensational accordionist and clog dancer Amy Thatcher, to lead this exciting folk course. Devoted to instrumental tuition, the class offers the chance for players to study and rehearse traditional tunes and arrangements, as well as collaborate and create new work. There’s a concert later in the week, shared with the Folk Choir.
SESSIONS 3 & 4
Poetry Writing Course
Jo Shapcott
In a Dartington week which includes Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and John Lampe’s Pyramus and Thisbe, Jo Shapcott’s poetry writing course will focus on old stories and new forms. Myth, folklore and fairy tales, however ancient, always tug at current concerns: how can we tell them in a new way? How can we use them as a conduit for our own stories, for our own contemporary personal and political concerns? Come prepared to write, to be open to techniques and approaches old and new, and to have fun with language and stories. Jo’s most recent collection Of Mutabiity won
the Costa Book Award, and in 2011 she was awarded the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry.
SESSION 4
Baroque Orchestra
Margaret Faultless and Robert Howarth
Since 1989 Margaret has been a co-leader of The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, playing a significant role in their education programme for young professionals. Together with harpsichordist Robert Howarth, she’ll be directing the Baroque Orchestra in two major concerts this week: an operatic double bill, John Lampe’s Pyramus and Thisbe and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas on Thursday, and Handel’s Alexander’s Feast – conducted by Jane Glover – on Friday. An unmissable chance to work with Baroque players at the centre of their profession. This is an Advanced Selected course, please see the Advanced Courses page for application details.
SESSIONS 1, 2, 3 & 4 (SESSION 3 FOR MASTERCLASSES OR SECTIONALS)
Introduction to Fortepiano
Maggie Cole
This class is open to all keyboard players who are curious about the fortepiano, and want to gain new insights into Classical repertoire. Diverse repertoire is very welcome; composers ranging from CPE Bach, JC Bach, Scarlatti and Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven were all being seduced by the new instrument, and we’ll be examining this fertile period of change. As well as solo pieces, we’ll aim to work on songs with participants in the vocal classes.
SESSION 2
Recorder and Recorder Ensembles
Jill Kemp
Open to all recorder players these classes cover breathing, coordination, extended techniques, ornamentation and any other areas, or repertoire, that students would like to cover. Please bring a treble at A440 and any other recorders you may have. There will be ensemble work in session 3 as well as individual coaching in session 2.
SESSIONS 2 & 3
Baroque Violin Masterclass
Margaret Faultless
The brilliant Baroque violinist Margaret Faultless, leader of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Head of Historical Performance at the Royal Academy of Music, gives a masterclass focussing on all technical and stylistic aspects of solo Baroque violin playing. This is an Advanced Selected course, please see the Advanced Courses page for application details.
SESSION 3
Baroque and Classical Cello Masterclass
Richard Tunnicliffe
Richard Tunnicliffe leads a masterclass on both Baroque and early classical repertoire, including sonatas by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. This is an Advanced Selected course, please see the Advanced Courses page for application details.
SESSION 3
Baroque Wind Workshop
Andrew Watts
Andrew Watts is principal bassoon of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and one of the leading players of Baroque and classical bassoon in the UK. He is also a professor in the Historical Performance Department at the Royal Academy of Music.
SESSION 3
Natural Trumpet
Paul Sharp
Paul Sharp is Professor of Natural Trumpet at the RCM and performs regularly with the country’s leading period instrument ensembles. He has performed and recorded with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, English Baroque Soloists, The Kings Consort, Gabrieli Consort and is principal trumpet of the Dunedin Consort. Paul leads a course looking at natural trumpet repertoire by the great baroque composers and music for natural trumpet ensemble. Players of all natural trumpet systems are welcome.
SESSIONS 3 & 4
Harpsichord Workshop
Maggie Cole
The popular early keyboard performer and pedagogue Maggie Cole returns to Dartington, to lead an open class for players with some experience of the harpsichord. A portion of each lesson will be devoted to Pièces de Clavecin by Rameau and Book 1 of the Well Tempered Klavier. There’ll also be time to look at whatever other repertoire participants choose to bring.
