*Booking for Summer School 2023 is now closed*
Welcome from the Summer School Artistic Director – Rachel Parkes
“Welcome to the 2023 Music for Everyone Summer School: three days of shared music-making, with courses and workshops for intermediate and advanced musicians aged 16+. Across three days you will hone your musicianship, meet new like minded people and discover the delights of repertoire old and new. We are excited to introduce you to some fantastic repertoire and artists who resonate with our theme of ‘Broader Horizons’. We will be recognising and celebrating the achievements of women in music, looking beyond boundaries and borders to new lands and a bright, inclusive future.
Whether you want to immerse yourself in the shimmering sounds of Sibelius’ Finlandia, explore luscious choral repertoire from Brahms to Joni Mitchell, or work on your chamber skills with our string and saxophone ensembles, there really is something for everyone!
We look forward to seeing you for another unforgettable summer of music.”
The Summer School Experience
Trent College
We will be back in the beautiful Trent College in Long Eaton, where an intensive programme of rehearsals will be linked by relaxing and uplifting recitals, outdoor warm-ups under the trees, and energy packed body-percussion workshops from Stomp inspired ‘Beat goes On!’. New for this year, our saxophone ensemble, led by Keiron Anderson, will have their own dedicated sessions, and will be joining the orchestra and choir for Finlandia. A Summer School pack with all your music will be sent out to you four weeks in advance.
Each day will start at 10am (registration from 9.30am) and finish at approximately 5.30pm with a Showcase Concert early on Wednesday evening.
“I can’t think of a better way to spend three days!”
Be part of the social buzz. There is plenty of time to chat to tutors, browse the stands and enjoy the school grounds. There will be coffee and pastries to welcome you on the first day and farewell drinks and nibbles after the Showcase Concert. Please bring a packed lunch – the grounds of the school are ideal for a picnic.
Guest Conductors & Artists
We are thrilled to welcome many familiar faces along with several new artists including acclaimed saxophonist Naomi Sullivan and all-female a cappella ensemble Papagena, who will bring their talent and expertise to the workshops.
Conductors – Keiron Anderson, Hilary Campbell and Robert Hodge
Keiron Anderson was born in Aberdeen and studied trumpet and keyboard at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester where he started both a light orchestra and big band. His career has multiple strands: musical director, composer, performer, teacher.
Keiron currently directs Yorkshire Wind Orchestra (1994 – ) which he has brought to its present level of excellence, Nottingham Symphonic Winds (2006 – ) with whom he has produced many excellent concerts and recordings, and Phoenix Concert Band (2003 – ) which he has developed into a high-quality community wind band. He has worked with many other groups including Harlequin Brass, Leeds Conservatoire Wind Orchestra, Nottingham Symphony Orchestra, the National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain and numerous chamber ensembles throughout the UK and Europe as part of a diverse and rich schedule of conducting.
Keiron approaches each group differently according to its particular character, capabilities, ambition and rehearsal schedule! He recently conducted his own music at the Bavarian Music Academy Annual Wind Orchestra course in Germany, coaching composers and conducting the excellent orchestra. Keiron is a prolific composer producing unique and exciting new music across an eclectic mix of styles. Some of these works are written specifically for the groups he directs or as commissions for other ensembles. Others are intended to be enjoyed on Soundcloud.
Hilary Campbell is a freelance choral specialist based in London. She is founder and director of professional chamber choir, Blossom Street, and Musical Director of Bristol Choral Society, Music Makers of London and Chiswick Choir. She has also recently been appointed assistant conductor of Ex-Cathedra. Hilary has released two award winning Naxos recordings and is a published and prize-winning composer.
Robert Hodge teaches conducting at the Royal School of Music and is known for his considerable skill, clarity of technique and excellent rapport with musicians.
