Ávila 2 – 7 August 2027
Music from the Spanish Golden Age
Course director Rupert Damerell
Enjoy a week of singing and discovery in the historic city of Ávila, exploring the beautiful sacred music of Renaissance Spain. Directed by Rupert Damerell, the Zenobia Summer Course brings together singers from different countries to share the pleasure of making music and deepen their understanding of this rich choral tradition.
Through music by composers such as Morales, Victoria, Vivanco and Guerrero, we will discover how individual vocal lines weave together into expressive polyphony. Alongside learning the pieces, we will explore the listening, tuning, breathing and phrasing that help us sing with greater confidence and bring the words and music to life.
The atmosphere is friendly and supportive, with a relaxed pace and time to enjoy the learning process. A manageable programme of approachable repertoire allows us to give each piece the attention it deserves, while scores and online learning aids help you prepare before arriving.
Ávila’s extraordinary historic surroundings add another dimension to the week. Rehearsals, visits and opportunities to sing in historic settings connect the music with the cultural world from which it emerged. The course culminates in a sung Mass on Saturday evening—a chance to bring together everything we have explored and share the music in the setting for which it was written.
Is this course for you?
Have you enjoyed singing in a choir and would like to explore Renaissance polyphony? This course is for singers with some choral experience who want to develop their skills and discover this rewarding repertoire.
You do not need previous experience of Renaissance polyphony. We work at a relaxed pace, taking time to learn the music and understand how the different vocal lines fit together.
A carefully chosen programme of approachable pieces gives us time to explore each work without rushing through a large amount of repertoire. There will be time to revisit unfamiliar passages, ask questions and grow in confidence.
Scores and online learning aids will be available in April 2027, helping you prepare at your own pace before arriving.
The music and the learning
Rehearsals combine learning the repertoire with practical work on the skills that help us sing it well:
- Listening to one another and understanding how the vocal lines fit together.
- Developing confidence in singing an independent part.
- Improving tuning, breathing and phrasing.
- Exploring the relationship between words and music.
- Discovering the structure and expressive shape of Renaissance polyphony.
The emphasis is on learning through singing, developing useful skills and enjoying the sound we make together.
The course includes approximately 25 hours of choral work, alongside visits and performances.
Singing in historic Ávila
Ávila’s churches, streets and historic buildings provide an inspiring setting for the course. Organised visits introduce us to the city’s cultural and musical heritage and its connections with figures such as Saint Teresa, Saint John of the Cross and Tomás Luis de Victoria.
On several days, informal recitals offer opportunities to sing the music we have been studying in some of Ávila’s memorable historic settings.
There will also be time to enjoy the city and the company of fellow singers.
The course concludes with a public sung Mass on Saturday evening, bringing together much of the week’s repertoire in a historic church.
Dates, arrival and departure
The course begins on Monday 2 August 2027 at 17:00 and finishes with a sung Mass on Saturday 7 August in the evening.
Please arrange your arrival so that you are ready for the opening session on Monday.
If you are travelling by train, please plan to stay on Saturday night and depart on Sunday 8 August. This allows you to take part in the final Mass without having to leave early to catch a train.
A detailed timetable will be provided before the course.
Language
The course is taught mainly in English, with support in Spanish for those who need it.
Venue and accommodation
The course takes place at the Colegio Mayor Magistral Honcala, close to Ávila’s historic centre. A former seminary, the residence offers teaching rooms, a dining room, Wi-Fi, bedrooms and parking, with gardens and outdoor spaces to enjoy between sessions.
Full-board accommodation is available for participants who wish to stay at the residence. Accompanying family members or friends are also welcome, subject to accommodation availability.
Please request your accommodation through the course organisers rather than booking directly with the residence. We hold a block booking and allocate rooms to participants who request them. Accommodation is paid directly to the residence.
If you plan to depart on Sunday 8 August, please include Saturday night in your accommodation request.
You are also welcome to arrange your own accommodation in Ávila.
As a guide, the 2026 full-board accommodation rates were €60.62 for a single room and €58.30 per person in a double room, per day. Confirmed prices for 2027 will be published when available.
Course fee and payment
The course fee is €250, including tuition, digital scores and online learning resources. Accommodation and meals are charged separately.
Once your application has been accepted, payment is made in two stages:
- January 2027: a deposit of €50 to secure your place.
- June 2027: the remaining balance of €200.
Scores and online learning resources will be available in April 2027, giving you time to prepare before the course.
Please do not send payment until your admission has been confirmed. Payment instructions will be sent to accepted participants.
How to apply
Please complete the application form below, telling us a little about your choral singing experience.
Applications are reviewed by the musical director, and we will contact you about your place. We may ask for further information or a short voice recording to help us understand your experience and put together a balanced group.
Places are limited. The organisers reserve the right to determine admissions and to change or cancel the programme in circumstances beyond their control.
Applications open on 1 November 2026.
Minimum numbers and voice balance
The course will go ahead provided there are sufficient participants and a suitable balance of voice parts. We will confirm in April 2027 whether the course is going ahead, allowing time to arrange travel and accommodation.
If we have to cancel because these conditions are not met, any course fees already paid, including the deposit, will be refunded in full.
Please wait for this confirmation before booking non-refundable travel or accommodation.
For enquiries, please email info@zenobiamusica.com.
We check applications regularly. If you have not received a reply within 24 hours, please contact us at info@zenobiamusica.com.
Application form
Booking deposit: if you cancel your place, the deposit is non-refundable, except where a statutory right to a refund applies. If Zenobia Música cancels the course before it starts, amounts paid to Zenobia Música for that course, including the deposit, will be refunded, without prejudice to further statutory rights. Please read the terms and conditions and the specific course conditions before making payment.
Contact: info@zenobiamusica.com
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