An increasingly popular course for those interested in Baroque performance practice using modern instruments. Three experienced tutors in strings, wind and keyboard guide the course in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere!
STANDARD: IMPROVER, CONFIDENT, SKILFUL
Resident: £572 Non-Resident: £435 (25% off for under 27s) Code: 25/361
Booking for Members opens at 9am on Wednesday 27 November 2024
Non-Member and online booking opens at 9am on Monday 16 December 2024
For details on how to become a Member to take advantage of early booking, see here
What is the course about?
Come and explore the mouth-watering temptations of the 'Baroque Buffet', sampling delicious repertoire for permutations of strings and wind, and finding out about ‘le bon goût’ along the way! This is your chance to explore drama, affect, rhetoric, exuberance, good manners (and possibly bad), passion and daring... to name but a few characteristics of this extraordinary period of music and artistic history. Stimulate your musical taste buds through fleeting encounters with strangers or old friends guided by our tutors. This is guaranteed to be fun, challenging and hopefully satiating!
PLEASE NOTE that, as a change from previous years, this course will center entirely on orchestral playing – see details below! We will be playing at A=440.
This year we are recruiting for violins, violas, cellos, flutes, recorders, oboes, bassoons and keyboard instruments. We may be able to accommodate other instruments but will refer you to the tutors before accepting your booking.
What will we cover?
We look at the works of many of the popular composers of the day, and also some of their lesser-known contemporaries, comparing the Italian, German and French styles and exploring Baroque rhetoric, gesture and articulation.
What will we accomplish? By the end of this course you will be able to…
Our aim is for participants to come away from the course feeling they have gained in confidence in their own playing, also playing with others and furthering their knowledge of this period of music, whilst meeting new and like-minded people in the process!
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
The ability to reasonably sight-read a standard 17th or 18th century work, eg a Handel concerto grosso. Good basic rhythmical ability required. A rudimentary knowledge of figured bass is needed for keyboard players as there are frequently no piano reductions available in the repertoire that we will be playing.
How will the course be taught, and will any preparation be required?
During the course, participants will be coached all together as one orchestra comprising strings, winds and harpsichord (NB the repertoire will not include brass instruments). The tutors will coach 12 sessions in total with half of the sessions as tutti orchestra, half as sectionals which will allow more detailed tuition on the individual instruments. The afternoons will be free for participants to enjoy informal, untutored chamber music either in a pre-formed group or with others on the course. No preparation is required!
Will music be provided in advance of the course?
The joy of the ‘Baroque buffet’ is the very wide choice of music which will be available for people to try in their informal chamber groups. We will provide all the music for the orchestral sessions and will issue a list of repertoire nearer the time for people to have a sneak preview on IMSLP if they would like! However, we would ask that on the course the music provided is used by everyone as this means we know that editions, bar-numbering etc will be uniform!
Is there anything I need to bring?
For the string players please bring a Baroque bow if you have one, though some are provided too.
What previous participants said about this course…
“An opportunity to play baroque music in a chamber orchestra, as well as sessions in smaller groups to work on quartets etc of own choosing. Support given to find groups and music.”
“Excellent in all respects.”
“Excellent choice of music - varied and appropriate to the composition of groups. First class tuition from all tutors. It was good to work on both instrumental technique and interpretation of the music. We were fortunate to be working with skilled professionals who were nevertheless prepared to teach enthusiastic amateurs at a level appropriate to all, creating an encouraging and safe atmosphere in which all could learn. I very much appreciated the tutors' tolerance and good humour.”
“Lots of interesting, unfamiliar music to choose from for chamber sessions, that was at a suitable level. We got lots of attention from the tutors.”
Tutor biographies
Julia Bishop: Julia discovered her love of Early Music during her studies at the Royal College of Music when one day she heard the Baroque orchestra being directed by the inspiring Cat Mackintosh. 30 years later Julia is recognised as one of the leading Baroque violinists of her generation, touring the world extensively and making numerous recordings with the period instrument orchestras of the UK including the London Classical Players, the Hanover Band, the English Concert, with whom she was a member for 6 years, and as leader and soloist with the Gabrieli Consort and Players and Florilegium.
In 1997 Julia co-founded the ensemble Red Priest with recorder player Piers Adams and enjoyed 19 years of huge success touring Europe, the Far East and America, and also making 6 highly acclaimed CDs. After a break from Red Priest while her daughter was growing up, Julia is now back with the group again, and from the 2023/24 season will be performing throughout the UK and abroad. CLICK HERE to view Red Priest dates. This Autumn also sees the launch of Red Priest Strings, an exciting new chamber ensemble comprising the UK’s leading Baroque string specialists and directed by Julia and Piers.
2024 also sees the beginning of a flamboyant new collaboration between Julia and acclaimed lutenist Paula Chateauneuf, exploring the fabulously bizarre and maverick composers of the 17th century!
In recent years Julia has become increasingly popular for her fun and informative teaching on Baroque workshops and courses around the UK and abroad. Since 2014 she has developed the Early Music department of the University of Chichester Conservatoire, and has also been guest Baroque violin teacher at the Royal Academy of Music and the University of York.
Sophie Middleditch: After graduating from Lancaster University in 1995, Sophie went on to study recorder, modern and baroque flute at Trinity College of Music. She has performed widely as a soloist and chamber musician, appearing at many festivals throughout the UK and has also been a member of the Essex Baroque Orchestra and the Britten Pears Baroque Orchestra. As a solo recitalist Sophie has performed at venues including the Handel House Museum; the Victoria and Albert Museum; Farnham Castle, Surrey and at the Fairfield Hall, Croydon. She is also in great demand as a teacher and has been recorder tutor at Chichester University since 1996. Recently she was invited to take part in the New London Chamber Ensemble’s recording: Carl Nielsen - Music for Wind and Piano released on the Meridian records label. Sophie formed her own baroque period chamber group, The Parnassian Ensemble, in 1998.
David Pollock: David studied at the Royal College and Royal Academy of Music. He was inspired to take up historical performance because of a longstanding love for the music of J. S. Bach, and soon came to specialise in the harpsichord, winning the Croft Early Music First Prize.
Since then he has been in demand as a recitalist and concerto soloist, appearing at prestigious venues and festivals across the UK and abroad. Notable recent projects have included the complete harpsichord concertos of J. S. Bach and the complete keyboard music of William Byrd. Solo recordings include The French Harpsichord and O Mistris Myne:150 years of English virginals music. David is fascinated by the creative possibilities of basso continuo, with its potential for infinitely varied improvisatory colours, working with Duo Dorado, The Parnassian Ensemble, flautist Stephen Preston and others.
David is also interested in contemporary music and champions the harpsichord in this field. Many composers have written specially for him, including Colin Hand, Robert Page and Gavin Stevens. As the collection grows, David hopes to compile a modern-day ‘Virginals Book’ which would tie together his interests in early and modern music. David teaches at the University of Chichester. ‘David Pollock plays with taste, poetry and richness…prodigious keyboard skill…