Music Courses in Detail

MUS 01: AFTERNOON SINGING

Leader: Bill Shephard                                          
Day and time: Tuesday 2.00 - 3.30                      
Terms: Autumn, spring, summer.                         
Number of places: 10
Not a choir (no piano, and minimal use of printed music) but a relaxing yet exploratory exercise in group singing over a very wide range (medieval and renaissance, Victorian ballads, international folk, barbershop and after, and featuring such as Purcell, Handel, Piaf, Billie Holiday etc etc) with instrumental participation as needed.

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MUS 02: AN APPROACH TO MODERN MUSIC

Tutor: Dr Rick Pugsley                                       
Day and time: Wednesday 3.45 - 4.45                 
Venue: Room 1, 27-28 Bridge Street
Terms: Autumn, spring.                                       
Number of places: 24
“A Listener’s Approach to Modern Music”
If you have difficulty understanding ‘Modern’ or ‘Contemporary’ musical expressions, this course may be of some assistance.  Many composers seem to have lost some of us in their attempts to find a unique expression for themselves. Some have chosen Minimalist approaches, while others have chosen the 12-tone system or other mathematically organised systems.  Our perception of their creative urges can make a difference, after all Monteverdi was considered ultra-modern in his time, as were some kinds of Gregorian chant (i.e., 12th century organum).

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MUS 03: THE AMERICAN MUSICAL EXPERIENCE

Leader: Dr Rick Pugsley                                     
Day and time: Tuesday 3.30 - 4.30                      
Venue: Room 1, 27-28 Bridge Street
Terms: Autumn, spring.                                       
Number of places: 24
A listening tour of the musical evolution of our American cousins from the 1700’s, through utopian communities to its important composers such as William Billings, Amy Beach, John Philip Sousa, William Schuman, Aaron Copland, Virgil Thomson, Scott Joplin, Vittorio Giannini, Dave Brubeck and Leonard Bernstein.

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MUS 04: CHAMBER MUSIC GROUP

Leader: Lindsay Stemp                                        
Day and time: Alternate Thursdays 2.00 - 4.00     
Terms: Autumn, spring, summer.                         
Number of places: 7
A friendly and well-established group of reasonably experienced players with good sight-reading skills.  The aim is exploration and enjoyment of chamber music.  The repertoire is mainly baroque but other styles are not excluded.  A general standard of Grade 5 and above is recommended including Grade 5 Theory.  The group is a small one (max. seven players).  Those interested in joining should contact the leader prior to application.

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MUS 05: CHOIR

Leader: Dr Alan Morgan                                      
Day and time: Thursday 10.00 - 11.30                 
Venue: St Paul's Church, Hills Road
Terms: Autumn, spring, summer.                         
Number of places: 100
We are a traditional four part choral group and we have sung music ranging from Morley, Purcell, Vivaldi, Bach and Handel, Gounod and Faure to Jerome Kern, George Gershwin and Cole Porter.  As we have fewer tenors and basses than sopranos and altos, men are particularly welcome although everyone who loves singing is welcome.  We gave two concerts last year in St Paul’s Church with a very encouraging response from the audience.  There is a separate course (MUS 13) for those who need to improve their music reading ability.  Some previous members of this course who were not choir members very soon became choir members!
Note: Starts 13th October.

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MUS 06: DESERT ISLAND DISCS (SPRING TERM)

Co-ordinators: Kate Grillet & Beryl Riley               
Day and time: Monday 11.30 - 1.00                     
Venue: Friends Meeting House, Hartington Grove
Terms: Spring.                                                    
Number of places: 10
Whether or not you are an avid listener to this BBC programme, you are almost certainly aware of its format – the selection of 8 pieces of music that tell a life story.  This course will be an opportunity to explore your life through the music that has associations for you with key events, people, and experiences; music that triggers thoughts and feelings, or perhaps evokes an era or an historical event.  Members of the group will take it in turns to present their 8 discs (and their chosen book and luxury, of course) and to be interviewer with time for response and discussion with the group.
Introductory session: This is an integral part of the course 
Saturday 5th November 2.00 – 4.00 at the Friend’s Meeting House, Hartington Grove
This session will be a preparation for the course and will be for a maximum of 10 people.  The aim of the session will be to share ideas, in discussion and in small groups, about our significant music and what factors may determine our choice, and to explore the roles of ‘guest’ and interviewer.  We shall also discuss the technology required to gather music from a variety of sources.  Please come with ideas.

