Amateur Chamber Music Weekend
The Endcliffe Orchestra ran its Second Amateur Chamber Music Weekend in conjunction with Music in the Round which took place on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st October 2007 at Greystones Primary School, Hunters Bar Sheffield. The Music Director for the event was Robin McEwan, with tutors Matt Hunt, Guy Eshed, Naomi Atherton, Matt Bugg and Steve Collisson of the Tempest Quartet.
Following the highly successful wind quintet weekend led by the Galliard Ensemble, the Endcliffe Orchestra teamed up with Music in the Round to organise this second weekend for both amateur wind quintets and string quartets. The event was supported by Making Music.
Who was it for?
How was the weekend organised?
Who are the organisers?
Who were the tutors?
What was the feedback?
Who was it for?
The workshop was aimed at amateur players of all standards of grade 5 or above. This was an informal event which provided an opportunity for both experienced amateur ensemble players and amateur musicians who may have been more used to playing in an orchestra but would like the chance to play in a wind quintet or string quartet format under the guidance of well-known professional young musicians.
Applicants fell into two categories;
- Existing amateur quintets and quartets; and
- Quintets and quartets formed for the event from orchestras and other contacts.
The event included approximately 50 players making up five wind quintets and four string quartets.
How was the weekend organised?
The professional tutors rotated around the ensembles throughout the weekend and playing sessions were interspersed with group instruction/demonstration and a very informal master class run by the professional players.
The ensembles selected at least three pieces which were practised before the weekend. Guidance was provided on appropriate pieces. Detailed joining instructions were sent to participants four weeks before the event.
The event ran from 9.30 to 4.30 on both days and a meal was organised for the Saturday evening.
The event took place at Greystones Primary School which is two miles from the centre of Sheffield.
How much did it cost?
The weekend, which was partly subsidised by Making Music and the Lindsay Foundation, cost £50 for the weekend. The fee for students under 21 and the retired was £40.
The fee included a ticket for one Ensemble 360 concert in Music in the Round’s autumn series.
Who were the organisers?
The Endcliffe Orchestra is a development group that provides a friendly and welcoming environment within which amateur musicians in Sheffield can rehearse and perform together. Our conductor is Martin Lightowler. Rehearsals take place every Monday during school term time from 7.30pm until 9.30pm in the Parish Hall of Holy Trinity Church, Millhouses, which can be reached from both Millhouses Lane and Grove Road.
Music in the Round was established by Peter Cropper of the Lindsay Quartet and exists to promote the best in international chamber music and thrill audiences with the unique power and intensity of music played in an intimate setting. It is committed to the residency of world class musicians in Sheffield; to enrich the cultural life of the city and to increase music-making opportunities for its young people. It is the UK's leading promoter of chamber music outside of London and its aim is to build audiences regionally and nationally through touring. It believes classical music is for all, so its programmes embrace a breadth of music in order to expand people's musical horizons. Its ethos is to present high quality concerts and education experiences at affordable prices, marked by a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Its resident group, Ensemble 360, is at the heart of Music in the Round’s concert giving and education and community work.
Who were the tutors?
Robin McEwan (music director for the workshop)
Robin is the Music Advanced Skills Teacher for Sheffield. He has worked with both the Endcliffe Orchestra and its associated ensembles and has worked extensively with Music in the Round on various music education projects.
Naomi Atherton (horn, Ensemble 360)
Naomi studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Michael Purton and Derek Taylor. During this time she won the Brass Final of the 1984 "BBC Young Musician of the Year" competition. Naomi is principal horn with both the Manchester Camerata and the Northern Chamber Orchestra. She has played as guest principal with the Northern Sinfonia, the Liverpool Philharmonic and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. She is also in demand as a chamber player and is very involved in orchestral work in schools.
Naomi joined Ensemble 360 in January 2007.
Matt Bugg (viola)
Matthew was born and brought up in Sheffield. Since graduating with a First from Birmingham University he has been working full time as a freelance theatre composer. His work has taken him all over the world including India, South Africa, and throughout Europe. His work has also been performed in many of the best regional theatres in the UK and in London’s West End. He is a committed educationalist and has worked with the City of Sheffield Youth Orchestra for ten years since leaving their ranks as principal viola.
Matthew has recently begun teaching for the Sheffield Music Service and has set up his own music theatre company “Mr Bugg Presents…”
Steve Collisson (cellist, Tempest Quartet)
Steve plays in the Tempest String Quartet with Martin Cropper. He graduated from Manchester University with first-class honours, having studied with Bernard Gregor-Smith of the Lindsays. At the RAM he studied for a Master's degree in Performance with Douglas Cummings (LSO). He is part-time lecturer and chamber music coach for the University of Birmingham and an examiner for the Associated Board (ABRSM), touring both in the UK and internationally. For many years he has worked on the Oxford Cello School as head of the Adult Improvers Course. Steve has also adjudicated at many festivals and competitions including the BBC Young Musicians Competition.
Matt Hunt (clarinet, Ensemble 360)
Matt began his musical education as a chorister at Lichfield Cathedral, later studying at the Guildhall School in London, and in Paris with Pascal Moraguès. Now much in demand as a soloist and chamber musician, Matt has performed at venues around Britain and internationally, including the Purcell Room, Wigmore Hall and St. John's, Smith Square in London, the Spoleto festival, the Cité des Arts and the British Embassy in Paris, the Auditorio Nacional in Madrid and the Centre for Performing Arts in Bombay.
Matt has been a member of the Ulysses and Olivier Ensembles and is a regular participant at the IMS Prussia Cove 'Open Chamber Music' and Wye Valley Chamber Music festivals.
Guy Eshed (flute, Ensemble 360)
Guy Eshed was born in Tel-Aviv in 1979 and began studying the flute at the age of twelve. He graduated with honours from the Rubin Music Academy of Tel-Aviv University where he studied with Yossi Arnheim and Mordechai Rechtman, twice winning the concerto and the chamber music competitions. In 2002, Guy was a student of Prof. Jacques Zoon in the Hochschule for Music "Hanns-Eisler" in Berlin and became the Solo Flautist of the Tel-Aviv Soloists Ensemble, with whom he also appeared as a soloist in Israel and in a concert tour in Hungary. In 2005, Guy graduated with the highest grade from the Hochschule for Music and Theatre, Hamburg, where he studied with Prof. Moshe Aron Epstein.
More recently, Guy has been invited to play as guest Solo Flautist with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and performed in the International Chamber Music Festival in Jerusalem.
What was the feedback?
The following statements were made by participants in feedback forms:
Excellent –Matt Bug and Steve Cullison opened our eyes and ears to new horizons and “sound worlds”.
Excellent from all 3 Ensemble 360 tutors-very helpful and an inspiration for improved style
First class- each tutor brought their own individual style to contribute
Fabulous-very encouraging-made me think more musically
Really enjoyable I got a lot out of it and learnt a lot
Terrific, great atmosphere, venue was ideal (except for some sound leakage between classrooms) - quite a boost to our collective confidence level
A friendly supportive occasion-compered supremely by Robin . We appreciated the hard work put in by all concerned. Well done – a weekend to remember!
Dramatically changed the way I perform – the music came alive
Great, very enjoyable and thank you
Excellent. Learnt a lot, made new friends and had an excellent time
Excellent value for money
Thoroughly enjoyable, stimulating, challenging and excellent
Lots of fun,very sociable,brilliant musical/educational event