Booking Open for 2024-25 Season
We are very excited to welcome you to Jackdaws 2024-25 Season, whether you’ve visited us before or have only just discovered us. Our weekend courses are known for their high-quality content with a welcoming atmosphere and delicious home-cooked meals, all set against a backdrop of beautiful rural Great Elm in the Vallis Vale area of outstanding natural beauty.
What people had to say about last season!
“A weekend at Jackdaws is always enjoyable, but the course was especially so.”
“This course has helped me make great strides in overcoming my performance anxiety and getting some joy back into my singing.”
“Thank you all for a fabulous weekend. Just what I needed. Plenty of musical challenges, however all in a supportive atmosphere to make it good fun too.”
“It was brilliant!”
“I’ve never seen such a huge improvement in such a short time, not just in my performance but also in my confidence.”
“I am grateful for having had such a wonderful opportunity”
“I’m coming back for more!”
“I can’t imagine there could be a more supportive and encouraging environment for learning”
“I look forward to coming to Jackdaws again soon – beautiful and inspiring location, excellent food and very friendly people!”
“Set in wonderful grounds, the facilities were great.”
“Jackdaws is a truly special place.”
“This was the best course I’ve been on by a long way”
Remember: your booking is not guaranteed until you have paid your deposit. The easiest way to do this is to pay online via PayPal – no need for an account, simply check out as a Guest.
NEW TUTORS’ SPECIAL OFFER:
We are delighted to be welcoming several new tutors for our 2024-2025 programme and are offering these particular courses at a special price of £310 when you book your place before 30th September.
Let’s take a look at some of the seasons highlights:
Singers are spoiled for choice with several great new courses to try out this season including these New Courses: “Singing away from the page” – putting your own mark on the music with Gemma Summerfield, Singer’s Technical Toolbox with Eamonn Mulhall, and Singing and Imagination with Sandra Ford.
Alongside many of our wonderful regular courses featuring a wide selection of repertoire, technical and language based approaches there is definitely a song for all to sing.
There are many new piano courses to try out this year: Creative Practising – How to Keep Your Piano Practice Fresh with William Howard, The Romantic Piano with Nicholas Walker, The Piano Teacher’s Survival Guide with Anthony Williams, and Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven Sonatas and Variations with Sarah Beth Briggs
Plus a new theme from Julian Jacobson in February where he will be considering approaches to “French piano music: the lighter alternative”.
Our exciting ensemble course for Viol players led by two of the wonderful members of Fretwork, Joanna Levine and Jon Rees is retiring to Jackdaws next Spring.
Of course the beloved Guitar Ensemble Weekend led by the Eden Stell Duo returns offering an exciting orchestral time for guitarists, and at the other end of the year new course lead Simon Kodurand brings a new title and new look to our Summer String Ensembles course.
And don’t forget The Klezmer weekend for our string players to get involved in, which everyone who has taken part in has loved so far.
Our Wind courses encompass dedicated weekends for Recorders in October, Oboes and Clarinets in April, and Bassoons in June – with opportunities to play solo and in ensembles.
Be sure to take a look at our Ensemble Courses for other opportunities to play in groups.
We are very excited to again be able to offer an ensemble course for Viols starting 28 February.
And the return of the Klezmer weekend which was a massive hit last year welcomes players of all instruments to join in the experience of playing this incredible community music of celebration.
One of the busiest weekend of our Ensemble calendar is undoubtedly the Chamber Music Weekend in July, led by Stephen Gutman.
We are also delighted that William Lyons and Richard Thomas are back make music as an ensemble with the ever popular early music ensemble weekend The City Musick in February.
Along with Theresa Caudle and Alastair Ross leading a Stylish Baroque weekend in September, there are some wonderful opportunities for making music with others.