Going into this talk I knew absolutely nothing about steelpans as an instrument. The speaker and performer was Khan Cordice, who explained that he was a professional steelpans player, and that he was at the Purcell School due to funding from, and links with, the high commission of Antigua. He then went on to inform […]

It’s quiet… Too quiet. Aside from odd noises coming out of practice rooms, or composers scribbling and tapping away, there appears to be very little noise at all. Having spent the last few days in a school bursting to the seams with music, this sort of softer atmosphere is almost eerie. Of course, the reason […]

Things are heating up about now, and we’re not just talking about the weather! Midweek here at the Sound and Music Summer School is when things start to get serious. After a few days of getting to know each other, their tutors, and the impressive arsenal of musical techniques they have at their disposal, Wednesday […]

Day 3 in the Summer School house (notably more classy than it’s Big Brother equivalent on Channel 4), and there’s a real sense of community now building. With everyone living together, eating together and, most importantly creating together, you get the impression of a big family built around composing. Tuesday is a rather pleasant affair, […]

Today was our first full day, of course starting out with a healthy breakfast. One quick assembly later, and the students were already cracking on with their compositions in their Key Tutor Groups! After the day’s first KTG, we quickly moved on to the week’s first two taster sessions. These allow our students to get […]

Wow – what a first day! Sunday might traditionally be a day of rest, but it’s been a jam-packed first day for us here at the Sound and Music Summer School. After bringing together our huge staff team (including tutors, composers, instrumentalists, chaperones and the Sound and Music team), we couldn’t wait for this year’s […]