Thursday 1st – Thursday 8th August 2024

This well established course is for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn players who would like an enjoyable and rewarding week improving instrumental and chamber music skills in a relaxed and supportive environment.

The course is tutored by Liz Drew (clarinet), Miles Hewitt (horn) and Liz Cutts (flute). All three are keen to help you have fun extending your playing capabilities with a broad range of workshops and repertoire.

Playing will be mostly in small groups with some larger ensemble playing too ; workshops and exercises will usually include all participants. There is a maximum of 16 players on this course.

WHATS IN A NAME? – Playing Standard

It is always tricky specifying the standard of courses.
Grade 8 is, in the context of their 8 grade system, considered Advanced by the ABRSM.
It is indeed a great acheivement and something to be proud of.
However, grade 8 is a prerequisite for working through the 4 or 5 levels of performance diplomas beyond it.
It is in this context that Grade 8 is called Intermediate, as in ‘Cubertou Intermediate Wind Chamber Music’.

PRICES (7 nights)

Course Participant: [includes tuition, accommodation, meals and wine with supper]
1143€ – Single Room
915€ – Shared Twin Room(sharing with someone specific you have agreed to share with)
915€ – Cubertou Bell Tent (sole occupant)
693€ – Bring your own Tent

Non Participant companion: [includes meals and wine with supper]
693€ – Shared Twin Room

Arrival / Departure
Participants are kindly requested arrive after 18:00 on the first day and depart before 10:30 on the last day. There is no scheduled activity on the first day other than supper, at around 20:00.

There is some information about travel options on our Getting To Cubertou page. If you are coming by public transport please aim to get to Monsempron Libos station or Bergerac airport, we can organise taxis from these destinations to / from Cubertou. Taxis between Bergerac and Cubertou were 200 euros per trip in 2022 (300 euros Sundays and evenings). We might ask you to wait for other arrivers in order to share taxis. (Car hire is also an option from Bergerac airport.)

Daily Schedule
There are three, one and a half hour, tutored sessions each full day and an informal concert to a small invited audience on the last evening. There are two tutored sessions before lunch and one between afternoon tea and supper. Participants can organise their own ensemble playing in the afternoon and early evening; we have an extensive music library available.  There is also informal music making after supper on most evenings.

If you prefer a break in the afternoon then we have woods and meadows to explore and a lovely pool to relax by.  For those with cars, there are numerous castles and 13th Century villages in the area.

Workshops will take up part, or all, of the first daily session. We start each day with Warm-Ups; getting the foundations of posture and breathing in the right place for the day . We then might continue with Workshops or Repertoire. Workshop sessions, might include exercises on tricky rhythms, tone production, how to practice efficiently, chamber music skills, listening .. and much more!

For the other two sessions participants will be in small groups for repertoire playing. For this course we shall very likely NOT send out repertoire in advance but explore various options for the first few days and settle on groupings and repertoire after that. We find this the best approach when players’ strengths and experience levels are so very varied.

Repertoire in 2023 included Beethoven – Sextet in Eb op.71, Leonard Duck – Cat’s Cradle Quartet, Beethoven – Trio op.87, Mozart – Sextet k375, JG Lickl – Trio in Eb, Reinecke – Sextet in Bb op.271, Barboeu – Quartetto No.1, Ibert – Deux Movements, Mozart – Divertimento No.4, Alexis Ciesla – Klezmer Suite.

Informal, after supper playing, is usually based around folk music; klezmer, tango, jigs and reels, French musettes etc. This offers good sight-reading practice in an extremely relaxed atmosphere… also often a chance to dance!

Please read these Ts & Cs before booking your place.

If you would like to book or have any questions then please email us…