NORVIS from two
young persons’ view
NORVIS
2009 1 – 8 August
NORVIS (the Northumbria Recorder and Viol
Society) is an annual summer school for playing early music. This can be from
the Renaissance to Baroque, and this year we even had some Mendelssohn because
of the composer’s bicentenary.
The course has a beautiful riverside setting
in the
You’re free to choose the lessons you want
according to your ability, whether you’re starting out or have been playing for
years! You have the opportunity to play recorders, viols, crumhorns, baroque
flutes, lutes, singing, dance, and much, much more.
The friendly atmosphere is ever present, as
you meet people of all ages, countries, and abilities at the course. This
year I was the youngest member of the course (aged 12) and there were some
first-time participants who are in their seventies! Each year we get to meet
players and singers from around the world, like from
You’ll be able to play in a consort, you can
be part of the choir or the orchestra (who will give a big performance at the
end of the week), see others play in the lunchtime proms and evening concerts
(as well as perform yourself), enjoy a drink at the bar at night with others,
take part in master classes, as well as the Choice of Delights – one-off
lessons in the afternoon, which can include having a try of a new instrument,
like a viol or a lute. There’s also plenty of free time that can be spent
walking, shopping, talking – even rowing!
I have been going to NORVIS for three years,
and I have enjoyed every moment of it. In the courses I have discovered new
composers (in one of this year’s Choice of Delights – the Young Player’s Day, I
discovered Boismortier, who composed a beautiful
piece for four treble recorders which we played the following evening), and
made new friends. This year, on Friday night at the bar, we swapped readings of
novels and stories we’d written. (Being a keen Anti-Twilighter,
I asked if my extract was better than Stephanie Meyer’s writing. And the answer
was yes! So I was very happy.)
The tutors are really nice, and are fantastic
musicians. They help you if you’re stuck and give you constructive criticism
and compliments.
This year, there was a recorder taster day
for younger (very much younger – one was only five!) students – and they played
in a concert as well!
NORVIS is great fun, and I’m already looking
forward to 2010’s course. Hope to see you there!
NORVIS
2009 1 – 8 August
Over the years I have often attended summer
schools but this was my first visit to NORVIS. The course is for viol,
recorder, lute, singing – in fact all aspects of early
music.
There are classes for solo as well as consort
groups with a a wealth of
tutors, fourteen in all.
I had registered as a viol player but hoped
for informal recorder playing in the afternoons.
The first session each day was a technique
class and I was lucky to be one of four with Andrew Fowler as
tutor. He has an easy manner with a ready sense of humour and
quickly put us at ease We all found him an
excellent teacher able to note individual difficulties and suggest ways to overcome
them.
Each session began with concentration on
bowing fluidity. Long notes, scales, starting and
finishing notes, increasing and releasing tension in the bow. In
the specially chosen pieces we were helped to make bowing decisions (push or
pull) and fingering, including some chordal
fingering, phrasing and preparing ahead. We were persuaded to take turns
leading into each piece and finding ways to communicate. After the first
day, each class began with a review of the
previous day’s pieces before going on to something new.
As the week progressed under Andrew’s
sympathetic guidance, our consort improved enormously.
The second session of the day offered a
choice of viol or recorder consorts, trio sonatas, solo singing and lute
ensembles, to name only a few.
I had chosen viol consort as that was my main
reason for attending. The group was fixed: in my case we were six
players, with the same tutor for two days running, then that tutor moved on and
a different tutor came. The music chosen was always interesting but of a
manageable standard. The emphasis was on good consort balance – drawing
back when other parts had the greater interest, keeping together, maintaining
contact, deciding on bowing and fingering, phrase endings and so on.
Immediately after lunch most days there was a
“prom” concert, often students playing solo or trio sonatas; sometimes tutors
playing. The atmosphere was informal and these concerts were very
popular.
The rest of the afternoon was devoted to
choir or orchestrar rehearsal if such was your choice
and otherwise ad hoc playing or a walk to stretch your legs.
At
One day, Richard and Vivien Jones brought
several of their renaissance viols, which Richard makes, and anyone had the
opportunity to play these beautiful instruments in consort – what a privilege!
Andrew Fowler quickly organised us into a reasonable “working party” and those
fortunate enough to play had a wonderful experience. I thought I’d gone
to heaven!
Each evening after dinner, there was a
concert, by students or tutors or both together which were well attended and
very enthusiastically received. Most evenings finished with an “Epilogue”
in the chapel – perhaps a poem followed by some music or a song. It was a
relaxing and thoughtful half hour to end the day.
One evening was devoted to a ceilidh led by Alistair Anderson who played, most
eloquently, his Northumberland Pipes and concertinas before the dancing began.
The final evening concert included the choir
work studied, with the Baroque Orchestra as well as solo and consort items.
What a huge effort all the tutors put in to
make the course a resounding success. They must have been
exhausted. My first NORVIS was a joy from start to finish and my
congratulations go to all who made it work. I hope to be back another
year!