Canford 2010 - Sherborne In 2011

See past repertoire from Canford Music School courses

I have had one enquiry already from University of Nevada at Las Vegas about the duration. last year Mark Irwin from Australia enrolled on the Orchestral Conductor's course for weeks 1 and 3 and our course for week 2, while Jeff Snowdon enrolled with us for week 2 and the Orchestra Conductors for week 3, so if you apply early, it might be possible to mix and match. The Class of 2010 The Class of 2010

Mark Heron reckoned that the standard all round last year was the highest ever, and it was certainly the first time that we had a complete section of 4 horns! Luxury! Canford 2010 attracted 25 students, including 2 from the Royal Northern College of Music, 3 from the RAF and 9 from the Royal Marines. We had the usual international mix, one from Australia, Norway, Portugal and USA, two from Oman and Switzerland and seventeen from United Kingdom. Almost all were professional musicians or students studying conducting at conservatoire level.

Canford comes of age in 2011 with the 21st Wind Orchestra and conducting courses. We hope in particular to put the Wind Orchestra on the same international footing that the conducting courser has achieved in the last few years. Why not encourage your best students and colleagues to enrol on the wind orchestra course, or if you are a former Canfordian 2011 would be a great year to make a return trip.

This course is for conductors at the intermediate and advanced levels with an interest in wind music. Up to twenty-five students will be accepted as "active" participants. Observers are also encouraged and will be fully involved in general technique sessions, discussions and playing in the class ensemble, but they will only conduct at the discretion of the tutors. An important feature of this course is that all active participants receive podium time on each day of the course.

The class will explore conducting techniques, score preparation, rehearsal and training skills. An audio and score library will be available for reference and special emphasis will be placed on extending the knowledge of repertoire at all levels. One session of the week will be devoted to grade 1-3 pieces (please bring any works you would like to introduce to the class). All conducting sessions are videoed for review during the course and participants receive a DVD of their work at the end of the week. The course will run concurrently with the Wind Ensemble course and there will be close liaison between the two including the opportunity for selected participants to work with that ensemble. All participants should bring with them any instruments they play in order to accommodate ensemble work within the class. (If for any reason you are unable to bring your instrument(s), please let the summer school office know when you enrol). Students are required to learn their chosen repertoire thoroughly before commencement of the course. More experienced students may also wish to prepare the Ticheli and Rodrigo works from the Wind Ensemble repertoire list. All students are asked to prepare a movement of Holst or one of the Grainger pieces to conduct in the first session. For further information about the course students email mark@markheron.co.uk

Gorb Yiddish Dances Maecenas
Ellerby Prelude for Hampstead Heath Maecenas
Ives Old Home Days Peer Music
Holst Suite No 2 in F Boosey & Hawkes
Grainger Country Gardens G Schirmer/Music Sales
Grainger Irish Tune and Shepherds Hey Carl Fischer
Mozart Serenade in Bb K361 Barenreiter
Stravinsky Octet Boosey & Hawkes
Mozart Clarinet Concerto Stdents should prepare the orchestral score Barenreiter
McNeff Ghosts Maecenas
Meechan Macbeth the composer will make scores available - email petermeechanmusic@googlemail.com

Preparation and Repertoire Selection

Participants are not expected to thoroughly prepare all of the repertoire, although you may if you wish. It is far better to learn 3 or 4 pieces very well than to have only a very superficial knowledge of them all.

Everyone should prepare a movement of Holst or one of the Grainger pieces as these will be used in the first session of the week during which everyone will conduct for a few minutes in order that a quick assessment can be made of each participant. The Mozart will be covered in a couple of chamber music sessions during the week, and it is certainly worth preparing all or some of that work.

Participants may find some of the articles on conducting, score study and rehearsal technique available in the basbwe articles section, www.timreynish.com and www.markheron.co.uk useful.

Course Structure

The course is essentially egalitarian. To a large extent, all participants receive equal amounts of podium time and generally most people conduct every day. Most of the sessions are with the class ensemble, which is often augmented by extra players. Some of the more advanced students will have the opportunity to work on occasions with the Symphonic Wind Orchestra. Unlike many conducting courses, this one where you will actually have the chance to conduct!

Any questions or enquiries about repertoire, preparation or the course content can be directed to Mark Heron.

All applications or other administrative enquiries must be made through the Sherborne Summer School website, where information about cost, location, administration can be found along with application details.

Symphonic Wind Orchestra

The Symphonic Wind Orchestra is designed for experienced amateurs and students to play and study significant repertoire for Wind Orchestra and Wind Ensemble. A regular feature of the course will be chamber music as well as wind ensemble playing. Some of the repertoire will be studied in depth, the remainder in repertoire sessions.

Ellerby Prelude for Hampstead Heath
Grainger Lincolnshire Posy
Grainger Martching Song of Democracy
Hesketh Danceries 2
Holst Suite No 2 in F
Ives Old Home Days
Mahler arr Gorb Rondo Burlesque from Symphony no 9
Mozart Serenade in Bb (Gran Partita)
Palej Recollections
Rodrigo Adagio
Ticheli Symphony no 2

For further information, including how to apply, please visit the Sherborne Summer School site.

Tim Reynish

Timothy Reynish held principal horn positions with the Northern Sinfonia, Sadlers Wells Opera and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra before joining the Royal Northern College of Music as Tutor in Conducting and later Head of School of Wind and Percussion. He studied conducting with George Hurst, Dean Dixon, and Franco Farrara, was a prizewinner in the Mitropulos International Conducting Competition, and has conducted orchestras and wind ensembles in Canada, Scandinavia, Europe the Middle East and North and South America.

Since leaving the RNCM he has worked unstintingly to raise both the performing standards and the quality of music played by wind orchestras and ensembles around the world - indeed he has commissioned a copious number of major works himself. Following a term as President of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles he currently spends much of his year commuting between America and the UK with the occasional trip to Australia!

Mark Heron

Mark Heron studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama, the Royal Northern College of Music and in international masterclasses with Neeme Jävi and Jorma Panula. In 2005 he won the Neeme Järvi Conducting Competition and the following year was selected by the London Symphony Orchestra to participate in their mentoring scheme for young conductors. Mark is Music Director of the Nottingham Philharmonic Orchestra, Liverpool Mozart Orchestra, Manchester University Symphony Orchestra and the National Youth Wind Orchestra of Israel. He is a member of the conducting faculty at the RNCM where he works with all of the college's orchestras and ensembles and regularly records contemporary music with the RNCM Wind Orchestra. As a guest conductor Mark works regularly with orchestras in Finland, Estonia, Germany and Israel as well as in the UK. Increasingly well regarded in the field of conductor training, Mark teaches at the RNCM, Manchester University, the Royal Air Force and Canford Summer School. You can find out more about his activities at www.markheron.co.uk

Russel Cowieson

Russell Cowieson studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and the Guildhall School of Music. Conducting studies were undertaken with Tim Reynish, Baldur Brönnimann and George Hurst. He is Musical Director of the Edinburgh University Symphony Orchestra and the newly formed Scottish National Wind Orchestra which is in residence at the RSAMD.

In 2007 Russell was appointed Artistic Director of the BASBWE International Wind Festival held at the RSAMD and in 2008 served on the faculty of the Royal Northern College of Music Conducting Weekend. Russell has worked with Young Sinfonia, the RNCM Junior Orchestra, the RSAMD Wind Orchestra, the RSAMD Junior School and Cambridgeshire Youth Wind Orchestra.