Sherborne
Summer School of Music
2026
Sherborne
Summer School of Music
2026
General Information
Accommodation
Resident accommodation consists of single and twin-bedded rooms** and includes all meals. All resident students are asked to bring their own soap and towel. For students travelling from abroad or those who have difficulty bringing their own towel, it will be possible to hire one from the school. (Please order towel(s) via the Application Form or by email prior to the start of the School). Students wishing to attend on a non-residential basis (with or without meals) will find many websites listing hotels, b&bs and airb&bs that are available in Sherborne.
** Students attending as part of the SSSM Scholarship Scheme will be accommodated in dormitories.
Arrival
You are welcome to arrive at the School from 13.00hrs onwards on each Sunday (2nd / 9th August). Lunch will be available for those resident participa who require it. All students (including those on the Wind Conducting Course and the George Hurst Conductors’ Course, whose first session starts at 14.30hrs on each Sunday) are asked to arrive in time to register, settle into their accommodation and attend Introductions in the Dining Hall at 16.00hrs. At 16.30hrs, all students will be escorted to their courses and we ask that they bring instruments, etc to Introductions.
Badge
Upon arrival, you will be given a badge to wear which will identify you by your name, course and instrument/voice, etc. If your dietary status/condition is anything other than ‘standard’, your badge will be colour-coded to reflect this. Please ensure that we are aware of your dietary status/condition via your Application Form and at least two weeks prior to the start of the school.
Bar
The summer school of music’s Bar will be located in ‘The Hub’.
Car Parking
The School’s main courtyard is available as a car park for all students.
Chi Kung
Throughout the week each morning before breakfast Monday to Friday, Glyn Williams will hold a half-hour Chi Kung class . The class is open to all students and will teach the gentle Chinese art of meditation and relaxation - a perfect start for the rigours of any Sherborne day. The five sessions will cost £20.00 and a place may be reserved at the school.
Choral Workshops : open to all members of the summer school
Choral Workshop 1
Haydn, Creation
Greg Hallam conductor
As an added extra, on Sunday evening the 2 August, Greg Hallam will direct an open rehearsal with orchestra of Haydn’s Creation. All members of the school are welcome and encouraged to take part, copies will be provided.
Choral Workshop 2
Brahms, German Requiem Op.45
Amy Bebbington conductor
On Sunday evening, 9th August, Amy Bebbington will direct
an open rehearsal with orchestra of Brahms, German Requiem. All members of the school
are welcome and encouraged to take part. Copies will be provided.
Concert Dress
Instrumentalists attending the Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonia, Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra are asked to wear black for concerts. Choristers attending Cappella and Choral Masterpieces are also asked to wear black for concerts and to have a black folder for their music. Members of The Lighter Side Choral Course are asked to wear a ‘loud’ outfit for their concert and have a music folder.
Contact Us
Administration Office
Sherborne Summer School of Music, Oakcroft, Water Lane, South Godstone, Surrey RH9 8JX, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1342 893963 email: summermusicschool@btinternet.com www.sherbornesummerschoolofmusic.org
www.conductingcoursesatsherborne.uk
Administrative Staff
Malcolm Binney, Director of Music Maggie Barton Wilby, Administrator
Paul Vowles, assistant director of music Elizabeth French, assistant administrator
Karen Gedd, orchestral manager Sonja Nagel assistant orchestral manager
Summer School of Music Location
2nd to 16th August 2026
Sherborne Summer School of Music, Sherborne School, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3AP, UK
Telephone +44 (0) 1935 810459
If you have any questions, please contact us
Covid Protocol
It is essential that anyone who is unwell, when due to participate at the summer school of music, does not attend. If you are unwell whilst at the school, and as a precaution to protect our students and staff, you will be asked to leave. However, if you are a resident student at the school, and leaving early would be impossible, you will be required to isolate, at which time we shall make every effort to keep you comfortable.
Daily Timetable
07.30 - 08.40 Breakfast
09.15 - 10.45 First Session
10.45 - 11.15 Morning Coffee
11.15 - 12.45 Second Session
13.20 - 14.10 Lunch
16.30 - 18.00 Third Session
18.45 - 19.45 Dinner
Your first course session will be on the Sunday at 16.30hrs and the final one will commence the following Saturday at 11.15hrs. The remainder of each Saturday will be devoted to concerts and an end-of-week party in the evening.
Conducting courses’ students will have additional sessions during the week, which will be listed in the Welcome Booklet you all receive on arrival. Many of these additional sessions will use a Repertoire Orchestra, formed by volunteer instrumentalists. If you wish to volunteer and have not already done so via the Application Form, please email us or speak to Karen Gedd, orchestra manager, in the Music School Office when you arrive at the School.
Many of the courses will present public concerts/recitals towards the end of each week. These will be part of our Concertfest series, details of which will be available via our website shortly before the school starts.
Departure
Resident students are requested to vacate their bedrooms before 09.00hrs on the Sunday of their departure
Enrolment details and Fees
We have a minimum student age of 18 years old years. (Prospective participants in full-time education at the time of making application are recommended to refer to the SSSM Scholarship Scheme) Early application is recommended, as entries will be accepted in rotation, except in cases where balance must be taken into account. Upon receipt of an Application Form, the Summer School Office will be in touch either by telephone, email or post, within five working days.
Conducting Courses’ Observers are able to enrol on any of our conductors’ courses taking an active part in elements of the course as detailed in each course description. Because of the active involvement in these courses observers are expected to be at every session of the course throughout the week.
General Observers will be welcome to enrol each week for any or all of our courses other than the Composers’ Workshop course. General Observers can move between courses but will not participate in any of the activities other than those open to the whole school (e.g. Choral Workshops etc.). They are expected to arrive at a course before the beginning of each session and not leave until after the end. They must not join the main body of the course and must refrain from conversation or any activity which will disturb the course including photography, video recording and any form of sound recording.
