A summer music course for amateur players was first established in Winchester in 1960 by professional violinist James Maddocks and his oboist wife June Mills, and was later continued by his sister Joan Maddocks. Winchester Summer Music continues this long established and much enjoyed tradition and is operated on a not-for-profit basis.
The course offers chamber music and orchestral opportunities to players of strings, woodwind, horn and piano whose current standard is equivalent to grade 5 Associated Board or above. Horn players should be familiar with common transpositions and clarinettists should preferably have both B flat and A instruments. All players should be familiar with the various clefs used by their instruments in chamber and orchestral music.
Pre-formed ensembles are welcome but members are recommended to spend at least one session playing with other participants to broaden their experience. Players attending on their own will be placed into chamber groups with others of a similar standard. There are no set works, but tutors will offer suggestions to group leaders or groups on request. All members will receive details of their chamber music groupings during June. For information about sheet music availability please see the "Virtual Library" page.
We have now cancelled the 2023 course. The course had planned to commence with registration on Monday 21st August and end for residents after breakfast the following Sunday. We were unabe to use Peter Symonds College so would have returned to Park Place, Wickham which we used in 2017 and 2018.