The 2026 Course
Our repertoire for 2026 will be both core favourites from all periods together with new works in our ever-expanding catalogue of wind chamber music. Our focus is on programming quality repertoire that challenges and brings out the best in your playing, with a varied mixture of group sizes from sextet to larger chamber groups.
Each day your time will be divided equally between group warm up and technical sessions, two allocated tutored ensembles, specialist instrumental group sessions and evening social events, including tutor concerts, visiting artists’ recitals and the ubiquitous Malvern Winds Quiz Night! The week concludes with two open concerts of the music you have studied, in a morning Coffee Concert and an Afternoon Recital.
We seek to give each participant two contrasting pieces, including repertoire for auxiliary instruments such as piccolo, bass clarinet, basset horn, cor anglais and contrabassoon.
With plenty of opportunities to explore the local area or walk in the Malvern Hills, plus DIY sessions with other participants, this is course not to miss!
We do have a limit on numbers of participants for each instrument in order to ensure the good balance essential for the high quality of programming and choices of repertoire we have achieved from year to year.
Sample Weekly Schedule
Note: all sessions will rotate daily
08:15-09:00 - Breakfast
09:15-10:00 - Warm-up class - tutor-led rhythm, breathing, movement and playing warm-up sessions, structured to wake up breathing, body and soul each day!
10:10-11:30 - Instrumental classes - specialist classes for your instrument with your own tutor
11:30-12:00 - Tea/coffee – just what it says really (and with decent coffee too!)
12:00-13:20 - Session A - your first allocated tutored ensemble
13:30-14:30 - Lunch
14:30-16:30 - DIY sessions/ solo performance sessions / free time - an opportunity to
• Form ad hoc chamber groups with other participants and our bursary students
• Grab a slot to perform (or observe) in a performance class session with one of our experienced tutors
• Take a well-earned break from playing, and head to town or into the Malvern Hills
16:30-17:00 - Tea/coffee
17:00-18:20 - Session B - your second allocated ensemble
18:30-19:30 - Dinner
19:30: Evening Activity
• Our Tutors' Concert – solos to piano/wind sextets… we have it all!
• Visiting Artist Concert Recital – a singer, an instrumentalist or a chamber group… it’s our surprise!
• Informal concert given by our bursary students
• Instrumental Ensemble informal ‘sharings’
• The ubiquitous ‘Malvernite Pub Quiz’
• Guest speakers or creative workshop sessions
...we will keep you as busy as you want to be!
Please note that our Friday schedule is slightly different, to include
• 11am Morning Coffee Concert (Session A repertoire)
• 3pm Afternoon Recital (Session B pieces)
Our final scheduled activity on Friday is dinner at 6.30pm, followed by an informal social with activities and playing. Check out is at 9am on Saturday.