Registration Fee Upon submitting an Application Form and it being accepted, you will be requested to make payment of a non-refundable registration fee of £175.00 which will be required prior to the application being processed.
Fees per week (inclusive of the registration fee)
All fees quoted include VAT, at the prevailing rate, at the time of application
Resident students - fees include tuition (participants only), all meals, single/twin-bedded accommodation and admission to all concerts, workshops and lectures for seven nights, Sunday to Saturday, inclusive
Participant £972.00 Observer £882.00
Accommodation supplement (extra per person each week)
Single and Twin bedded rooms with handbasin : £108.00
Non Resident students taking meals in the School - fees include tuition (participants only), morning coffee, lunch and dinner and admission to all concerts, workshops and lectures, Sunday to Saturday inclusive
Participant £850.00 Observer £775.00
Non Resident students not taking meals in the School - fees include tuition (participants only) and admission to all concerts, workshops and lectures, Sunday to Saturday inclusive
Participant £600.00 Observer £520.00
Insurance
You are advised to place some form of identification on instrument cases and are reminded that we cannot accept any responsibility for loss or damage to instruments. Please ensure that all instruments and personal belongings brought to the school are adequately insured.
Music Stands
Music Stands will be provided
Payment of Fees
Payment should be made either by
(a) by bank transfer to
The Co-Operative Bank
Sort Code 08-92-99
Account no. 69735303.
Account name Sherborne Summer School of Music
BAN GB35 CPBK 0892 9969735303
SWIFT CPBKGB22
(b) by Visa or Mastercard, or
(c) by a cheque drawn in Sterling on a British bank and made payable to Sherborne Summer School of Music
An invoice for the balance of fees will be provided with confirmation of enrolment and is to be paid no later than 19 June 2026 Thereafter no refunds can be made and we recommend that you take out insurance to cover unforeseen circumstances.
Applicants accepted after 19 June 2026 will be required to pay their balance of fees invoice upon receipt.
Payment of Fees by instalments
Upon receipt of the balance of fees invoice, it will be possible to settle the amount payable by instalments. Please contact the Administrator to discuss a suitable payment plan.
Pets
Pets cannot be accommodated.
Privacy and Marketing policies
Privacy policy
This privacy policy sets out how “Maecenas Music Limited” uses and protects any information that you give “Maecenas Music Limited” when you use this website to request information from or enrol in the Sherborne Summer School of Music “Maecenas Music Limited” is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement. “Maecenas Music Limited” may change this policy by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from November 2024
What we collect
We may collect the following information:
· Name, contact information, age, dietary preferences and health/mobility issues
· Music interests, abilities and experience
What we do with the information we gather
We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:
· Internal record keeping.
· We may periodically send literature or a promotional email about the summer school of music to the mailing address or email address which you have provided
Security
We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.
Controlling your personal information
You may choose to restrict the collection or use of your personal information in the following ways:
· whenever you are asked to fill in a form on the website, look for the box that you can click to indicate that you do not want the information to be used by us for direct marketing purposes
· if you have previously agreed to us using your personal information for direct marketing purposes, you may change your mind at any time by writing to or emailing us at summermusicschool@btinternet.com We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or are required by law to do so. You may request details of personal information which we hold about you under the Data Protection Act 1998.. If you would like a copy of the information held on you please write to Oakcroft, Water Lane, South Godstone, Ssurrey RH9 8JX, UK If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to or email us as soon as possible, at the above address. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.
Marketing policy
During our summer schools of music at Sherborne we, or others on our behalf, have taken or will take photographs of our courses in session, concerts and recitals, which may or may not include your image. Such photographs may be used by us, for advertising and marketing purposes, on social media and in print. If you would prefer that any photograph, thus used, does not include you, please let us know by contacting the Music School Office when you arrive at the School
Maecenas Music Limited t/a Sherborne Summer School of Music 2026
Private Lessons
Private lessons with members of the teaching staff, Alexander Technique and Chi Kung (with Glyn Williams) and score learning skills (with John Longstaff) will be available out of session time and can be booked through the Music School Office at the summer school.
Scholarship Scheme
Full details of this Scheme (including the Application Form), available to those in full-time education at the time of making application, are to be found under SSSM Scholarship Scheme
Sports Facilities
Sherborne School boasts a superb sports centre with a 25m swimming pool and a fitness suite the use of which which our students will pay a concessionary fee. Further information will be available with confirmation of enrolment.
Summer School Notice Boards
Two notice boards will be on display close to the summer school office.
On one there will be the Piano Practice Chart and students may book a piano practice room in the Music School for personal use at the times specified. Also, if there is to be a Repertoire Orchestra session that day , there will be a list of the names of the players needed.
The other notice board will be for use by our students and, in particular, will be found to be a convenient way for those wishing to organise ad hoc music making during free time
Travel by train
If you are travelling by train to Sherborne Station, we shall be meeting trains with a Summer School bus, on the Sunday, from midday until 15.30hrs. On trains arriving from London, the departing passengers will have to walk over a bridge to the other side of the tracks in order to exit the station. If you will require assistance with luggage, do please let the Administrator know prior to your day and anticipated time of arrival. The bus will take residential participants back to the Station on their final Sunday at 09.00hrs
Wednesday Night
Dinner, Dance and Cabaret
There will be dancing after each Wednesday evening dinner and later in the evening there will be a Cabaret (those wishing to take part should let the Music School Office know prior to the first session on that day)
The Art of Choral Direction Practical Conducting Course Wind Conducting Course The George Hurst Conductors’ Course Scholarship Scheme
