The Summer School is the largest single activity undertaken by the WMA. It is a most ambitious and very successful event, a week-long residential School held each year during a week in August. Amateur musicians of various ages, musical interests and abilities – from beginners to highly experienced practitioners - come together from all parts of the British Isles (with the occasional foreign student) together with resident tutors and assistants, to fill Wortley Hall in South Yorkshire. See the provisional course structure for 2012 and the low cost |
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It
is a constant, buzzing musical experience.
Even tea/coffee breaks usually are accompanied
by instrumental or vocal groups playing to the other
coffee-tea-sipping students. On the right is a
Mexico style impromptu gig group playing on
the stairs during a tea break. |
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It might be a string trio playing, or a
flute duet, or even a song sung á cappella, composed the previous
evening about a topical event which hit the news that day. Every
evening is filled by concerts performed by students or tutors, or with
dancing to either a jazz band or a Ceilidh band. Also with impromptu folk song/turns in the bar. |
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Many
people take the opportunity in the evening student concerts to perform
something they have been working on. With a sympathetic and
supportive audience who are interested in music it is a good time to
make these attempts. The evenings at the end of the week are
filled with concerts of offerings from the various courses and
activities by the members like the small band on the right.
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| The Accommodation and Food | |||
| In recent years the standard of the rooms had increased noticeably. The rooms are all en-suite. The food has been of a good standard in the past and we look forward to being well fed. |  |
Scholarships The John Horrocks Scholarship This is in memory of John's service over many years in organising (together with Joan) our Summer School. It covers accommodation and tuition and is awarded to an applicant who has a record of service to Music and the Labour movement. More information can be found at Scholarships. Those wishing to be considered for this award should write to the Summer School Organiser asking for a Scholarship Application form. (click on Contacts) The Valentine Alcock Scholarship. This is to commemerate the sad loss of a young Valentine in a swimming accident. Details of this tragedy can be seen on the Scholarships page. Other Funding Several Trade Unions fund Scholarships for their members to attend this school and we are pleased by this continued association with the Trade Union movement. These are usually advertised in Trade Union Magazines. We suggest that anyone wishing to come to the school to enquire about scholarships at their union headquarters. Some local Co-operative Societies will also offer bursaries or grants to members.
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Songs of Peace and Freedom. The Summer School Choir has given first performances of several works specially commissioned for the School, including Alan Bush’s ‘Mandela Speaking’ and ‘Africa is my name’ sung in the presence of members of the African National Congress. An exciting first performance some time ago now was when Mikis Theodorakis smuggled out of a Greek gaol and sent to Alan Bush the “Freedom Song” which was sung at Summer School. One of the reasons we have moved the Summer School away from the first week in August was to avoid the clash that existed for members who wish to come to our school and also wish to attend the various memorial events around the country in early August commemorating Hiroshima Day.
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Production of Music |
Some of the music we print, publish and sell will be available at the school.
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