AUGUST 2014

BENSLOW MUSIC NEEDS YOU We are always looking to extend a welcome to other amateur musicians who are not aware of the great courses and concerts we have on offer.

Are you able to support Benslow Music by distributing posters or course brochures in your local area?

Please contact Vicky on 01462 459446 or email vicky@benslowmusic.org as she would be delighted to speak to you.

www.benslowmusic.org

UZZ

THE

Welcome to the August edition of The Buzz.

During July and August all attention is turned to our summer schools and summer concerts. We are very pleased to say that this year our programme has been very well subscribed

with full houses in July for the viol summer school, big band and big band singing summer schools, as well as a good take up for our series of advanced summer schools for viola, violin, cello and composing. The series of accompanying concerts is also proving to be popular, the highlight being another sell-out for our annual Night of Jazz. As we move through August we do still have spaces remaining for many of our courses and summer schools, so if you are interested in booking please get in touch soon.

During July we’ve also had some exciting developments. The first of which is the appointment of a new CEO, Peter Hewitt, who will be joining us in September. Further details of Peter’s appointment can be found inside, and the staff at Benslow are really looking forward to working with him. The other exciting development was the recent filming which took place at Benslow Music as part of a forthcoming Channel 4 mini-series “James Rhodes: The Great Instrument Amnesty”. In the series, internationally renowned classical pianist James Rhodes aims to get Britain playing again – and demonstrate the power of music to change lives – by launching this country’s biggest ever campaign. Benslow Music was asked to feature in the production and filming took place on 11 July with clarinettist and

Benslow tutor Paul Harris who worked with a Basildon school teacher in the early stages of learning the clarinet. The series is expected to air later this year.

As well as plenty of activity within the Benslow Music campus we have also had the opportunity to spread our reach beyond our walls. During the Summer Saxes course a group of students were able to perform in Hitchin town centre for a morning. The event was a huge success and really helped raise our profile locally, as well as adding an interesting dimension to the course.

As many of you will already know, booking opened for Jan-Jul 2015 courses to members of the trust on 1 July, with the ballot for the high demand courses being taken on 14 July. We are delighted with the take up so far and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our members for their continued support. Booking opens to non-members on 4 August at 9am by telephone or post. We look forward to taking your bookings and hope to see you at Benslow Music very soon.

Fane Henderson Head of Music

James Rhodes to strike a chord with ‘The Great Instrument Amnesty’

COUrSE pLACES AvAILABLEWe still have places available on the following August courses.

Clarinet Summer School(Code 14/SS5, 4 - 8 August)

Conducting Summer School(Code 14/SS6, 4 - 8 August)

Harp Summer School(Code 14/SS6, 5 - 7 August)

Oboe Summer School(Code 14/SS9, 4 - 8 August)

Summer Guitar Weekend(Code 14/335, 8 - 11 August)

Summer Madrigal and partsong School(Code 14/336, 8 - 11 August)

Janet Myatt’s Summer Winds(Code 14/405, 11 - 15 August)

Sarah Leonard’s vocal Summer School(Code 14/406, 11 - 15 August)

Benslow Summer String Orchestra(Code 14/338, 21 - 24 August)

purcell’s verse Anthems(Code 14/340, 31 August - 3 September)On most courses we can usually squeeze in a few more so even if the course you’re attracted to isn’t on this list why not ask in any case?info@benslowmusic.org or T: 01462 459446 To book your place

NEW CEO ANNOUNCED We are delighted to announce the appointment of Peter Hewitt as Benslow’s Chief Executive. He will join us formally on 1 September, although he has already started to acquaint himself with the

detailed running of the organization, and with the staff.

Peter will be responsible to Council for: providing leadership for all aspects of Benslow’s operation, including the Instrument Loan Scheme; developing proposals regarding Benslow’s strategic direction, and for ensuring the delivery of strategic objectives, once agreed; managing the working relationships between the Council of Trustees and staff, and between staff, members and other stakeholders; and for acting as an ambassador for Benslow, both locally and in the wider musical and educational worlds. As part of his responsibilities, Peter will provide strategic leadership for the course programme, supported by Head of Music Fane Henderson, who will be responsible to Peter for the programme’s successful delivery.