SESSION 3
Baroque Music on the Piano
Joanna Macgregor
An open course led by Artistic Director and Head of Piano at the Royal Academy of Music Joanna MacGregor, examining the multiple approaches to performing Baroque music on the piano. Students are invited to bring any solo Bach, Scarlatti or Handel piece to perform (including keyboard concertos), as well as music from the earlier French and English schools. We’ll also look at historical performances and recording practices.
SESSION 3
Chamber Music
Rhiannon Evans, Claire Williams and Ensemble Meridiana
Directed by Rhiannon Evans, the chamber music programme is open to all instrumentalists; daily coaching is available. Please note: Singers are not able to pre-book for Chamber Music as the Chamber Music course is aimed at instrumentalists.
SESSIONS 1, 2 & 4
Tai Chi Qigong
Joe Salmon
Joe Salmon, director of Tai Chi Nation, offers an early morning class, designed to relax the body and focus the mind. A dynamic form of moving meditation, Tai Chi Qigong is accessible to people of all ages and ideal for musicians, bringing great benefits for good practice and performance in the day ahead. Joe will also be leading the course in Week 3.
8.00AM-8.30AM
Conducting and Orchestral Music, Opera, Music Theatre and Brazilian Music
Week 3 is a treat for pianists – with lectures on late Beethoven and Woody Allen from the legendary Alfred Brendel, masterclasses and workshops from Hamish Milne, Artistic Director Joanna MacGregor and Florian Mitrea – and string lovers, with the wonderful Škampa Quartet, cellist Adrian Brendel, violinist Chloe Hanslip and the Dartington Festival String Orchestra.
George Vass rehearses Haydn’s mighty Nelson Mass and Richard Williams directs a new, riotously witty production of The Pirates of Penzance. There are music theatre classes, and vocal classes led by opera star Gillian Keith; and Sarah Gabriel stars in her new show about Dorothy Parker.
Sian Edwards opens the two-week Advanced Conducting Course rehearsing a majestic programme of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony and the Triple Concerto; the Advanced Opera Course production of Carmen begins; while tango, samba and bossa nova run through the week led by Brazilian master percussionist Adriano Adewale and Lithuanian accordionist Martynas Levickis, with a tango band and tango ball. Don’t forget your dancing shoes…
The Big Choir
George Vass
The hugely popular conductor and Festival Director (Presteigne, Hampstead and Highgate) returns to Dartington to conduct one of Haydn’s choral masterpieces, Nelson Mass (or Missa in
Augustiis – ‘Mass for troubled times’). Written at the time of Napoleon’s stunning triumphs against Austria, Haydn was at the peak of his powers, and scored this mighty work for a ‘dark’ orchestra: strings, trumpets, timpani and organ. It is supremely dramatic and exciting. We’ll also be performing Celia McDowell’s beautiful Ave Maris Stella.
George will also be conducting The Pirates of Penzance on Thursday evening in Week 3, and choral singers can audition to be Pirates!
SESSION 1
Vocal Masterclass
Gillian Keith
Gillian Keith is one of Canada’s leading lyric sopranos. A past winner of the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Award‚ she has gone on to star in the world’s major opera houses; her repertoire extends from Monteverdi and Handel to Richard Strauss and Britten. She puts Summer School singers through their paces in a warm, supportive setting. This is an Advanced Selected course, please see the Advanced Courses page for application details.
SESSION 2
Advanced Opera Course: Bizet’s Carmen
Sian Edwards, Gillian Keith and Susanna Stranders
Sian Edwards, Gillian Keith and Susanna Stranders direct the first week of this two-week Advanced course. Carmen is a masterpiece of French romanticism, and receives a full concert performance in the Great Hall on 26th August. This is an Advanced Selected course, please see the Advanced Courses page for application details.
