In October of this year, we will return to Conegliano
near Venice for our third visit to this hospitable and charming
Prosecco town. We will work on a mixed programme of unaccompanied
Venetian and English music in preparation
for a concert in
Conegliano Cathedral. The concert will be on the Friday evening this
year as on Saturday evening
we will have the privilege of singing
during mass at the Basilica of St Mark’s Venice!
Conegliano itself is an attractive town with splendid palazzos, a
castle, wine terraces, arches and porticos. The town is about
an hour from the historic centre of Venice by train and is on the
fast, regular Venice to Udine railway line.
St Mark’s Venice
Conegliano at Night
Conegliano railway station is only a few minutes walk from our
rehearsal venue, adjoining the cathedral. The centre is medieval and
very small so we will find it easy to bump into other members of the
group in the bars and cafes of XX Settembre – the old high street.
The course proper runs from Sunday evening, when we meet for
introductions and dinner, to the following Friday evening where we
will perform our new repertoire at a concert in Conegliano
cathedral. On Saturday evening we will sing during mass in San
Marco. We sing for approximately five hours each day with breaks for
coffee and a long siesta in the afternoon. Wednesday will be a
half-day when people may choose to go into Venice or explore a
little further afield.
The Music
“The programme that has been chosen combines some of the best
Venetian choral writing with complementary pieces drawn from other
musical traditions. Much of this music is written in five or eight
parts and its rich chromatic textures weave together a glorious
tapestry of polyphony.”
Laudate Jerusalem from 1610 Vespers
(Monteverdi)
Crucifixus a 8 (Lotti)
A la battaglia (Gabrielli) Ave Maria, O quam gloriosum (Victoria)
Dum transisset (Tavener) Sing joyfully, Ave Verum Corpus (Byrd)
Bogoroditse Dyevo (Rachmaninov) Laudate Dominum (Nystedt)
Lux aurumque, Her sacred spirit soars (Whitacre)
NIGEL PERRIN
After winning a choral scholarship to King's College, Cambridge, to
study under Sir David Willcocks, Nigel Perrin became
well-known as the original high voice of the King's Singers. For the
next eleven years he travelled the world on concert tours, recorded
some twenty-five albums and appeared in countless television shows
with artists as diverse as Kiri Te Kanawa and Cliff Richard.
This background and experience
formed the basis of his current international career as a highly
sought-after conductor,
director of choral workshops, adjudicator and teacher.
Who is the course for?
This course is for experienced choral singers of all ages.
Participants should have reasonable sight-reading ability or be
prepared to study the music beforehand, although nobody is expected
to be note-perfect on arrival. An ability to blend well
with other singers is also expected. Nigel is experienced in working
with singers at all levels and creates an atmosphere
that is focused but relaxed. It also helps if you enjoy good food,
good company and the occasional glass of wine - or Prosecco.
We all eat together most evenings in a selection of restaurants and
people soon get to know each other. Our singing holidays have proved
equally popular with people travelling on their own and singing
couples. There are also a limited number of spaces available for
non-singing partners who pay a special visitor’s rate.
What does it cost?
The course fee is payable in two stages - £180 (or €200) on
registration and £195 (or €220) no later than six weeks before
arrival in Italy. This covers tuition, the concert, and four evening
meals but not transport or accommodation. Music - which can
be kept - will cost £25.00. You will also need to organise your own
travel and health insurance. We have been offered good discount
rates by the popular Canon d’Oro hotel in the centre of the Old Town
but there are also some smaller hotels, a couple of B&B’s and -
further out - some Agriturismos. We will send out a list and a map
of the town to all registered singers. The rehearsal venue is near
the Piazza Cima, the main square of Conegliano.
Getting there
This bit is up to you and is not included in the price of the
weekend. The nearest international airports are Venice and Treviso
but there are also good fast rail links from Bologna and Verona.
Conegliano is also accessible by road although parking in the town
centre is restricted. There is a useful website at
www.conegliano2000.it
Need more information?
Please contact Nick Couchman (nick@runbysingers.org)
or Jane Osgathorp (jane@runbysingers.org)
or ring Nick during office hours on 01438 812100.
