Frequently Asked Questions

My child is grade 8, will it be challenging enough? YES! There is music to suit all abilities, and we especially love to coach groups who are able to play really advanced repertoire. Why not come along to the course as a pre-formed ensemble, with friends from school or a music service, or junior conservatoire, so that you will know the others who you are playing with and know that they will be equal ability to you. We welcome pre-formed ensembles, if you have a current ensemble you are playing with and are looking for some more intensive coaching. Or expand your current experiences by working with others, in a new ensemble, and learning a great choice of repertoire which we will choose according to your own abilities and previous experience.

 

My child is 16, and doesn’t think a holiday course is what he wants to do this summer, will he still find it fun? One of the main reasons that I became a professional musician was because it was such fun. I attended many summer courses when I was young, and I have tried to combine the best elements of each, to mix in as much fun as possible, to go alongside the hard work. Students get different things out of the course at different stages of their career. A younger student will have a wonderful time, experiencing for themselves (probably for the first time) the delights of playing chamber music, and how much they can achieve in a very short space of time. Older pupils will get to play much more advanced repertoire – previous years courses have included Dohnanyi’s serenade for string trio, Borodin’s piano quintet, Brahm’s sextet in B flat Major, Schubert’s cello quintet and a Mendelssohn piano trio. Opportunities like this to play such wonderful repertoire, are rare. Every pupil works hard, but combined with the fun of meeting new friends, the pupils all seem to thrive on the challenge.

My daughter has not yet done grade 1 will she be ready? Our ethos is that every one is welcome, and that there will be music for everyone at all abilities. If a junior pupil would like an easier part written out for them, this is always possible. The coaches are always very understanding and helpful, and we always make sure that pupils are put in appropriate groups with other pupils of similar ages and abilities. If you have given the correct information with the application form, then we make sure that all the music provided is of appropriate ability. Taking part in a course like this is such a great learning experience, and everyone learns so much in a short space of time.