SESSIONS 1, 2, 3 & 4
Vocal Workshop
Sarah Gabriel
As at home in Mozart or Britten opera as she is in music theatre – Sarah Gabriel made her European debut as Eliza in My Fair Lady at the Théâtre du Châtelet, opposite Alex Jennings. Her vocal class is open to all singers; Sarah is particularly interested in being authentically yourself onstage, and in how to express your individuality. You can see her in action in a brand new show about Dorothy Parker this week.
SESSION 3
The Big Choir Plus
Gavin Roberts
Some extra rehearsal opportunities for The Big Choir repertoire, with the wonderful choir repetiteur Gavin Roberts.
SESSION 4
Advanced Conducting Course
Sian Edwards
Two weeks of intense study with Sian Edwards, Head of Conducting, Royal Academy of Music, for six conductors. Two programmes will be prepared and performed with the Dartington Festival Orchestra. The first is an all- Beethoven prgramme: Coriolan Overture, the Triple Concerto with Adrian Brendel, Joanna MacGregor and Chloe Hanslip, and Symphony no.7. The second is a 20th century American programme, including Ives’ The Unanswered Question, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, and John Adams’ The Chairman Dances. The major work running through both weeks will
be Bizet’s Carmen; the performance in the Great Hall will be conducted by Sian Edwards, but students will be involved in all stages of the musical preparation with singers from the Advanced Opera Course. This is an Advanced Selected course, please see the Advanced Courses page for application details.
SESSIONS 1, 2, 3 & 4
The Pirates of Penzance
Richard Williams, George Vass and Sarah Gabriel
Director Richard Williams, conductor George Vass and soprano Sarah Gabriel will direct a new semi-staging of Gilbert and Sullivan’s masterpiece The Pirates of Penzance for performance in the Great Hall on Thursday night in Week 3. Expect this production to be witty, and fast-paced – a thoroughly contemporary and brilliant take on this superb opera. This is an Advanced Selected course, please see the Advanced Courses page for application details.
SESSIONS 1, 2 & 3
Songs from the Musicals
Robert Purvis
A boisterous journey through the world of musical theatre, open to all singers of all abilities and ages. The course will focus on several musicals, looking at chorus and solo numbers; one-to-one coaching is available outside of ensemble sessions. There will be a performance later in the week.
SESSION 2
In the Heart of Rhythm
Adriano Adewale
Adriano Adewale is a master percussionist from Brazil, fêted all over the world for his Africa inflected jazz and sensational virtuosity. In the Heart of Rhythm is open to everybody – percussionists, instrumentalists, singers, and those who don’t play an instrument – and will be based on Afro-Brazilian rhythms such as samba, ijexa and forro. Playing on conventional and non-conventional instruments, exploring rhythmic games, vocal and body percussion, it’ll be a fun and challenging way of making music. Towards the end of the week we’ll be giving a short samba performance.
SESSION 3
The Pirates of Penzance Chorus
George Vass
Come and be a Pirate! George Vass directs the Pirates Choruses in Gilbert and Sullivan’s masterpiece (female pirates are also welcome). Applications are welcome from participants; auditions will be held after the first choir rehearsal on Sunday.
SESSION 4
Bossa Nova and Tango Workshop
Adrian Brendel, Adriano Adewale, Martynas Levickis and Joanna MacGregor
This class will be for singers and instrumentalists interested in the music of Tom Jobim, the great Brazilian singer and composer, and Astor Piazzolla, the master tango composer. We’ll be looking at various existing arrangements and making our own, exploring the colour and variety of these styles, with a short informal performance towards the end of the week.
SESSION 4
Open String Orchestra
Adrian Brendel
The hugely popular cellist Adrian Brendel returns to lead the all-comers String Orchestra. Repertoire will include staples of the orchestral string repertoire –as well as short and spicy 20th century pieces.
SESSION 1
Piano Duets and Two-Piano Workshop
Florian Mitrea
The talented young Rumanian pianist Florian Mitrea returns to guide you through four-hand and two-piano repertoire. You are welcome to come as an already-formed duo, or be prepared to pair up. There will be a range of four-hand and two-piano repertoire on sale in the music shop.
