Past Events

The 2011 Summer School for young composers has now taken place. 74 young composers aged 14 - 18 took part in an incredible week of music-making, with everyone creating a new piece of music by the end of the week. We were amazed by the creativity and talent of the participants, supported by a fantastic team of composers and musicians. We will be posting all of the compositions created during the week, plus film and photographs so that you can see and hear what happened.

Video from the 2011 Summer School.

Video from the 2010 Summer School.

Summer School FAQs

What is it?

The Sound and Music Summer School is now in its third year, and is a collaboration between Sound and Music, the UK’s development agency for new music and sound, and the Purcell School of Music, a specialist music school that has fantastic expertise and facilities for music-making. Between us, we have many years of providing residential tuition and support for young composers. During the summer school, up to 75 young composers will spend the week learning about all aspects of creating music, working with professional composers and musicians and using the specialist facilities of the Purcell School. You will have the opportunity to work in your own style of composition, explore different ways of making music, and receive a CD of the piece of music you created.

Where is it?

The course takes place at The Purcell School, Aldenham Road, Bushey, Hertfordshire WD23 2TS. www.purcell-school.org
You can get to the Purcell School by train or car and we will send full details and directions to everyone who is participating so that you can plan your arrival and departure well in advance. We will operate a minibus shuttle service between Watford Junction station and school on arrival and departure days.

When is it?

The Summer School 2011 runs 31 July - 6 August. You will need to arrive on Sunday 31 July by 2pm and leave on Saturday 6 August at 5pm. There will be performances of everyone’s compositions during the day on the Saturday to which the families and friends of the summer school participants are invited.

What kind of music?

Our composers and musicians have expertise in a huge range of music-making from conventionally-notated music to electronic music and from jazz to music for film. During the week, you will work in a group with composers and musicians who can work with you on your preferred style of music-making as well as having the opportunity to try out different styles and traditions.

What experience do I need?

We aim to nurture talented young composers based in the UK. We are looking for people aged 14 - 18 who can demonstrate their talent for composition, are enthusiastic about creating their own, original music and keen to learn more. Depending on how many applications we receive, we may have to give priority to people who haven’t attended previous summer schools.

What does it cost?

The Sound and Music Summer School costs £295. This includes all accommodation, food and activities for the week. It doesn’t include travel to and from the course, which you’ll have to arrange yourself. However, we don’t want anyone to feel they are unable to come because they can’t afford the fee, so we also have a bursary fund, which you can apply to for help with these costs. If you have any questions about the cost of the Summer School then please contact us and we will be happy to talk to you.