STANDARD: CONFIDENT, SKILFUL
Resident: £699 Non-Resident: £550 (25% off for under 27s) Code: 25/402
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
A course designed to provide opportunities for rehearsing and performing the repertoire for wind ensembles, and also wind and piano under the guidance of expert tutors on all the featured instruments.
What is the course about?
Our very popular Wind Summer School returns in 2025 led by Martin Gatt, bassoonist extraordinaire, baroque specialist Jean McCreery, piano guru John Human and guest tutors for flute, horn, oboe and clarinet. You'll have the opportunity to play in groups large and small, to encounter a wide variety of repertoire, and to take part in the traditional evening entertainment given by participants and tutors. You must be a confident Upper Intermediate standard to get the most out of this course. The course is also suitable for the most advanced players. We will have over 30 wind players on the course and the tutors will carefully match participants into groups. We are looking for flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, French horns and pianists. All course members need to have strong, confident sight reading abilities; some experience of ensemble playing would be a great advantage. Part time attendance is welcomed, although we may need to delay confirmation until nearer the time. In order to ensure a good balance of instruments, some applicants may be asked to wait a little before their place can be confirmed.
What will we cover?
Chamber music for piano and wind; chamber music for wind; ways to achieve good ensemble, exploring intonation and articulation, and awareness of texture and harmonic structure.
What will we accomplish? By the end of this course you will be able to…
You will experience the joy of playing chamber music; gain greater knowledge of the repertoire; gain deeper insights into the music.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
Confident, Skilful
How will the course be taught, and will any preparation be required?
Players will be organised into groups for each session. Some tutoring will be provided in each session, carefully tailored to the needs of the group.
Will music be provided in advance of the course?
Participants are welcome to bring their own music if there is something they would particularly like to play. Otherwise all music/scores will be provided.
Is there anything I need to bring?
Just you and your instrument! Don’t forget to bring any spare reeds.
What previous participants said about this course…
“An opportunity to play some 1st rate chamber music with competent and committed amateur musicians.”
“Great fun and great experience.”
“Hard work, with a high standard, good sight reading skills an absolutely must, friendly and fun. Do it!”
“Excellent tuition from a variety of contrasting but well-matched personalities.”
Tutor biographies
John Human John Human was born in Chelmsford and is a pianist with a passion for exploring the extraordinarily diverse capabilities of his instrument as widely as possible. He plays the standard classical repertoire as well as jazz, rock and other improvised genres. He was initially drawn to the piano as a child having heard both Ashkenazy playing Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto and Oscar Peterson playing C-jam blues and realising that the journey towards mastering the instrument would never be accomplished but would always be both stimulating and engaging. That has indeed proven to be the case. He studied in Cambridge with Phyllis Palmer, and then at the Guildhall School of Music with Elizabeth Newson, and holds an MA in Language, Arts and Education from the University of Sussex. He has examined for 20 years, initially as a keyboard specialist for Guildhall, and then with Trinity College on both the Classical and Jazz, and Rock and Pop panels throughout the world, and has also contributed to syllabus design, development, and presentation. As a composer and arranger, he currently features in six of the Trinity Piano Exam books.