23 – 29 July 2018, Ávila, Spain
“Descendi ad hortum meum”
Music from the Song of Songs.
with
(members of the group)
Group – in – Residence
Rupert Damerell – Course Director and Choir
Esta página en español
We have the pleasure to have Voces8 as our faculty in 2018 to encourage students to develop tools and skills in singing in smaller groups and ensembles without conductor. Pre-formed ensembles who wish to work together are very welcome.
The musical theme of this year is the Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon) which was very fashionable as a source of texts in the renaissance period, with motets by Lassus, Guerrero, Victoria or Palestrina. We will study how these composers (many of whom were priests) responded to these sensual texts.
The week includes various activities in the programme:
Individual vocal technique sessions. Each student should bring a prepared piece to work on applied vocal technique with the teachers on a one to one basis.
Group vocal technique sessions. These are held with the various teachers, including warmups, posture considerations, breathing, relaxation techniques, etc.
Full choir sessions. The whole group rehearses the polyphonic music programme.
Small groups or “consort” sessions. So that the students become accustomed to singing alone or with just one or two singers per part, within a small group that will work on other works of the period, under the direction of the teachers.
Students that come as pre-formed groups will also be able to work in their own group.
Cultural activities: presentations, cultural visits, etc.
Formal and informal concerts. The group will perform the course repertoire in various settings, including some of the most important churches of Ávila and the region.
Programme
Example of a typical day:
09.15 – 10.00 Warm up and group vocal technique
10.00 – 11.30 FULL CHOIR (during which there are individual lessons)
12.00 – 14.00 Consort Groups (directed by members of Voces8)
16.30 – 18.30 Consort Groups
19.00 – 20.30 FULL CHOIR
21.30 Evening activities
At the end of the course there will be a public concert
The first session will be Monday 23rd July at 4.30 pm. The course ends on Sunday 29th July at 21:30.
Participants may arrive the previous evening.
The course will be held mainly in English, with translators on hand for those who require.
There will be a final concert on Sunday 29th July. In addition to the concert the course will have approximately 40 teaching hours. Students with at least 80% attendance will receive a diploma on completion of the course.
Student profile:
Choir directors, section leaders and choristers
Level – medium to advanced, with good reading skills
Scores will be sent in advance for prior study.
The course organisers reserve the right of admission to the course.
The course fee is €270. This fee includes the tuition cost and the scores in digital format. It does not include board and lodging. See below for more information in this respect.
Alonso Lobo “Kyrie de la Misa Maria Magdalene”. Curso 2017 dirigido por Rupert Damerell
Accommodation:
The course will take place in Avila, at the Colegio Mayor Magistral Honcala, http://magistralhoncala.com very close to the historic city centre. A former Seminary, now it is used as a university hall of residence, boasting all the facilities – teaching rooms, dining room, wifi throughout, recently refurbished sleeping areas, parking, etc.
There is full board accommodation in the Hall for those course students who wish it. The grounds have fine gardens and shady areas also to enjoy in family if you would like to come accompanied. In addition, it is very close to the centre of the city, with the historic and cultural heritage that this city enjoys. Ávila boasts a wide variety of hotels and other accommodation available to participants.
The participants do not have to reserve the lodging in the residence directly, in the case of staying there. The organisation of the course already has a block booking of rooms to allocate to the students who would like them.The lodging is paid directly to the residence and the price for full board is 46 euros/ day per person in a single room, and 40 euros/ day per person in a double room.
The dates for registration and matriculation are the following:
. Pre-Registration: From 1 November 2017
The pre-registrations received will be evaluated by the Musical Director and applicants will be informed of their admission to the project. The organisation may request an audition or a voice recording from candidates.
. Sending of scores. Once an application has been accepted, scores will be sent digitally.
. There is a limit of places. The organisation reserves the right to admit students and the right to change the programme due to force majeur.
