Started by Ann Marshall, Steve Marshall and Pam Smith in 2005, the Cheltenham Recorder Festival has grown to become one of the highlights of the recorder year. The Festival has an enviable reputation of being one of the friendliest and most enjoyable recorder courses run in the UK. One reason for this is that the CRF offers an exciting variety of music to cater for all tastes and abilities, ranging from the established Renaissance and Baroque repertoire through to contemporary pieces which will be premièred at the Festival.
Equally importantly, the tutors at the festival are specialists in their fields, ready to dispense friendly advice, direction and insights. Tutors for the 2010 CRF include: Grace Barton, Ruth Burbidge, Simone Curley, John Hawkes, Helen Hooker, Steve Marshall, Andrew Melville, Janice Ormerod, Michael Piraner, Pam Smith and Moira Usher.
The aim of the Festival is to pack as much as possible into the weekend! The Festival begins on Friday evening, with playing sessions from 8.00 to 10.00pm. On Saturday sessions are scheduled from 9.00am to 6.00pm and on Sunday from 9.00am to 4.00pm. The idea is to give you so much to do that you will be rushed off your feet with pleasurable playing — if you want to be. You are welcome to choose to "sit out" as many sessions as you want to over the weekend.
There is one massed playing session each day when all 120 festival participants come together to make a truly amazing sound. In the other playing sessions there is a choice of music available so you are able to tailor the weekend to suit your particular interests. The sessions are carefully planned so that all players, irrespective of playing ability or experience, have a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding time.
As ever, the timetable for the weekend will offer participants the opportunity to try out something new, should they wish, alongside well-known and well-loved recorder repertoire. Following positive feedback last year, the 2010 festival will once again include recorder orchestras for players of all abilities including Easy Orchestra. This ensemble gives the opportunity for those players with the most modest ability to experience the excitement and fun of playing in a recorder orchestra. Janice Ormerod will again lead a Voices and Recorders session and, back by popular demand, Steve Marshall will conduct a Jazz session.
A particular feature of the CRF is Easy Street – every playing session features one "Easy" option, which could give you a relaxing moment if you spend most of the festival trying to stretch yourself a little. If you have never been to a large recorder event before and are unsure if you will be able to cope with the playing standard, rest assured that the Easy options are just that. They are tutored by professional recorder teachers who specialise in encouraging adult players with little experience.
Our special guests at the 2010 CRF are the recorder trio pOLyPhoNiCA who will be leading workshops in performance and technique on both the Saturday and Sunday of the Festival. Grace, Simone and Michael took a couple of workshops at the 2008 CRF and these were listed as personal highlights of the Festival for many of the players who particpated. We’re delighted that pOLyPhoNiCA are paying a return visit to the Festival to share some of their expertise and to inspire us to greater musicality.
There will be a festival concert on Saturday evening, free to all course participants. The festival concerts have been widely regarded as some of the highlights of previous festivals and the 2010 concert will be no exception. The recorder trio pOLyPhoNiCA will take centre stage this year and we look forward to being dazzled by their brilliant recorder technique and ensemble skills.
The festival concert will take place in the Bacon Theatre, the school's prestigious concert venue. The concert is open to the public so your family and friends will be very welcome to attend this highly-anticipated concert. Tickets are available from Justine in advance or on the door.
Dean Close School is a distinguished boarding school, within walking distance of Cheltenham town centre. The original school buildings have been tastefully extended over the years with a large, modern music school of which we will have exclusive use. Accommodation will be in two of the school’s residential ‘houses’.
The school has disabled access to all playing rooms. There is ample car parking, and the school is only 10 minutes from the M5 (junction 11A). All accommodation is just a short walk from the playing rooms, dining room and bar. All of your urges to spend money on instruments, music and accessories can be readily satisfied, as both Recorder MusicMail and the Early Music Shop will be at the festival.