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MUS 07: DVORAK

Tutor: John Hunter                                              
Day and time: Thursday 11.35 - 1.05                   
Venue: Room 1, 27-28 Bridge Street
Terms: Autumn.                                                  
Number of places: 30
One of the greatest, if not the greatest, of the Czech composers, Dvořák wrote prolifically in all forms and seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of melodic wealth.  We shall listen to as much of his music as possible, interspersed with some details of his life and times.  This is a repeat of the course given last autumn as a last minute substitute.

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MUS 08: HANDEL - THE EARLY YEARS 1685 - 1713 (SUMMER TERM)

Tutor: Charles Bonney                                        
Day and time: Wednesday 11.40 -1.10                 
Venue: Room 1, 27-28 Bridge Street
Terms: Summer.                                                 
Number of places: 30
Moving on from last year's all too brief introduction to Handel's Italian stay we will take a closer look at the development of his early career: from his childhood in Halle via Italy to his arrival in London.  The approach will only be loosely chronological and each session will have a specific theme.  The course will end with a flourish with the Te Deum and Jubilate which Handel wrote to celebrate the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.

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MUS 09: AN INTRODUCTION TO FRENCH MUSIC FROM 1650 TO 1950

Tutor: James Day                                               
Day and time: Tuesday 11.00 - 12.30                  
Venue: Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs, Hills Road
Terms: Autumn, spring.                                       
Number of places: 20
Our understanding of French music in general has sometimes tended to be confined to a limited number of often somewhat unorthodox, even eccentric figures such as Berlioz, Alkan, Saint-Saëns, Satie, Debussy and ‘Les Six’.  But there is a strong French musical tradition, associated with the court and the church on one hand and the French theatre and literature on the other, that we often overlook.  We shall try to examine the remarkable contribution of significant French musicians, both secular and sacred (and not forgetting some outstanding women composers and teachers) to European musical culture in general and French national culture in particular from the time of Lully, Couperin and Charpentier in the reign of Louis XIV to the mid-20th century.
Note: Starts 4th October.

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MUS 10: JAZZ ON A MONDAY AFTERNOON

Organiser: Alan Murphy                                      
Day and time: Monday 2.00 - 3.30                       
Venue: The Centre at St Pauls, Hills Road
Terms: Autumn, spring.                                       
Number of places: 50
Jazz was born in the early 20th century in and around New Orleans.  It then spread North and West coming to Europe in the 1920’s.  In the autumn term we will illustrate this history through the music and accompanying commentary.  In addition we will use the latest Penguin guide to help members build a collection of the best Jazz recordings.  In the spring term we will freewheel but will include at least one session of bring your own favourite recording.  We aim to give programmes that are enjoyable and entertaining for the new and the experienced listener.  Suggestions for reading include The Rough Guide to Jazz, The History of Jazz by Ted Gioia and A New History of Jazz by Alyn Shipton.

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MUS 11: THE MADRIGAL GROUP

Leader: Jennifer Day                                           
Day and time: Tuesday 11.00 - 12.30                  
Venue: Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs, Hills Road
Terms: Autumn, spring.                                       
Number of places: 25
The Madrigal Group is a meeting of those interested in singing “a cappella” (unaccompanied) music of the 16th and 17th centuries.  We mainly use The Oxford Book of English Madrigals ed Philip Ledger, although we make use of other sources and include a few Italian Madrigals.  We learn from each other’s experience of singing or playing instruments, and some have sung madrigals before.  New members are welcome as long as you have some ability to read music.  Do not worry if you struggle at times, as we help each other to learn, so that we both make progress and have fun.
Note: Starts 4th October.

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MUS 12: MUSIC CLUB

Organiser: Beryl McKechnie                                
Secretary: Elizabeth Walser                                    
Day and time: Tuesday 11.00 - 12.10                  
Venue: Friends Meeting House, Jesus Lane
Terms: Autumn, spring.                                       
Number of places: 100
The club offers varied programmes of recorded music presented mainly by members, drawing largely on the standard repertoire of classical music from early days to modern times, but with some excursions further afield.  Occasional live performances.  Excellent acoustic and sound production.  Very much a social morning music club where – if you wish – you can relax and meet old friends or make new ones over coffee and a biscuit beforehand!

