Summer School 2006

[Julie-AnnG]

Dear All

If you're planning to come along to Summer School at Worth Abbey this year - don't forget that the last booking date to qualify for the 'early booking discount' is fast approaching.

More information and the chance to book online, on thesummer school webpage.

If you're not planning to come along, why not take a look anyway - you may well change your mind and decide you don't want to miss out on the fun!
Oh, and places are filling up fast, so, as they say, "book now - and avoid disappointment"!

[Tsume Tsuyu]

I'll be there!

When will we know more about it? The format looks different this year - fewer workshops but more seminars. Are we going to get just one workshop choice and, if we are, when do we find out more about what the workshops will be covering? The seminar topics look really interesting.

I went to my second ever Summer School at Worth and, though it rained a lot, it was a wonderful experience. My workshop choices then were Chant and Liturgy of the Word for Children. I seem to remember that Worth was where I discovered I needed new specs. I found I could barely see who was on the stage when we were in the lecture theatre. I suppose it didn't help that, in a throw back from school days, I sat on the back row to avoid being asked any hard questions.

I'm looking forward to the week very much. I think that the nicest part of Summer School is the chance to catch up with old friends who I only see once or twice a year. And the next nicest bit is making new friends! Everything else just seems to flow from the spirit of community.

[Julie-AnnG]

Dear All

Bookings for Summer School are now closed - and we're thrilled to announce that 100 people have signed up! So exciting!

We've got an action-packed week planned, with some favourite features, and some innovations this year. And, as ever, there will be plenty of opportunities to meet new friends, and to catch up with the older ones!

Details of the workshops have already been sent out to all participants, but I thought it would be good to share some of that information with you here. So:

Summer School Workshops

Cantoring & Conducting skills - David Ogden

Are you often out in front of a choir or group of singers and are not always sure how you managed to end up there? In this workshop for all standards from beginners to more advanced directors, David will, give you confidence to lead and inspire others to make music to the best of their ability. Including tips on rehearsal and conducting techniques, choir warm ups, planning, performing, and a few jokes guaranteed to get the musicians on your side.

Music in Service to the Word - Bob Hurd

At the heart of all Christian prayer, especially the Eucharist, is our encounter with the Word. Music’s ministerial role is to help this encounter take place. Bob will explore how music serves the Word in the readings and the Word in the rites, sharing a lot of music in the process.

Instruments: the Word within the notes - Ben Saul

As well as helping you develop your practical leadership skills as instrumentalists, these sessions will explore:
·Playing to your strengths: maximizing the accompaniment potential of your instrument.
·Improvisation - the structures of practical improvisation, the benefits of improvisation, and the pitfalls.
·Making choices - meeting the needs of most of the people, most of the time.

Developing a liturgical spirituality: the Word of God, the Liturgy, the Parish and YOU! - Caroline Dollard & Allen Morris

Caroline and Allen seek to explore the Word of God as life-giving, with power and purpose for all on a daily basis. Do we find this Word ‘spirit and life’ for ourselves? Do we learn a truth that liberates us? Do we recognise our basic human need for nourishment from the Word? How do we develop skills to ‘receive abundantly from (this) treasury’? What does it take to ‘open the door’, to ‘eat the scroll’? We hope to have conversations with voices from the past and amongst ourselves, share stories, and engage in exercises that explore our response to the Word – are we prepared for honesty, listening, commitment, tolerance of difference, willingness to change and actual transformation? These will be highly practical sessions with both individual and group work.


One of those innovations I mention are the seminar sessions. There are two seminar sessions to choose from each day. I'm certainly struggling to choose which ones I would like to go to, as they're all so tempting!

Take a look for yourselves, and see what you think:

Summer School Seminars

Tuesday

Finding Sanctuary - Abbot Christopher Jamison

Abbot Christopher Jamison will talk about the implications of the Monastery and Convent TV programmes on life, both local and church.

OR

Singing the Mass post G.I.R.M. What's new pussycat? - Philip Jakob

Has anything changed for musicians since the General Instruction on the Roman Missal was revised? What can Celebrating the Mass contribute to this consideration? Phil Jakob looks at some detail in the documents and translates this into the practical.


Wednesday

Multiculturalism and Liturgy: Music for a multicultural church - Bob Hurd

How can the prayer and music of our liturgies give voice to the diverse languages of the parish and diocese and at the same time provide an experience of unity? Bob Hurd will present musical resources, patterns and strategies for realizing St. Paul’s vision of church: many though we are, we are one body in Christ.

OR

The Therapeutic Power of Music - Ben Saul

Spirituality concerns the whole person as influenced by God (William of St. Thierry). Music therapy is a 'spiritual approach to psychotherapy, concerned the person's relation to the source of personhood' (Grainger). Music therapy 'lives spirituality in the moment of encounter' and 'speaks spirituality in its mode of communication - but without being verbally explicit or doctrinally precise' (Grainger). Ben Saul will explore the power of music as therapy.


Thursday

An introduction to the integrated life of the Iona Community - Philip Jakob

Phil Jakob presents a video introduction to the work and Rule of the Community and invites discussion.

OR

Techniques for choirs and congregations - David Ogden

The biggest musical resource of a parish is its congregation. Using a wide variety of music from around the world, David Ogden will introduce music that can serve the liturgy and be sung confidently by a congregation while keeping the choir interested and inspired. Music suitable for the largest Cathedral as well as the smallest church, including advice and ideas on how to involve and integrate both members of your church with people from the wider community in your parish music.


If you're one of the 100 already signed up - I hope you're looking forward to the week as much as we are. If you didn't sign up this year, and are now sorry you'll be missing all the fun, details of Summer School 2007 will be out soon, so you'll have to make a note in your diary for next time!

[docmattc]

Thanks to all involved for another great summer school last week. There was so much information its only now beginning to become clear in my mind.

My voice is just beginning to recover from all the singing!

[organist]

It was great and a big thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make it such a success!

[docmattc]

I'm in the process of getting something together for our diocesan newspaper about summer school. I'm asking far and wide if anyone took any photos that I could use to illustrate it. Anything of 'stuff' happening would be good, groups of faces staring at the camera not so useful.

PM me and I'll send you my email add to send them to.

[Crumhorn]

Hi, everyone,

A quick word to let you all know that the report and pictures from this year's summer school are now up and visible on the main web site.

If anyone needs a full-size, high quality version of any of these images to help publicise the SSG, please e-mail the webmaster quoting the number of the picture you want. Don't download the ones from the site -- they're not really suitable for serious reproduction!

[docmattc]

Thanks for the pictures. In spite of appearances, I was actually listening to Allen Morris' sermon (last picture in the report)

[Tsume Tsuyu]

There's a great picture of the group and a little write up in the Catholic Herald this weekend. My PP thrust it under my nose just before Mass this morning. I just wish that I'd either (a) stood a few rows further back, or (b) bribed Julie-Ann to airbrush me thinner before the photo was submitted to the press!

It was a terrific Summer School. I'm sorry I've not had an opportunity to write about my experiences but I'll try and find some time this week, so those of you who didn't attend will know what you missed!