• Course Dates
    February 6, 2026 6:30 pm –
    February 8, 2026 4:00 pm
  • Observer Pass
    February 7, 2026
    11:00 am - 1:00 pm

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The City Musick

with William Lyons & Richard Thomas

Explore the rich and varied repertoire of musicians from court and city in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, for wind and brass instruments: cornett, sackbut, shawm, dulcian, recorder (at 440) and crumhorn. Music will come from the part books associated with major European courts including that from the English court of James I and Charles I, the Regensburg part books and those from the royal court in Copenhagen, as well as dance and masque music by Praetorius, Holborne, Adson, the Hessen brothers, Susato and others.

Players should have their own instruments and be of a sufficient technical ability to enjoy this music at its best.

We asked our course leaders to answer a few questions about their course and teaching:

William Lyons:

  1. A sense of enjoyment in the process of improvement
  2. To improve their knowledge of repertoire
  3. To improve the art of ensemble playing

“My teaching style is to encourage participants to challenge themselves and to develop a positive approach to music-making in an enjoyable atmosphere.”

Richard Thomas:

  1. A fun and focused weekend of music making with good food, good company in beautiful surroundings
  2. Knowledge of interesting repertoire
  3. Technical tips to improve personal and ensemble playing

“My teaching style is to encourage mistakes and experiments in order to learn new things.”

Some course feedback:

Great tutors – really knowledgeable, kind and constructive

All I can say is that everything was excellent.

I felt encouraged and supported throughout.

the right balance of challenging repertoire and fun. Well-paced, at the right level, good variety and an opportunity to learn from them and from other participants.

Great tutors – really knowledgeable, kind and constructive, consummate musicians with great practical tips on playing the instruments and inspiring direction in making music rather than just playing notes. The two of them worked well together. Wonderful!!

The course was well organised and included a good variety of musical opportunities in the different sessions.

Excellent! I really valued the input I got from the tutors and other students. I felt the tutors were superb and had taken the trouble to read the information I gave about my experience and needs and provide suitable material. I learnt a huge amount in a short space of time, thank you.

it really is the music which makes the weekend and Bill and Dickie are magnificent tutors, well prepared, energetic, clever teachers who maintain good humour throughout.

Read more about what participants say about Jackdaws Courses.

A £100 deposit is required to secure your place on this course. The balance of fees, including accommodation, is due 3 weeks before the course start date.

You can also buy an Observer Pass for this course. The Observer Pass entitles you to attend on SATURDAY from 11am–1pm as an observer only and costs £10. This can be redeemed against a subsequent course booking. Places are limited. More info and terms and conditions here.

Details Price Qty
Attendee - Deposit £100.00 GBP  
Observer Pass £10.00 GBP  

Venue:  

Venue Phone: 01373 812383

Address:
Jackdaws Music Education Trust, Great Elm, Frome, Somerset, BA11 3NY, United Kingdom

Description:

Course Information

Is this Course right for me?

The answer is probably yes as we welcome musicians of all abilities and backgrounds on our courses but if you would like to find out more before you book please read about our course levels, or email or call our office manager Karolyn on 01373 812 383 / music@jackdaws.org and she will be able to offer further guidance.

If you are still unsure then maybe consider one of our “Try before you buy” Observer Passes which enable you to come and see one session in action.

Full Observer places may also be bookable for a whole weekend subject to availability. Call / email the office for more information.

Please see our General Course Information pages for further details and schedule information.

Our Courses are for adult musicians (except where stated) and take place at Jackdaws in Great Elm, near Frome in Somerset. The Course Fee includes all tuition, meals and refreshments at Jackdaws. Courses take place in the main studio, with Steinway piano, and generally follow a masterclass format. There are several practice rooms here, too.

Repertoire

For Voice, Piano & Wind courses; participants are usually requested to prepare 2 – 3 pieces in advance. We will ask you to provide a repertoire list for the tutor (& accompanist) ahead of the course.

For Ensemble courses; direction will be given by the course leaders.

Accommodation

If you require B&B, we can arrange that for you; accommodation fees are payable in addition to the course fee.

Meals and Refreshments

Lunch, Supper and morning/afternoon refreshments will be prepared on site by our dedicated Cooks.  If you are vegetarian/vegan, or have a food allergy, you must let us know in advance, so that our cooks can plan the meals for the weekend accordingly. We are ‘allergy aware’, but we rely on participants letting us know if they have specific food allergies. Please also let us know if you carry any emergency medication.

By booking onto a Jackdaws course you agree to abide by our Terms and Conditions and understand the Privacy Policy regarding our handling of your data.