Janet Bennett

Luisa-Maria Cordell

Danielle Perrett

Sunita Staneslow

Course details:

This course has been run for a number of years each autumn; however this year will be the first time that the course will take place at Oxon Hoath, Kent, and the Clarsach Society will have exclusive use of this venue for the weekend.

All ages and abilities welcome. The course is intended to stimulate interest and enthusiasm for the non-pedal harp in a relaxed and informal atmosphere, although pedal harps are also welcome.

Arrival is from 4.30 pm on the Friday afternoon. The weekend will start with a teaching session at 5.30 pm, followed by supper at 7.30 pm. The weekend ends at about 3.30 pm on Sunday.

Adult course attendees will be divided into three groups, according to experience, and each group will have three teaching sessions, one with each of three tutors. There will be a separate group for absolute beginners and one for elementary players aged 15 and under..

There will also be a ceilidh on the Saturday evening, and recitals by the tutors. A detailed timetable will be available at the start of the weekend. Where appropriate / applicable music will be sent in advance.

Tutors:

Luisa-Maria Cordell (www.harpistry.co.uk)

Luisa is in constant demand as a soloist, instrumental player and tutor. She is a popular tutor who very much enjoys passing on her love of the harp.

She is the founder and director of the 25-piece Surrey Harp Ensemble and is a regular recitalist performing extensively all over the UK.

Luisa will be teaching the children's elementary group this year.

Janet Bennett (www.janetbennett.co.uk)

Janet studied harp and voice at the RSAMD, and is one of the foremost exponents in the art of self-accompanied singing.

Now resident in Newcastle and equally at home playing the clarsach and concert harp, Janet gives regular recitals, has performed for Royalty and made numerous radio and television appearances.

She has released several recordings, both as a soloist and with her group The Border Minstrels and is the main teacher of harp in Northumberland.

Danielle Perrett (www.danielleperrett.co.uk)

Danielle has a firmly established career both as a soloist and as a chamber music player. She is a distinguished teacher and has given workshops and masterclasses for World Harp Congresses and the Edinburgh International Harp Festival.

As a qualified Pilates teacher she also teaches Pilates for musicians and harpists.

Danielle has also devised the harp syllabuses for Trinity Guildhall exams, introducing an unprecedented syllabus for non-pedal harp. In connection with this she has also written the book ‘Technical Development for Harpists', consisting of short technical exercises to demonstrate technical development in practice and performance at all levels up to grade 8.

Sunita Staneslow (www.sunitaharp.com)

Sunita studied the harp with Lucille Lawrence in Boston and Lily Laskin in Paris among others. Following her classical training she discovered the clarsach, and, with her husband, took off on a year-long adventure of busking around the world.

She is now based in Israel where she performs and teaches on both pedal harp and clarsach, but also tours the USA and Europe several times a year. She specialises in Celtic music and Jewish music, and has produced many harp books and recordings.

Course location:

The venue for the course is Oxon Hoath, near Tonbridge, Kent. Oxon Hoath was built as a stately home in 1372, and opened in 1999 as a retreat and conference centre (see www.oxonhoath.co.uk ). It is set in secluded countryside, in 73 acres of peaceful and private grounds.

Oxon Hoath is about 12 miles from junction 5 of the M25. The nearest railway station is at Tonbridge, about 5 miles away. Shared taxis can be arranged from Tonbridge.

There is a mixture of accommodation, over three floors – single rooms (not ensuite, but near a bathroom/shower), twin rooms (most of which are ensuite), and a few double rooms. As far as possible rooms will be allocated according to preferences specified on the booking form. Please apply early for optimum accommodation allocations or preferences.

Please also note that there is no lift in the house. The rooms which will be used for teaching are all on the ground floor except for one on the first floor.

Vegetarian and other diets can be catered for.

Details of how to get to Oxon Hoath are available on their website.

Booking:

A booking form can be downloaded here, or contact us for more information.

Harp Hire:

Harps can be hired from Pilgrim Harps for the weekend. Please contact them direct if you would like to hire a harp. There will also be music to buy from Pilgrim harps during the weekend.

Bursary places:

Two reduced rate bursary places are available. Applicants (age 18 or under) must live in the membership area of the London & South-East Branch of the Clarsach Society and provide a letter of recommendation from their teacher, outlining their playing experience and how they would benefit from the course.

Applications for these places must be made by September 27th and applicants will be informed by October 1st whether they have been successful. The bursary is not available to anyone who has been awarded it in a previous year. It is also a requirement that a recipient of a bursary place should perform either at the Saturday evening ceilidh or on the Sunday afternoon.

For more details or to apply for one of these places please email us.

Previous courses:

Previous courses have been held at The Friars in Kent. In 2006 the tutors were Diego Laverde, Grainne Hambly, Wendy Stewart, and Mike Parker. Click here to read a review of the course.

The course in 2007 was taught by Danielle Perrett, Sue Rothstein, Cheyenne Brown, Kathleen Loughnane, Luisa-Maria Cordell and Mike Parker, and you can read reviews of that course here and here.

In spring 2009 the tutors were Isobel Mieras and Sue Rothstein. Click here to read a review of the course.