For any queries, the telephone for contact is: (34) 609 039 333 (between the hours of 19:00 to 22:00 CET) or by email to info@zenobiamusica.com
The course matriculation fee should be paid using bank transfer to the following account. We ask you not to make any transfer until admission to the project has been confirmed.
Account Name: Zenobia Música
IBAN: ES39 0081 0638 5700 0198 0308
Please put the name of the student in the concept field.
We also accept international payments using Paypal:
![]() |
THERE IS A WAITING LIST FOR ALL VOICES
Contacto: info@zenobiamusica.com
VOCES8
The British vocal ensemble VOCES8 is proud to inspire people through music and share the joy of singing. Touring extensively throughout Europe, North America and Asia, the group performs repertoire from Renaissance polyphony to contemporary commissions and arrangements; versatility and a celebration of diverse musical expression is central to the ensemble’s performance ethos.
VOCES8 has performed at venues such as the Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Bridgewater Hall Manchester, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Cité de la Musique Paris, Vienna Konzerthaus, Tokyo Opera City, National Centre for the Performing Arts Beijing, the Shanghai Concert Hall and Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall. Artistic collaborators have included the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, period ensembles Florilegium, L’Arpeggiata and La Folia Barockorchester, and violinist/artistic director Hugo Ticciati. In the 2017/18 Season the ensemble will be touring Europe extensively, returning to Russia, and making three tours to the USA; they will also make debut tours to Singapore and Mexico.
With an on-going programme of recordings and live broadcasts, VOCES8 is heard regularly on international television and radio. The ensemble is a Decca Classics artist and has released acclaimed recordings that have been at the top of the classical charts. VOCES8 has premiered commissions from Roxanna Panufnik, Alexander Levine, Alec Roth, Ben Parry, Ola Gjeilo, Philip Stopford and Thomas Hewitt Jones. The group also performs bespoke arrangements written by Arranger in Residence, Jim Clements.
The ensemble welcomed one of the most celebrated contemporary composers, Jonathan Dove, as Composer in Residence for two seasons from September 2017. As well as a commission planned for 2019 (Jonathan’s 60th birthday year), the associateship will provide mentoring opportunities to emerging composers linked with the group’s education programme.
VOCES8 is passionate about music education and is the flagship ensemble of the music charity VCM Foundation. Engaging in a broad range of outreach work that reaches up to 40,000 people a year, the group also runs an annual programme of workshops and masterclasses at the Foundation’s home in London, the Gresham Centre at St Anne & St Agnes Church. The ensemble is dedicated to supporting promising young singers and awards eight annual choral scholarships through the VOCES8 Scholars initiative. These scholarships are linked to the annual Milton Abbey Summer School at which amateur singers of all ages are invited to work and perform with VOCES8. International education partnerships include Bozar Brussels, Paris Philharmonie, Vienna Konzerthaus and Heidelberg Frühling. VOCES8 is proud to be the Associate Ensemble for Cambridge University and delivers a Masters programme in ensemble and choral studies.
As official Ambassadors for Edition Peters, the ensemble has published a collection of Songbooks and educational material including the VOCES8 Method. Developed by Paul Smith, Co-Founder of VOCES8, this unique teaching tool is available in four languages and adopts music to enhance development in numeracy, literacy and linguistics.
VOCES8 is very grateful for support from Arts Council England, the Merchant Taylors’ Company, the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers, Holman Fenwick Willan and T.M.Lewin.
En cumplimiento de la normativa vigente en materia de protección de datos personales (Ley 15/1999 de 13 de diciembre de Protección de Datos de Carácter Personal), le informamos que sus datos personales forman parte de ficheros bajo responsabilidad y tratados por Zenobia Música S.L. Igualmente le informamos que sus datos personales pueden ser utilizados con la finalidad de mantenerle informado de los eventos organizados por la entidad que pudieran ser de su interés.
Podrá ejercer sus derechos de acceso, rectificación, cancelación u oposición dirigiéndose a Zenobia Música S.L. – info@zenobiamusica.com