Senior Arpeggione: Rosalind (18)

The Senior Arpeggione Viola Course has been the highlight of my musical year. I was very upset that last year’s course couldn’t go ahead due to the pandemic, and so was thrilled to find out that this year’s course would be held in August. It provided the invaluable opportunity to play live music with like-minded viola players, which I especially appreciated after so many months of Zoom rehearsals.

Along with many of my viola-playing friends, I enjoyed masterclasses, recitals, playing in a viola orchestra and lots of amazing chamber music coaching. This was given by course director Jacky Woods, Stephen Tees, Michael Posner, Henrietta Hill and Jonathan Barritt, as well as Martin Outram who came for a day as a visiting tutor. The lovely setting of Milden Hall in Suffolk, combined with beautiful weather, also meant that we were able to have many rehearsals outside!

The vast majority of the course was spent rehearsing our chamber music pieces, with each person playing one classical piece, as well as one arrangement of a more recent piece. I loved playing the fourth viola part in York Bowen’s Fantasia for Four Violas, which is such an important part of the viola repertoire. To have coaching on this iconic piece from some of the country’s finest viola players was a real privilege. I also played the second viola part in an arrangement of the Popper Polonaise de Concert, originally for cello octet. Playing this piece from memory was a fun and rewarding challenge! We also played lots of arrangements for viola orchestra, including the Ländler from Mahler’s 1st Symphony, Fly Me to the Moon and Shostakovich’s Cheryomushki Gallop, which is always a course favourite!

I have now attended the Arpeggione Viola Course for ten years. It has drastically improved my ability and confidence as a chamber musician, and this year’s course in particular has reminded me of the importance and joys of live chamber music, especially after so many months of solitary playing. I am so grateful to Hidersine and the Joan Dickson Chamber Music Fund for allowing me to attend.
Thank you so much,
Rosalind (18)  -  viola