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MUS 13: MUSIC READING FOR SINGERS

Tutor: Dr Alan Morgan                                        
Day and time: Tuesday 11.30 - 1.00                    
Venue: St Paul's Church, Hills Road
Terms: Autumn, spring.                                       
Number of places: 50
This course is aimed at improving the knowledge of music theory with particular relevance to sight reading for singers.  It is aimed at but not restricted to members of the choir.  Some members last year who were not members of the choir very soon became members but there is no obligation!
Note: Starts 11th October.

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MUS 14: MUSIC THEORY GRADE V

Tutor: Ursula Stubbings                                      
Day and time: Thursday 9.15 - 10.15                   
Venue: Room 3, 27-28 Bridge Street
Terms: Autumn, spring, summer.                         
Number of places: 6
This class will attempt to explore the meanings of those hieroglyphics, which comprise written music.  If you are learning an instrument or going to music appreciation classes this will help your reading and understanding of written music.  Those who stay the course will learn to write simple tunes and will be able to take the theory exams Grades 2-5 of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.  Participants need to bring a music manuscript notebook, pencil and rubber.

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MUS 15: OPERA (SPRING TERM)

Tutor: Derek Wood                                             
Day and time: Monday 10.30 - 12.00                    
Venue: Friends Meeting House, Jesus Lane
Terms: Spring.                                                    
Number of places: 100
This year we will listen to I Puritani, Der Freischütz, Don Pasquale, Die Zauberflöte, and La Traviata.  There will be a short introduction to the cultural background, characters, plot and music, followed by lots of extracts.  2 weeks per opera.  You are asked to donate £1 for the term to cover the cost of handouts, payable at the first session.

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MUS 16: OPERA ON DVD

Co-ordinator: Eunice Fisher                                
Day and time: Friday 12.15 - 1.45                        
Venue: Room 1, 27-28 Bridge Street
Terms: Autumn.                                                  
Number of places: 25
DVD’s of chosen operas will be watched and discussed.  There will be a short introduction to the background and production chosen, followed by viewing and subsequent discussion by members.  I will ‘kick off’ with Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte, for which I propose to focus mainly on a traditional production by Nicholas Hytner for Glyndebourne, but will contrast this with Barenboim’s Staatsoper Berlin (director Doris Dorrie), which I think may provoke discussion of the messages contained in the opera. 
Subsequent choices would be welcomed from group members, who might also like to introduce their own DVD’s.  Alternatively, we might choose from others of my own selection perhaps following the Mozart with larger-scale works such as Verdi’s Don Carlos or Rigoletto, Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Gounod’s Faust, or Donizetti’s La Fille du Regiment.  I propose that we spend two weeks on each opera.

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MUS 17: PIANO JAZZ - GRADE 1

Tutor: Dr Allan J Organ                                       
Day and time: Wednesday 10.00 - 11.00              
Venue: The Centre at St Paul's, Hills Road
Terms: Autumn.                                                  
Number of places: 8
The majority who play ‘classical’ piano find the transition to jazz daunting or impossible.  This is a pity, since a facility can be acquired.  Evidence for this claim is the system of jazz grade examinations operated by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM).
The course will amount to an exploration, at the piano, of the syllabus for ABRSM Jazz Piano Grade 1.  Participants will have studied piano via the traditional route up to (classical) grade 3 or equivalent.  They will have access to an instrument on which to practise between weekly classes.  They will start the course already able to play the common scales and arpeggios (major, minor) in keys up to 2 sharps and 2 flats, and to produce major and minor chords in those keys. 
Copies of the Jazz Piano Syllabus are available either by writing to ABRSM at 14 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3JG enclosing a stamped addressed C5 envelope, or from a music shop.  Those intending to proceed to the Grade 1 examination will require the ABRCM Jazz Piano Pieces Grade 1 (£4.25 when purchased by me). 
If any single feature distinguishes jazz it is rhythm.  The only way to make the transition from the traditional steady 3/4 and 4/4 is by practice!  If you are unable to commit 15 – 20 minutes per day to practising the weekly exercise(s), then spare yourself the inevitable disappointment and do not sign up!