SESSION 1
Violin Masterclass
Chloe Hanslip
The prodigiously talented violinist Chloe Hanslip has played all over the world as a soloist, and made her BBC Proms debut in 2002 at the tender age of 15. You can see her play a solo recital on Saturday night, and in Beethoven’s Triple Concerto on Wednesday. This is an Advanced Selected course, please see the Advanced Coursespage for application details.
SESSION 2
Cello Masterclass
Adrian Brendel
One of the most versatile and original cellists of his generation, Adrian Brendel has travelled the word as soloist, collaborator and teacher. A fine classical and romantic player, his discovery of contemporary music as a teenager opened a new and vital avenue he continues to explore, alongside his passion for jazz and world music. Adrian will coach advanced students in all areas of cello repertoire, including concertos. Students are selected in advance for this course: please see the Advanced Courses page for details of application process.
SESSION 2
Piano Masterclass
Hamish Milne
Hamish Milne is one of the most eminent piano pedagogues in the world, and is a professor at the Royal Academy of Music; he studied with Harold Craxton and then in Italy with Guido Agosti, a pupil of Busoni. Hamish has been a passionate advocate of Medtner’s music (recording his complete works for piano) and is particularly known for his love and knowledge of the late Romantic school. This is an Advanced Selected course, please see the Advanced Courses page for application details.
SESSION 2
Piano Workshop
Florian Mitrea
The young Rumanian pianist Florian Mitrea was a huge hit at last year’s Summer School as a performer and teacher, and returns to run the Piano Workshop. Florian will guide pianists of all abilities in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. He will coach anything from Bach to Bartók, but particularly likes the Viennese school of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.
SESSION 2
Piano Concerto Workshop
Joanna MacGregor
Preparing for a concerto performance demands not just mastery of your solo part, but also knowledge of orchestration, balance and the leadership required for a successful performance! Pianists are invited to bring along all or part of any concerto, which we’ll work on with twopianos, discussing style, colour, touch and tempo – also the ways in which to communicate with a conductor (teaming up with Sian Edwards’ conducting course for a session).
SESSION 3
Accordion Workshop
Martynas Levickis
The accordion is most closely identified with folk music from Eastern Europe and South America, but the brilliant young Lithuanian virtuoso Martynas Levickis aims to prove it can make all kinds of music everywhere. From Beethoven to Vivaldi, from Ennio Morricone and Lady Gaga to contemporary classical music, Martynas’ class will show the full power and range of the accordion’s repertoire.
SESSION 3
Violin, Viola and Cello Workshops
Škampa Quartet
Helena Jiříkovská and Adéla Štajnochrová (violin), Radim Sedmidubský (viola) and Lukáš Polák (cello), of the internationally-acclaimed Škampa Quartet, offer string players of all abilities a friendly and supportive workshop environment, in separate instrumental classes.
SESSION 3
Chamber Music
Quentin Poole, Škampa Quartet, Jorgensen Trio and Barbara Sue White
Directed by Quentin Poole, the chamber music programme is open to all singers and instrumentalists; there are large ensemble opportunities, and daily coaching is available. Please note: Singers are not able to pre-book for Chamber Music as the Chamber Music course is aimed at instrumentalists.
SESSIONS 1, 2 & 4
Lectures
Alfred Brendel
We’re thrilled that Alfred Brendel, one of the greatest pianists of all time, is returning to the Summer School to give an illustrated lecture on Beethoven’s Last Three Piano Sonatas, and to introduce Woody Allen’s Zelig in the Barn Theatre, Alfred’s talks will be as warm and witty as they will be enlightening.
16th August 5.15pm: Illustrated Lecture in the Great Hall
18th August 5.15pm: Talk and Film in the Barn Theatre
Tai Chi Qigong
Joe Salmon
Joe Salmon, director of Tai Chi Nation, offers an early morning class, designed to relax the body and focus the mind. A dynamic form of moving meditation, Tai Chi Qigong is accessible to people of all ages and ideal for musicians, bringing great benefits for good practice and performance in the day ahead.
