Andrew Wilson-Dickson Andrew Wilson-Dickson

Marnaves Summer Baroque

a summer course in baroque period string-playing
with the international violinist
MARGARET FAULTLESS
with Lucy Robinson (viola da gamba) and
Andrew Wilson-Dickson (harpsichord and organ)

August
at Marnaves (81), S-W France

Margaret FaultlessThis course was offered for the first time in 2008, in the delightful surroundings of a small French country village and making use of its 12th-century church and a newly refurbished salle de musique with excellent acoustics. Daily tuition was available from Margaret Faultless, an outstanding player and teacher (see biog below), in large and small ensembles and for individuals. Two lectures on performance practice were presented during the week.

Yes, the 2008 course was a great success and hosted a dozen string players If you want to see comments from students and pictures of the week, join the Facebook group 'Marnaves Summer Baroque' where there is more information. We are likely to repeat the course again in 2009 as many people want to return. Watch this space.

The course can accommodate players of violin, viola, 'cello and double bass or violone. The intention is to achieve a balanced ensemble of at least a dozen skilled players, who need either to have skills in period playing or to be good and flexible modern players willing to adapt to the use of an early bow on gut strings. Players will need instruments with a baroque set-up and baroque bow or at a minimum a modern instrument with gut strings ready to play at A=415. The course may be able to offer some baroque bows on hire: please enquire.

Marnaves

Up to three meals are available each day (see price list) and advice on nearby accommodation, from camping to self-catering and hotels. Food is vegetarian and home-made with fresh local ingredients. Dietary needs can be catered for. A concert from Margaret Faultless is included free, and the course ends with an informal concert and party. A course meal is offered in the nearby historic Cathars fortified town of Cordes-sur-Ciel.

There are excellent walks and cycle rides in the area, with possible use of a swimming pool (unsupervised).

2008 Prices in £ sterling or € euros (subject to revision in 2009)

tuition for the week with light refreshments: £150/€200
meals:
all breakfasts (monday to saturday) £24/€32
all mid-day meals (monday to friday) £30/€40
all evening meals (sun to fri) £75/€100

The course is held from Sunday to Friday during a week in mid-August (to be confirmed for 2009)

Transport

The course centre is only 3km (2 miles) from Vindrac (Vindrac-Alayrac) rail station (the stop for Cordes), on the local line between Toulouse and Figeac. There is a shuttle service from Toulouse-Blagnac airport to the train station in Toulouse. If travelling by train is impractical, a lift from Toulouse airport may be possible.

 

Cordes-sur-Ciel

Biographical notes

Margaret Faultless is an internationally renowned violinist, a specialist in historical performance practice and in great demand as a concertmaster and director.

Since 1989 she has been a leader of The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, working with Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Roger Norrington, Ivan Fisher, Mark Elder and Vladimir Jurowski. For over 12 years she led the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra (ABO) under Ton Koopman, with whom she recorded all the Bach cantatas, including every obbligato for violin, violin piccolo and viola d'amore.

Margaret was a member of the London Haydn Quartet for six years, and has a duo with pianist Adrian Partington with whom she is performing, in particular, sonatas by Beethoven and Brahms. As a graduate of Cambridge University, she has established a Baroque Project there. She lectures on performance practice, is the Director of Studies of the European Union Baroque Orchestra, is a professor at the Birmingham Conservatoire and regularly directs orchestras at the Royal Academy of Music.

The husband and wife team of Lucy Robinson (BA (York), Ph D (Cantab)) and Andrew Wilson-Dickson (LRAM, ARCO, MA, Mus B (Cantab), D Phil (York)) has been involved in early music for many years, performing, teaching and enabling. Lucy was a pupil of Weiland Kuijken and has played her gamba across the world. She is an expert scholar on French music and is a frequent contributor to Early Music magazine. She is Head of Post-graduate Programmes and Research at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Andrew taught at the same College for many years as Head of Early Music. He is a gifted keyboard player with a special interest in continuo playing and improvisation. He directs the professional Welsh Baroque Orchestra and the Welsh Camerata Choir. Andrew and Lucy ran a successful early music summer school in Wales during the 90s.

In 2008 the following pieces were studied: Leclair: Violin Concerto in A minor, Bach JS: Brandenburg Concerto no3, Telemann: Viola Concerto in G, Corelli: trio sonatas, music by Lully, Charpentier, Campra and others.

Join the Facebook group Marnaves Summer Baroque to keep in touch.

(en français)