He is the Musical Director of three symphony orchestras – City of Cambridge, Essex and Aylesbury – and works with many other orchestras, adult and youth, including the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
Richard Cox – Summer School accompanist
Local pianist Richard Cox has been working in the Nottingham area and beyond for many years, accompanying numerous soloists and ensembles. He studied music at Nottingham University, specialising in piano performance with Brenda May, and began working with community organisations after graduating, initially through Music for Everyone (then known as the Nottingham Choral Trust). He now spends the majority of his time running music-related businesses, including Europadisc (selling recordings of classical music to collectors around the world), and local woodwind specialist, Windblowers.
Guest Artists – Beat Goes On, Papagena and Naomi Sullivan
Katie Mallard – Beat Goes On 
Katie is a community percussionist, composer and performer with a passion for bringing rhythms to adults and children from all backgrounds and abilities. A psychology graduate, she is known for her compassionate teaching style, energetic workshops and for the vibrant community percussion ensembles she has founded.
Papagena – A cappella group
Sopranos: Imogen Russell, Elizabeth Drury, Suzzie Vango. Altos: Shivani Rattan, Suzie Purkis
Papagena is a rarity in the UK, an all-female consort of five professional singers set up to explore music from medieval times to the present day written specifically for female voices. The group’s programming defies pigeonholing; drawing richly on traditional folk music and women’s working songs from around the world, Papagena juxtaposes these pieces with more classical repertoire from Kassia and Hildegard of Bingen to Imogen Heap and Katy Perry, as well as writing its own material and commissioning from an eclectic range of composers including Errollyn Wallen, Oliver Tarney, Janet Wheeler, John Duggan and Jim Clements. Medieval, classical, folk and contemporary music is interwoven into intriguing programmes such as Nuns and Roses, The Darkest Midnight, Still Moving and A Winter’s Dawn which fascinate diverse audiences.
Formally launched in 2015, the group has performed at numerous festivals throughout the UK including the Edinburgh Festival, Brandenburg Choral Festival (London), the Shropshire Music Trust, Music at Christchurch, Nottingham Cathedral and Bromsgrove Festivals and the 2019 Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester. As regular featured artists on BBC Radio 3 and Scala Radio, the group has also appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, promoting their Darkest Midnight album which reached #6 in the UK Classical Charts in 2018. Collaborations include projects with the Orchestra of the Swan, Lynda Sayce (theorbo), Victoria Davies (harp), Cathy Lamb (organ) and vocal ensemble The Queen’s Six.
For more information please visit: www.papagena.co.uk or follow on social media: @papagenasingers
Naomi Sullivan – Saxophone
Naomi Sullivan has a varied career performing as a soloist, chamber musician and teacher. She is currently performing with the Laefer Quartet who are soon to record their debut album – as well as with Sounding Cities – a project that explores urban environments through music and visual artists. After a tour of South Africa in 2017, Sounding Cities has been part of the Bechstein Series at Wigmore Hall, The Goodman Gallery opening night and have performed at galleries in Birmingham and London.
Naomi has been part of a number of chamber groups, syzygy (a quartet she co-founded in 2009) and Flotilla, lead by Kyle Horch. As an orchestral musician, Naomi has worked for many UK orchestras including Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Halle Orchestra, Aurora Orchestra and Chineke!
Naomi has given masterclasses at the Royal College of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Trinity Laban, Chetham’s School of Music, the Purcell School as well as conservatoires and festivals in Europe and the USA. She also teaches young musicians from schools and educational projects in London, Birmingham and further afield – including the Nation Youth Orchestra and Aldborough Young Musicians.
She is Head of Saxophone at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Professor of Saxophone at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She studied with Kyle Horch (RCM) and Northwestern University (Frederick Hemke).
How to Enrol
The Summer School fee of £120 covers all music, tuition, refreshments at breaks, and drinks and nibbles after the showcase concert. In order to provide the best quality experience for all participants, some instrument numbers will be capped. Please book early to avoid disappointment.
The Summer School is now closed for applications.
To book online, click the button below, or download a form here and return to the office with your payment.
*Booking closes on Tuesday 1st August 2023*