Peter brings enormous experience of the worlds of music and music education, gained variously as artistic director, conductor, performer (flute, viol and voice), teacher and department head in various major schools, examiner, adjudicator, consultant, and, most recently, through 23 years’ distinguished leadership of the Royal College of Music’s Junior Department, where he led a team of 125 staff. He read Music at Durham University and undertook postgraduate study at Emmanuel College, Cambridge; amongst his many affiliations within the musical world, he is a member of the Royal Society of Musicians and the Incorporated Society of Musicians, Patron of Pro Corda, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Peter and his family live near to Hitchin and he has been aware of Benslow’s work for many years, having attended various concerts and events here. He is completely committed to Benslow Music’s vision and principles and to those of the Instrument Loan Scheme. He intends to maintain a highly visible presence, operating an “open-door” policy, so please take an early opportunity to introduce yourself to him.

BENSLOW LIBrArY NEEDS YOUDo you live near enough to Benslow to give a couple of hours a week (or more!) to help run the library? The Library Team would welcome another volunteer who would be free to choose in which section of the Library to work. The main gap is for someone interested in piano music but there is plenty of work in all sections. New Librarians work alongside a colleague until confident of procedures. You could then choose your regular slot on the rota. Simple computer skills are an asset!

Come in and talk to anyone on duty in the Library which means Monday morning or most afternoons except Sunday. As it is the holiday season you might want to ‘phone first to check a librarian is there. Or email any questions to library@benslowmusic.org.

BOOkING OpENS TO NON-MEMBErS FOr ALL COUrSES ON MONDAY 4 AUGUST AT

9AM BY TELEpHONE Or pOST.

Q & A WITH SEBASTIAN MUELLEr - BENSLOW vIOLIN TUTOr

“You obviously have real enthusiasm for teaching, what is it that draws you to working with so many students”?

“I love the complexity of it. For me, teaching violin means thinking in mechanical - physiological structures and combining them with psychoanalytical

skills and strategic planning - whilst relating it all to what you believe is your musical/artistic horizon.”“Given your extensive experience working with specialist groups and lecturing across Europe, what specifically drew you to work with Benslow Music Trust”?

“I recognise the importance of adult learning, both in terms of keeping classical music rooted in society but mainly because it can be life changing to many people. Towards the end of a course I am often under the impression that participants suddenly became 10 years younger. The combination of simultaneous physical, emotional and intellectual effort seems to keep individuals agile and optimistic.”“Your teaching values seem very rigorous and technical; is Violin practice a science or an art”?

“Both. To reach a certain artistic freedom and format, you have to go through quite a restrictive conceptual or “scientific” phase in your practice. The most artistic ideas are worth nothing if played technically poorly. I like to compare the learning process of violin playing with speaking in a foreign language: It is hard to express your thoughts convincingly in another language if you are constantly looking for the right vocabulary or syntax. Same in violin playing: its difficult to be musically convincing if your brain is constantly occupied navigating around technical cliffs. Certainly you can learn a language to a certain degree by just throwing yourself into a foreign environment, but the quality of your language wont develop beyond a certain point, unless you start looking analytically at your skills to develop them further. Look at the nature of a crescendo for example: usually we associate it with an increase of energy of some sort. Instinctively, violinists at an early stage do the same - they use more physical force to press into the string to create an increase in sound. But in fact you have to do the opposite: you reduce the effort of keeping your arm up against gravity because you use its weight to dig into the string. So you see, our (musical) instinct can jeopardise economic violin technique in some cases. As a result, part of my job is to help students translate their musical ideas into concrete violinistic actions, which can be indeed quite scientific. Whilst these things are common knowledge amongst advanced players, those new to the violin often expect things to be more intuitive then they actually are, so working with me might come across as strict and technical as mentioned in your question, but its just a vehicle towards an unoccupied mind which can then

potentially develop true artistry.”You are working very successfully as a soloist, how do you feel about the old vs new debate that’s reared up again concerning the instruments players use? Would you encourage younger musicians to adopt their instruments based on age or other qualities”?

“You have to find out for yourself. An instrument has to sound and function. Some modern violin makers are doing an amazing job. If I compare newly made instruments of established makers with older instruments in the same price range - lets say 10-20k -, then I often prefer the new ones. That does not mean that you can not find a good old instrument which works for you or that all newly made instruments are of good quality, but I always encourage students to compare objectively”. “Do you find there’s much of a difference teaching in the UK versus the rest of Europe?”

