BASBWE Events and Festivals



BASBWE Wind Band Conductor's Course and Symphonic Wind Orchestra 2010
8th to 15th August 2010

Timothy Reynish, Mark Heron, Russell Cowieson

Basbwe is committed to providing opportunities for conductors involved in wind music to further their skills. A key aspect of this is the Basbwe / Canford conducting course which has been running since 1991. Read on for information about the 2010 course, or click here for some history and a review of 2007 & 2008.

Conducting Course

The course is for wind band conductors at the intermediate and advanced levels. Up to twenty-five students will be accepted as "active" participants working from an extensive repertoire list.  Observers are also encouraged and will be fully involved in general technique sessions, discussions and playing in the class ensemble, but they will only conduct at the discretion of the tutors.

The class will explore conducting techniques, score preparation, rehearsal and training skills. A CD and score library will be available for reference and special emphasis will be placed on extending the knowledge of repertoire at all levels. A DVD recorder will be used to analyse technical requirements and development and all participants will have the opportunity to continually review their work during the course, and to take away a DVD at the end of the week. The course will run concurrently with the Symphonic Wind Orchestra and there will be close liaison between the two. All participants should bring with them any instruments they play, in order to accommodate ensemble work within the class (if for any reason you unable to bring your instrument(s), please let the summer school office know when you enrol).

Students are required to prepare their chosen repertoire thoroughly before commencement of the course. All students are asked to prepare either Basford or Milhaud to conduct in the first session.

Basford Songs and Refrains Maecenas
Binney Nancy's Lament Maecenas
Carroll The Piper of Brafferton Maecenas
Davey The Wee Cooper of Fife Maecenas
Grainger Lincolnshire Posy Ludwig Music
Hesketh Vranjanka Faber
McNeff Ghosts Maecenas
Mendelssohn Suite Francaise MCA
Mozart Serenade in E flat, K375
Orr John Gay Suite Novello/Studio Music
Taylor Blasket Dances Maecenas
Woolfenden French Impressions Ariel

Obtaining Scores
Links have been provided to the publishers, many of whom have efficient online ordering systems. Just Music is a sheet music retailer specialising in wind music and should be able to obtain all of these items, even if not listed in their online catalogue. The Maecenas site does not have an online ordering facility but they deal very quickly with email and telephone orders.

Preparation and Repertoire Selection
Participants are not expected to thoroughly prepare all of the repertoire, although you may if you wish. It is far better to learn 3 or 4 pieces very well than to have only a very superficial knowledge of them all.

Everyone should prepare a movement of Songs and Refrains or Suite Francaise as these will be used in the first session of the week during which everyone will conduct for a few minutes in order that a quick assessment can be made of each participant. The Mozart will be covered in a couple of chamber music sessions during the week, and it is certainly worth preparing all or some of that work.

Participants may find some of the articles on conducting, score study and rehearsal technique available in the articles section of this site, at www.timreynish.com and at www.markheron.co.uk useful.

Course Structure
The course is essentially egalitarian. To a large extent, all participants receive equal amounts of podium time and generally most people conduct every day. Most of the sessions are with the class ensemble, which is often augmented by extra players. Some of the more advanced students will have the opportunity to work on occasions with the Symphonic Wind Orchestra. Unlike many conducting courses, this one where you will actually have the chance to conduct!

Any questions or enquiries about repertoire, preparation or the course content can be directed to Mark Heron.

All applications or other administrative enquiries must be made through the Canford Summer School website, where information about cost, location, administration can be found along with application details.

Symphonic Wind Orchestra
The Symphonic Wind Orchestra is designed for experienced amateurs and students to play and study significant repertoire for Wind Orchestra and Wind Ensemble. A regular feature of the course will be chamber music as well as wind ensemble playing. Some of the repertoire will be studied in depth, the remainder in repertoire sessions.

Ball Resurgam
Ball, Michael Saxophone Concerto
Bourgeois Symphony of Wind
Coleman Jazz Funeral
Fletcher Vanity Fair
Grainger Lincolnshire Posy
Hesketh Vranjanka
McCabe Canyons
Milhaud Suite Francaise
Taylor Blasket Dances
Woolfenden French Impressions

For further information, including how to apply, please visit the Canford Summer School site.

Timothy Reynish held principal horn positions with the Northern Sinfonia, Sadlers Wells Opera and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra before joining the Royal Northern College of Music as Tutor in Conducting and later Head of School of Wind and Percussion. He studied conducting with George Hurst, Dean Dixon, and Franco Farrara, was a prizewinner in the Mitropulos International Conducting Competition, and has conducted orchestras and wind ensembles in Canada, Scandinavia, Europe the Middle East and North and South America.

Since leaving the RNCM he has worked unstintingly to raise both the performing standards and the quality of music played by wind orchestras and ensembles around the world - indeed he has commissioned a copious number of major works himself. Following a term as President of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles he currently spends much of his year commuting between America and the UK with the occasional trip to Australia!

Mark Heron studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama, the Royal Northern College of Music and in international masterclasses with Neeme Järvi and Jorma Panula. In 2005 he won the Neeme Järvi Conducting Competition and the following year was selected by the London Symphony Orchestra to participate in their mentoring scheme for young conductors. Mark is Music Director of the Nottingham Philharmonic Orchestra, Liverpool Mozart Orchestra, Manchester University Symphony Orchestra and the National Youth Wind Orchestra of Israel. He is a member of the conducting faculty at the RNCM where he works with all of the college's orchestras and ensembles and regularly records contemporary music with the RNCM Wind Orchestra. As a guest conductor Mark works regularly with orchestras in Finland, Estonia, Germany and Israel as well as in the UK. Increasingly well regarded in the field of conductor training, Mark teaches at the RNCM, Manchester University, the Royal Air Force and Canford Summer School. You can find out more about his activities at: www.markheron.co.uk

Russell Cowieson studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and the Guildhall School of Music. Conducting studies were undertaken with Tim Reynish, Baldur Brönnimann and George Hurst. He is Musical Director of the Edinburgh University Symphony Orchestra and the newly formed Scottish National Wind Orchestra which is in residence at the RSAMD.

In 2007 Russell was appointed Artistic Director of the BASBWE International Wind Festival held at the RSAMD and in 2008 served on the faculty of the Royal Northern College of Music Conducting Weekend. Russell has worked with Young Sinfonia, the RNCM Junior Orchestra, the RSAMD Wind Orchestra, the RSAMD Junior School and Cambridgeshire Youth Wind Orchestra.