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Summer Orchestral Course

 
The Summer Orchestral Course is to be held at Bishops Cleeve Primary School near to Cheltenham. The school is located north of Cheltenham Race Course at the foot of Cleve Hill.
We are really fortunate in being given full access to the whole school for the week. It has ideal facilities which will give us all that we require for our musical and social needs.

The Course runs from 9.00 a.m. - 6.00 a.m. each day with a two-hour leisure period each afternoon providing younger members with organised activities and seniors with a choice of free time or organised activities.
Mid-day cold lunches and refreshment at break times are provided. 

Two orchestras run simultaneously during the week; a Junior Orchestra designed especially for young or inexperienced players, and a Senior Orchestra for the more advanced players. Membership is open to those aged between 9 and 18 years and applicants must have played for at least a year.

Applicants who are of a playing standard of up to Grade 5 and who are between 9 and approximately 13 years of age should apply for a place on the Junior Orchestra course. Applicants who are between 11 and approximately 18 and are Grade 5 and above should apply for a place on the Senior Orchestra course. However, there can be no hard and fast dividing line and factors both of age and playing standard will always be interpreted with the best interests of each individual member in mind.

Both orchestras are independently staffed with director, string coaches, woodwind coach, brass coach and up to three welfare staff.
The directors and their staff are responsible for selecting, rehearsing, and organizing the music to be studied and performed during the week. The welfare staff take care of the well-being of the membership when not involved in music-making and also organize the very important afternoon leisure activities each day.
 
Sessions are devoted to Full Orchestra, Sectional Rehearsal, Chamber Groups and small Ensembles, Wind, Brass, and String Ensembles and any other ensemble which may make the best use of the talents of the membership.
 
 Mornings and evenings are largely devoted to music whilst afternoons are set aside for sports, team games, swimming, bowling etc. and social activities organised by the welfare staff. Provided that permission is given, seniors and older juniors may make alternative arrangements of their own. Older pupils may only leave the campus if a consent form is signed by their parent. 

 
Parents are invited to attend the informal concert held on Friday afternoon (5.00 p.m.) when both courses perform works studied in their small chamber groups.
The final concert is held on Saturday afternoon when a selection of the orchestral music studied during the week will be performed. The course ends at around 6.00 p.m.
 
The Orchestral week provides a marvellous opportunity for young players to make music together at all levels.
The blend of intense musical activity balanced with the pleasant social atmosphere certainly makes this a most memorable week in the year.
  

• A deposit of £30 (deductible from the full amount) is payable with each application. In the event of a place being unavailable, this deposit will be refunded in full.
• If an application is withdrawn before the full amount becomes due (Friday 27th June 2008), a 50% refund will be made. After this date the deposit cannot be refunded except in proven cases of illness. Confirmation of acceptance will normally be sent within seven days of receiving the application.
• Applicants should specify on the application form which course (Senior or Junior ) they wish to attend. It would be helpful in some 'borderline' cases to enter "Most Suitable" on the form' - in which case the Course Organiser will make the most appropriate choice.
•  If an application is made for the Senior Course and the Course Organiser feels that it would be more appropriate for the applicant to attend the Junior Course (or visa-versa), then the applicant will be notified and given the opportunity to change course.