“I can only compare the UK to Germany, my native country. The arts and education are funded differently, which has an impact on how you work as a musician and teacher. Although sociopolitically highly interesting, I won’t go into detail here, only that much: UK musicians have to work a lot more then their German colleagues to make a living, resulting in much tighter schedules. Things have to go quickly in the UK, which has its positive facets: you learn to be effective and economical with your time, prioritise etc, but on the other hand, working in depth is not always easy. I think there is a reason why “made in Germany” is associated with a certain solidity: people take time. This clearly reflects on education, also in instrumental teaching. However, I love working in the UK - the system is more flexible then in Germany. If you have innovative ideas you find always open ears here!” “2014 seems like it’s been a busy year for you, with you joining Chetham’s and the Birmingham Conservatoire as well as maintaining your current roles lecturing at Guildhall, Leeds College of Music and Sheffield University; do you anticipate having to slow down at all in the future?”

“I don’t feel the need to slow down. However, I hope to be able to reduce my travel at some point and find more time to practice.”“Where are you off to next?”

“To Lisbon, working with the National Youth Orchestra of Portugal. Tempted to take my swim shorts instead of the scores... ““Seeing as your Late Starter Violins Course at Benslow has just wrapped up, can you give us an idea of the kind of approach you take with adult learners who are just now getting into the violin?”

“The aim of these courses is to give people an overview of what violin playing consists of and provide them with enough ideas and strategies to continue working after the course. Secondly, experiencing this rewarding musical flow through playing in a group is important, as it motivates people to practice.”

Interview by Sam Larkin

Benslow Music, Benslow Lane, Hitchin, Herts SG4 9RBT: +44 (0)1462 459446 I E: info@benslowmusic.org I W: www.benslowmusic.org

INTErNATIONAL rECITAL SErIESAn enticing series of concerts of music given by world class artists. Programme details are available on our web site.

Tuesday 5 augusT, 8pm

philippa davies flute, Jan willem nelleke piano

Tuesday 12 augusT, 8pm

sarah leonard soprano, sTephen guTman pianoworks by schuberT, sTrauss, QuilTer and gurney

saTurday 6 sepTember, 8pm

original works and arrangemenTs for one, Two and Three clarineTs and piano

TickeTs £12 i box office: 01462 459446free enTry To mosT concerTs for under 25’s and carers accompanying a disabled visiTor.concerTs Take place in peTer morrison hall, benslow music, benslow lane, hiTchin herTs sg4 9rb

DAvID CAMpBELL AND FrIENDS

SETTINGS OF WOrDS BY SHAkESpEArE AND HIS CONTEMpOrArIES

rECENT COUrSE COMMENTSSUMMER QUARTETS WITH NIC FALLOWFIELD AND FRIENDS

“What a glorious week you and your fellow Tedescas gave us! We found the coaching from each of you outstanding in every way: attentive, sensitive, constructive and encouraging. It built on what each of you knew from earlier coaching: in January - and, from your own many years of hearing and helping us onwards. This at the heart of the week, and alongside your workshops on Haydn and Beethoven as inspiration and total delight. Bernard’s presence at the first and Jen’s at the second, was welcome evidence of the Tedescas’ continuation of the best Macnaghten tradition.With perfect English summer days, and the ever more amazing garden, an idyllic Benslow experience. All hopes that Benslow’s incomparable role in amateur music-making may live on for generations to come!

SUMMER RECORDERS

“Very relaxing and attractive environment, all contributing to the enjoyment of the course. Good food and attractively served with a smile. A well planned course and a very enjoyable and stimulating few days.”

STRING QUARTETS WITH THE ALLEGRI

“A very enjoyable course. My first time with the Allegri, they were all the best tutors I have ever had on a course.”

“A great atmosphere of hard work and sociability. The Allegri Quartet are superb coaches and amazing players!”

“The whole Beethoven project has been a great success and the Allegri have been outstanding, both in their performances and their coaching”

“Everything has been superb. Room lovely, staff friendly, food delicious.”

“Very enjoyable course. Excellent tutors and nothing too much trouble for them! More please.”

NIC FALLOWFIELD’S STRING ORCHESTRA

“Jenny and Nic are excellent - encouraging and patient. It was really useful to have sectional sessions and then be able to play the challenging bits!”

THE vIrTUOSO FLUTE