8.00AM – 8.30AM
Argentine Tango
Fernando Guido
Vida de Tango’s Fernando Guido gets us ready for the Tango Ball on Friday night, teaching participants – at any level – the sensual moves of tango.
SESSION 4
Carmen and Composition, Film and Multimedia, Gospel and Jazz
Week 4 definitely has a Flamenco flavour, with a performance of Bizet’s Carmen as the climax of our Advanced Opera Course, alongside the calming contrast of Fauré’s gorgeous Requiem. But most of all we celebrate musical creativity in all its forms: from multimedia courses and Judith Weir’s Advanced Composition Course, coaxing new chamber works into life, to the Jazz Course, led by the titanic saxophonist Andy Sheppard.
This week is simply sensational for brass players: there are masterclasses with the brilliant Alison Balsom and cool Dutch jazz trumpeter Eric Vloeimans as well as Dartington Big Band, Dartington Brass Ensemble, and American jazz classics performed by the Dartington Festival Orchestra. There’s string tuition from Madeleine Mitchell and the Heath Quartet; piano masterclasses with Steven Osborne; wind tuition with Notus Winds; music theatre with Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale, and Dadaist happenings being staged around the estate all week, in celebration of Erik Satie’s 150th birthday.
Singers can go from choral and Gospel music, then into Carmen opera choruses; instrumentalists can perform in masterclasses and workshops in the morning, then improvise and compose in different styles, all afternoon. However you choose to spend your time, there’s an enormous amount of stimulation, fun, partying and dancing in store for you, in this final week of the 2016 Summer School.
The Big Choir
Nigel Perrin
Original King’s Singer and seasoned choirmaster Nigel Perrin conducted a superb Mozart’s Requiem last year. This year, we’ll be working on Fauré’s much-loved and celebrated Requiem, ready for a performance on Thursday night.
SESSION 1
Gospel Choir
Carol Pemberton and Celia Wickham-Anderson
Uplifting, harmonious, soul-stirring, challenging and fun all describe the power and appeal of the Gospel Choir sessions, led by Carol Pemberton, Music Director of the internationally-acclaimed
a cappella group Black Voices. The workshops will cover a range of black music traditions that influence and shape what today we call Black Gospel. Black Voices will perform on Monday night, and they’ll be an informal performance for participants on Friday.
SESSION 2
Advanced Opera Course
Sian Edwards and Susanna Stranders
The second week of this two-week course directed by Sian Edwards, leading to a complete concert performance of Bizet’s Carmen on Friday night.
SESSIONS 1, 2, 3 & 4
Vocal Workshop
Jessica Cash
Jessica Cash’s students have included Emma Kirkby, Evelyn Tubb and Lesley Garrett. Her expert tuition addresses any energy blocks, tensions or stresses, freeing the body to sing beautifully. Students are asked to bring an aria from an opera or oratorio to sing from memory, and another piece of their choice.
SESSION 3
Chamber Choir: Carmen Choruses
Nigel Perrin
Choirmaster Nigel Perrin rehearses choruses from Bizet’s magnificent Carmen, for a performance on Friday night. There will be short auditions held after the first Big Choir rehearsal on Sunday.
SESSION 4
The Big Choir Plus
William Vann
Some extra rehearsal opportunities for The Big Choir repertoire, with the wonderful choir repetiteur William Vann.
SESSION 4
Advanced Conducting Course
Sian Edwards
The second week of the Advanced Conducting course. See Week 3 for details.
SESSIONS 1, 2, 3 & 4
Open Conducting Course
Jonathan Berman
An open conducting course for those with some conducting experience, led by Jonathan Berman, whose recent performances have been at the Royal Opera House and Tanglewood. We will be working on classical and romantic repertoire, and general conducting technique, and selected repertoire from Carmen.
SESSIONS 3 & 4
Advanced Composition
Judith Weir
This immersive course will focus on creating new music for the brilliant Heath Quartet and outstanding young pianist Joseph Havlat for performance at the end of the week. Judith Weir is one of the world’s greatest composers, renowned for her operas, chamber and orchestral works. In 2014 she was appointed Master of The Queen’s Music. This is an Advanced Selected course, please see the Advanced Courses page for application details.
