Cambridge Early Music Baroque course

As part of Cambridge Early Music’s Summer Schools programme we offer this Baroque course, with highly acclaimed tutors both as teachers and performers: Laurence Cummings as course director, voice and continuo, Bojan Čičić upper strings, Mark Caudle lower strings, Leo Duarte woodwind and Mary Collins, baroque dance and stagecraft.

The Fairy Queen

Henry Purcell’s Fairy Queen was composed in 1692 and takes Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream and interweaves it with musical masques ‘adorn’d with Scenes, Machines, Songs and Dances’. The genre is now described as semi-opera and has its roots in restoration drama but also draws on the French tradition of Lully’s Comédies-Ballets and Tragédies Lyriques.

Purcell’s score is wonderfully inventive and equally rewarding for singers, instrumentalists and dancers. Orchestral preludes give way to solo songs and choruses, which tell of tormented love and unrequited passion. The Fairy Queen, Titania, enamoured of an ass-headed mechanical, Bottom, is soothed by fairy dances and rustic airs before Juno, the goddess of marriage announces Love’s final triumph. All the perfect ingredients for a Baroque Summer School!

Our 2022 Summer course will be devoted to preparing and exploring Purcell’s musical gem as well as giving opportunities to discover other treasures of the 17th and 18th centuries. We will be working towards a final performance of The Fairy Queen, involving all course participants, choreographed and staged by Mary Collins and directed by Laurence Cummings.

Each day we will offer instrumental classes in sectionals, choral and orchestral sessions, with opportunities for smaller ensemble and individual sessions. The vocal allocations will be organised on arrival. Please indicate on application if you are interested in singing a solo.

Is the Baroque course for me?

Applications are invited from dancers, proficient singers and confident players of gut-strung Baroque instruments (violin, viola and cello), with Baroque bows (some instruments and bows may be available to hire), bass viol, violone, flute, oboe, bassoon, lute family and harpsichord/organ. (Suitable keyboard instruments are provided.) Pitch: A=415.

Players should have a good mastery of instrumental technique, but not necessarily any experience of Baroque playing. However, the wind players need to be fluent and confident on their Baroque instruments, able to sight-read solos with confidence. Continuo players should have a good knowledge of figured bass.

Singers should be experienced and fluent sight-readers; they may be encouraged to take solo parts as well as singing in ensembles.

Pre-existing groups are welcome to apply together, and may bring prepared music for coaching in some of the chamber music sessions. Non-singing/playing observers are welcome if we have space.

Schedule

A typical day’s schedule might be:

09.00 – physical warm-up taken by Mary Collins, including an introduction to baroque dance and stagecraft for everyone
09.30 – sectional/vocal/dance classes
11.00 – coffee
11.30 – sectional/vocal/dance classes
13.00 – lunch break
14.30 – chamber music, dance class and choir
16.00 – tea
16.30 – tutti session
18.30 – dinner
19.30 – informal students’ concerts
Later – Benslow Music’s bar is open

Tuition will incorporate historically-informed techniques and style. Mary Collins will also be available to coach instrumentalists on their dance movements to show how studying dance steps can enhance your musical performance. A selection of music for many combinations of instruments and voices will be provided; you are also invited to bring your own sets of parts and scores.

Participants should arrive in time for the welcome at 4pm on Sunday 24 July. The course ends with breakfast on Sunday 31 July. On the final evening, course members will participate in a public representation of The Fairy Queen.

Applications and fees

Please visit the Cambridge Early Music website for full information about bookings.

Residential fees

We will update this page with 2022 fees shortly. Fees below apply to the cancelled 2021 Summer Schools (per person, per course).

• Resident: £950 per person
• Non-resident: £750 per person

Bursaries

• We make every effort to assist with bursaries where appropriate.  Please see our Bursaries page for details.

Header photo: Cambridge Early Music Summer School 2019 Baroque Summer School © Andrew Wilkinson Photography