Lute Fest in association with The Lute Society

Our annual Lutefest, organised in association with the Lute Society, gives lutenists of all standards the opportunity to explore the treasures of the lute and lute-in ensemble repertoire. We also welcome singers, renaissance flautists, recorder players and viols to enjoy non-stop lute songs, broken consorts and four-voice ayres with lutes. There will be ensemble and solo work, and individual teaching is offered. This year, the Lutes, Viols and Voices class will explore music 'in the presence of a Queen' – Dowland's dialogues and choruses from court entertainments, plus Robert Dowland's 'Musical Banquet'. Needless to say we can also more or less guarantee some ad hoc late night madrigal singing in the bar.

Included in the course fee is a ticket to Bor Zuljan’s and Peter Croton’s duet recital on the Friday and we are again offering the opportunity to extend the experience with an optional early arrival.

Lute and lute-in-ensemble music of all kinds; our versatile tutors can offer tuition and coaching on any kind of lute-family instrument.

By the end of this course you will have lots of fun discovering new repertoire, playing unfamiliar lutes, and generally find the tuition and coaching extremely helpful.

Individual lessons run in tandem with masterclasses, chamber playing, lute orchestra, and drop-in lutes, viols and voices class.

Plentiful music will be available on the course; for individual tuition participants tend to bring a piece they have been practising, and may bring favourite chamber works; music for lutes, viols and voice can by purchased commercially before the course, though will be provided anyway; some lute orchestra scores may be sent out as PDFs, though it will be provided anyway.

You only need to bring yourself, your instrument, music and an ambition to enjoy yourself!