SESSIONS 1, 2, 3 & 4
Open Composition
John Ashton Thomas
This class is designed for people who like composing classically, as well as those who enjoy arranging and song-writing – expert guidance is at hand, in a friendly and collaborative atmosphere. Students will showcase their work in an informal concert at the end of the week.
SESSION 2
Multimedia, Art and Sound Design
Sarah Angliss and Matthew Fairclough
Sarah Angliss the innovative visual artist and composer, and Matthew Fairclough, composer and sound artist, provide a collaborative space in which to create innovative new work. This course
is for musicians of all backgrounds interested in electronica, composition and art installation. We will aim to create short new works to exhibit and perform at the end of the week.
SESSIONS 1 & 2
Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale/ Satie’s 150th Birthday: Theatre, Music and Dada
Richard Williams and Christina McMaster
Richard Williams directs Stravinsky’s great 1918 music theatre work – part folk tale, part morality tale, part social satire – for a performance in the Barn Theatre with the Dartington Festival Wind
Ensemble, conducted by Jonathan Berman. We’ll also be working on Satie’s wittily surreal music and words for another performance in the Barn Theatre, alongside a live music-and-film performance René Clair’s 1924 Entr’Acte. We’ll also be staging a series of Dadaist happenings around the estate this week, in celebration of Satie’s 150th birthday!
SESSIONS 1 & 2
Beginner’s Jazz
John Ashton Thomas
John Ashton Thomas directs a class especially for newcomers to jazz, or those with a classical background who want to brush up their skills. Learn the fundamentals of jazz harmonies, rhythm and technique.
SESSION 1
Jazz Piano and Keyboards Workshop
Steve Lodder
Steve Lodder is a leading jazz pianist, synth player and teacher, working with some of the coolest names in jazz. His course is open to intermediate jazz pianists and keyboard players who wish to develop their improvisation skills.
SESSION 2
Jazz Trumpet Workshop
Eric Vloeimans
The funky trumpeter from Amsterdam is one of the busiest jazz performers in Europe, collaborating with Mercer Ellington, John Taylor, Peter Erskine, the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Blue Note in New York, and many, many others. His music ranges from lazy lounge to hardcore uptempo beats and spacedout moods, with Zappa-influenced odd metres. His class will be ideal for jazz trumpeters with a taste for exploration, colour and cool.
SESSION 2
Saxophones Workshop
Andy Sheppard
The ECM recording artist, world-renowned bandleader and composer Andy Sheppard offers one-to-one and ensemble tuition to all saxophonists. Andy is one of jazz’s greatest collaborators, and his characteristic sense of lyricism, alongside very personal use of rhythms from Asia, Africa and South America, will be inspiring for young and older saxophonists alike.
SESSION 2
Jazz Drumming and Percussion Workshop
Martin France
Professor of jazz drumming at the Royal Academy of Music, Martin France has worked with the finest and most creative musicians in the world – including Elvis Costello, Evan Parker, Dave Holland and Nils-Petter Molvaer – as well as many classical orchestras. His class is open to all drummers and percussionists who’d like to hone their jazz skills.
SESSION 2
Jazz Ensembles
Andy Sheppard, Eric Vloeimans, Steve Lodder and Martin France
The fabulously cool, creative saxophonist Andy Sheppard directs Dartington’s Jazz Course, together with cool trumpeter Eric Vloeimans, keyboard guru Steve Lodder, and virtuoso drummer Martin France, focussing on jazz improvisation and ensemble playing. This week’s jazz courses will prepare for a performance in the Great Hall towards the end of the week, as well as late night jams in the White Hart.
SESSION 3
Open Big Band
Steve Dummer
Steve Dummer will be rehearsing standard arrangements for the final Friday night bash. Absolutely unmissable fun, and open to all alto, tenor and baritone saxes, trumpets and trombones, and piano, bass and drums.