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MUS 18: PLAYING PIANO 'BY EAR' - SHAKING OFF THE TYRANNY OF THE BLACK DOTS

Tutor: Dr Allan J Organ                                       
Day and time: Wednesday 11.00 - 12.00              
Venue: The Centre at St Paul's, Hills Road
Terms: Autumn.                                                  
Number of places: 8
The course is for the musical amateur who can hear a tune or song in his/her head (e.g. ‘Fly me to the moon’) and who wishes to coax it out of the piano – not merely the top line, but with convincing harmony and rhythm. 
Participants will have studied piano via the traditional route up to grade 3 or equivalent.  They will have access to an instrument on which to practise between weekly classes.  They will start the course already able to play the common scales and arpeggios (major, minor) in keys up to 2 sharps and 2 flats, and to produce major and minor chords in those keys. 
The learning process will involve watching and listening to demonstrations and exploring these at the keyboard under individual guidance. 
There is overlap between playing ‘by ear’ and improvisation – an invaluable tool of the church organist.  One class will be held around the console of the 2-manual pipe organ at St Paul’s. 
Hard-copy notes will be issued week-by-week.  These will summarise the principles covered, offer examples and suggest routines for practice.

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MUS 19: U3AC RECORDER GROUP

Co-ordinator: Gill Simmonds
Day and time: Alternate Fridays throughout the year 2.00 - 3.30
Venue: Friends Meeting House, Hartington Grove
Terms: Autumn, spring, summer.
Number of places: 18
We are a self-supporting chamber group of recorder players, meeting fortnightly. We play music of various styles often brought and conducted by group members. To obtain satisfaction from this activity sight reading is necessary. Please bring a music stand and recorders.

Note: Starts 23rd September.

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MUS 20: SINGING FOR SHEER PLEASURE

Leader: Claire Parker                                          
Day and time: Monday 2.15 - 3.30                       
Venue: Castle End Mission, Pound Hill
Terms: Spring.                                                    
Number of places: 30
Do you find yourself humming along to well-known melodies or tapping out tunes on the steering wheel?  This group might suit you.  Our aim is to enjoy the fun to be gained when singing in 2,3 or even 4 parts, backed by keyboard and rhythmic sounds of our own making.  Our repertoire will range from well-known classics, through international folk songs to jazz style singing.  (Some music may need to be bought).  While a female majority is anticipated, male voices will always be more than welcome.  Those who can read music will doubtless support the non-readers but the main aim of each session will be to learn through simple repetition while having lots of fun.

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MUS 21: TALKING ABOUT MUSIC

Tutor: David Waldman                                        
Day and time: Monday 10.30 - 12.00                    
Venue: Friends Meeting House, Jesus Lane
Terms: Autumn.                                                  
Number of places: 120
This is a course aimed at pleasure – the pleasure derived from listening to great music.  In some cases you will be introduced to less familiar works.  Most weeks we will listen to a piece of music, after an introduction and the playing of extracts, which should help with a greater appreciation of the piece.  Presentations will include works by, amongst others, Beethoven, Nielsen, Elgar, Mozart and Ravel.  One week there will be a so-called “Innocent Ear” session where you will learn the title of a piece only after hearing it. 
No detailed knowledge of music is necessary – merely the desire to hear great music.

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MUS 23: JAZZ JUNCTIONS (SUMMER TERM)

Tutor: Colin Whitworth
Day and time: Monday 2.00 – 3.00
Venue: Room 1, 27-28 Bridge Street
Terms: Summer
No. of places: 40
Jazz is an amalgam music, created by fusing together African beats & blue-notes with European melody & counterpoint, French quadrilles, Haitian voodoo, Yiddish lullabies, the spirit of Spanish flamenco, Indian & gypsy music, country blues and much more. It has sent out its influences into Western popular music and other art forms.
In ‘Jazz Junctions’ we will meander along the route taken by jazz and wander off into other territory, seeing who turns up -  Jelly Roll Morton & the Beach Boys? Miles Davis & Ravi Shankar? Charlie Parker, Lenny Tristano, & the Beat Poets? - Who knows?
Discussion and involvement will be encouraged.

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