ISSMUS Bolt-ons
The following bolt-on musical activities are available to all ISSMUS members, whether or not you are taking part in an ISSMUS Course. Some bolt-ons will be open to Young ISSMUS members at the discretion of the tutors.
Workshops
Face the Music
Drama Workshop Composition Workshops
Accompaniment Workshops Poetry and Song Workshop Performance Presentation Workshop
Group/Individual Lessons
Piano Ensemble Piano Surgeries Jazz piano lessons
Lessons with Instrumentalist Partsongs
Face the Music
Edward Caswell, 4 x 1hr group workshops, £60, 10 places remaining
This short course is intended to offer help for those who would like to take their first steps in choral conducting. In an informal and friendly atmosphere, you will study the basics of choral conducting and choir training. Whilst the course is intended for those with little or no experience, it could equally appeal to anyone wishing to refresh their skills or build self-confidence in front of a group of singers.
Topics to be covered will include musical communication and gesture and listening, rehearsal techniques, vocal training and working with a pianist. Simple music material will be provided. If possible, participants should bring a copy of Handel’s Messiah (Novello Watkins Shaw edition) and a tuning fork (A440)
Drama Workshop
Robin Martin-Oliver, 1 x 1.5hr workshop, £30
A session of guided dramatic improvisation, aiming to build confidence and inspire the imagination of those involved in musical performance, whether that be on stage or otherwise.
Composition Workshops
Philip Martin, 2 x 1hr group workshops, £30
Come and join Philip Martin for two composition workshops at ISSMUS this year. Philip is an experienced composer and teaches piano and composition at Birmingham Conservatoire. A pupil of Franz Reizenstein, whose teachers included Hindemith and Vaughan Williams, Philips has fulfilled many important commissions and has five concertos to his credit (one for Harp) as well as numerous songs, choral, chamber music and a symphony. In a relaxed atmosphere around the piano, come and discuss and hopefully improve upon your own compositions. Works in progress or more completed compositions are welcome as are all types of genre. Don’t be shy!
Accompaniment Workshops
Robin Davis, 2 x 1hr group workshops, £30
In addition to the core accompaniment course, these two workshops are available to any pianist who fancies trying their hand(s) at accompanying. We will have guinea pig soloists on site in the form of choral scholars and a visiting instrumentalist, and a suitable repertoire list will be put up on the website at a later date. All standards and all ages very welcome!
Poetry and Song Workshop
Luise Horrocks, 1hr workshop, £15
A workshop for singers and accompanists to explore text and meaning in songs in English.
Performance Presentation Workshop
Luise Horrocks, 1hr workshop, £15
A workshop for anyone interested in how to improve presentation skills to enhance performance.
Piano Ensemble
Graeme Humphrey, 1/2 hour lesson, £20 per 1/2hr, 17 sessions remaining
Improve your ensemble skills! Thirty minute slots will be available for pianists to bring already-learned duet, trio or two piano repertoire, and play through this repertoire either with Graeme Humphrey or with another course member. Alternatively, you may wish to be introduced on your own to the many highways and byways of the repertoire through playing appropriate repertoire with Graeme, who will have a large library of this music available at all levels (including suitable teaching material for young pianists). Teachers on the piano courses may be particularly interested to see a large library of rare and not-so-rare repertoire which can be stimulating in the teaching studio.
Those signing up for this activity will be put in touch with each other if they wish, so that they may form duos and discuss repertoire in advance of the summer school.
Piano Surgeries
Margaret Fingerhut, Philip Fowke & Adam Swayne , 2 x 1/4hr individual private lessons, £20 per 1/2hr
Pianists of any standard may sign up for two quarter hour sessions or one half hour session with any of the tutors. They may wish to use this time to study a particular issue of fingering or technique in one piece, or discuss a specific area such as performance practice or contemporary repertoire. Those taking part in non-piano ISSMUS courses may like to take this opportunity to have a ‘taster’ lesson with a particular tutor. These lessons may be private or public as the student wishes.
Jazz piano lessons
Malcolm Edmonstone, 1/2hr individual lesson, £20 per 1/2hr, 8 lessons remaining
These lessons could equally benefit those wanting to dip their fingers into jazz piano for the first time, or experienced jazz pianists. For those just starting out, Malcolm will give a group workshop early in the week, to give an idea of the basics which will then be built on in individual lessons. Those studying pieces written in a jazz style may also like to bring these to Malcolm for his stylistic input.
Lessons with Instrumentalist
Violinist tbc, 1/2hr session, £20 per 1/2hr, 14 sessions remaining
Pianists and singers can sign up for half hour slots to play through music with the visiting violinist. Repertoire for violin and piano, and violin, voice and piano will be suggested to those who sign up. Those with specific pieces they wish to rehearse will be put in touch with the violinist to discuss these in advance of the summer school week.
Partsongs
Anna Tilbrook, 1/2 hour session, £20
Groupings for partsongs will be suggested in advance to those signing up for this activity, and music scores will be made available at the start of the ISSMUS week. Groups can rehearse together throughout the week and sign up for a half hour lesson with Stephan to study their chosen work(s) in more depth and polish them for performance if they wish.