SESSION 4
Tea Dance Band
Steve Dummer
A great opportunity to dust off an instrument that hasn’t been played for a few years, improve ensemble playing, and play some melodic and fun music of bygone eras. Grade 5 standard or above is ideal.
SESSION 1
Piano Masterclass
Steven Osborne
Steven Osborne’s standing as one of today’s finest young pianists was publicly affirmed in 2013 with The Royal Philharmonic Society’s Instrumentalist of the Year and his second Gramophone Award, for Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and works by Prokofiev. An exemplary classicist, with a taste for contemporary music, his masterclasses will be fascinating and rewarding. This is an Advanced Selected course, please see the Advanced Courses page for application details.
SESSION 2
Trumpet Masterclass
Alison Balsom
The sensational 2013 Gramophone Artist of the Year and three-time winner at the Classical Brits comes to Dartington for the first time, to direct the trumpet masterclass. Alison has created an international reputation as one of classical music’s great ambassadors, and is ranked amongst the most distinctive and ground-breaking musicians in the world. She will also be performing in the Great Hall on Monday. This is an Advanced Selected course, please see the Advanced Coursespage for application details.
SESSION 2
Trombone Workshop
Brett Baker
Brett Baker is one of the world’s top trombonist and educators, working with musicians and groups as diverse as Black Dyke Mill Band, Grimethorpe Colliery Band and Alison Goldfrapp. He’s passionate about teaching the trombone, and plays in festivals all over the world.
SESSION 2
Wind Workshops
Jean Johnson and Notus Winds
The celebrated clarinetist Jean Johnson and the brilliant ensemble Notus Winds offer wind players of all abilities a relaxed and supportive workshop environment, in individual instrumental classes. Improve your technique, hone your performance skills, and discover
new repertoire!
SESSION 2
Contemporary Music and Contemporary Techniques
Joanna MacGregor
An open class for anyone interested in contemporary music – of all styles – with Joanna MacGregor, Dartington’s Artistic Director and Head of Piano at the Royal Academy of Music. Instrumentalists and small ensembles are invited to bring early 20th century music onwards, for performance and coaching. We’ll also look at extended techniques, and the best ways to study and prepare brand new music.
SESSION 3
Violin, Viola and Cello Workshops
Halcyon Quartet
Members of the outstanding Halcyon Quartet, and brilliant young performers in their own right, lead individual instrumental classes in a relaxed and supportive atmosphere.
SESSION 3
Brass Workshop
Paul Archibald
A chance to work on the great brass repertoire for trumpets, horns and trombones, ranging from antiphonal music by the Italian Renaissance School to Elgar Howarth’s magnificent arrangement of Pictures at an Exhibition, for a concert performance in the Great Hall. There’ll be opportunities for performances in the beautiful outdoor spaces of Dartington too!
SESSION 3
Violin Masterclass
Madeleine Mitchell
The distinguished soloist and Royal College of Music professor Madeleine Mitchell coaches violinists in core repertoire and contemporary music, and leads Stravinsky’s music theatre masterpiece
The Soldier’s Tale. This is an Advanced Selected course, please see the Advanced Courses page for application details.
SESSION 4
Chamber Music
Quentin Poole, Madeleine Mitchell, Heath Quartet, The Halcyon Quartet, Notus Winds and Barbara Sue White
Directed by Quentin Poole, the chamber music programme is open to all singers and instrumentalists; there are large ensemble opportunities, and daily coaching is available. Please note: Singers are not able to pre-book for Chamber Music as the Chamber Music course is aimed at instrumentalists.
SESSIONS 1, 2, 3 & 4
Yoga
Justin Dalton
This course, based on the gentle, fluid Scaravelli approach to yoga, is suitable for participants of all ages and abilities. Yoga has been practised by many musicians – most famously Yehudi Menuhin – and it’s a great chance to loosen up the body before a day’s music-making.
7.45AM-8.30AM
Modern Jive
Ivan Burton
Everyone is invited to get ready for the final Big Band party on Friday night by learning the cool jazz movements of Modern Jive, taught by this experienced Ceroc tutor.
SESSION 4