Frequently Asked Questions

What are the dates and fees of the course this year? Please see Dates and Venue for full details and also fees and scholarship details for this current course.

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? 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. 

What do we do between the end of the course and the concert? If you live close enough to the venue to return home, before the concert, then we recommend doing this, and giving your child a little time to freshen up, returning at 5.40 to get their instrument tuned up. If it is not possible to return home (if you live too far away) then there will be staff present on the site. This time will not be structured time, though as the staff will be setting up for the concert, but it could be possible by prior arrangement for a small number of pupils to remain on-site in between the rehearsal and concert. Another option would be for parents or carer to bring a packed tea and they can stay with the pupil(s) on site and have some time to have some refreshments and a bit of a quiet time before the concert.

Are parents able to come to the concert? We welcome families to the concert, and if you would like to tell your instrumental teachers about this event, then we would love to welcome them too, so that they can see what their pupils have achieved during the course. 

How do we apply for scholarships? If you do need assistance to attend, we will always do what we can to help. We would be very happy to hear from you and will  do what we can to help with the fees. Scholarships are offered on a discretionary basis according to need. Whilst we do a lot of fundraising throughout the year, to enable a scholarship fund to exist, please do inquire also with your school first to see if they can offer any financial assistance. Many schools do offer such help to enhance a student’s interest in music or sport, outside of term time.