Recorder31 Day 21 | Recorder Summer School: A Photo Diary

For the second of our Pop-Up Shop focus posts for Recorder31, today we are pleased to share a photo diary from this year's Recorder Summer School. Earlier this month, Peter took our Pop-Up Shop to the course where he met up with participants, offering them the chance to try out instruments and accessories in person.

Course director Helen Hooker, who is also a skilled photographer, has contributed this fantastic visual diary of the week-long course, offering a unique insight into the opportunities available, and their setting. Helen writes:

A week at the Recorder Summer School 2024

Almost every year since 1948 the Recorder Summer School has gathered somewhere in the UK for a week of music making. This year almost 130 recorder players met at Bishop Burton College, near Beverley, Yorkshire and today for Recorder31 we bring you a glimpse behind the scenes.

Our tutors this year were Tom Beets, Sandra Foxall, Helen Hooker, Sarah Jeffery, Annemarie Klein, Miriam Monaghan, Bart Spanhove, Anna Stegmann, Philip Thorby and Moira Usher. The team led us through a vast array of music, from medieval to the present day – everything from solo repertoire to large scale pieces played by all the students together. Alongside ensemble playing there are tutorial classes and sessions on specific topics. Some cover music by specific composers, while others explore musical genres (for instance Pop, Jazz and Film) or periods from history, such as the Tudor Century or the World of Baroque Opera. Throw in three different recorder orchestras, classes on music theory, conducting and double tonguing and you truly have something for everyone!

To learn more about the Recorder Summer School and join our mailing list for the 2025 course please click here.

1 | Zadok the Priest

Sarah Jeffery shared her passion for Handel’s Zadok the Priest with us, in a performance Handel would probably never have imagined possible!

2 | An impromptu concerto

When our concert performers sadly had to withdraw at the last minute due to injury, some lateral thinking was required to fill the gap. The result was an impromptu performance of Steve Marshall’s Concertino No.3, which Tom Beets performed with great aplomb (despite having only seen it for the first time three days earlier!), accompanied by the massed course members, conducted by Helen Hooker.

3 | Ensemble playing with Bart Spanhove

Some of the afternoon sessions are given over to ensemble playing, directed by the tutors – in this case Bart Spanhove.

4 | Browsing for music

One can never have too much recorder music and the well stocked Recorder MusicMail shop offered lots of opportunities for browsing.

5 | A moment of calm in the gardens

Bishop Burton College has the most beautiful walled gardens – the perfect place to escape for a little quiet time, away from the music.

6 | Heading for dinner

As the day draws to a close, the students meander back to the dining room for sustenance before the evening’s tutti playing session.

7 | Samba time!

When Anna Stegmann’s evening massed playing session included samba music, course Administrator, Josée Beeson, was called upon to play the whistle!

8 | Relaxation and conversation

Among the perpetual music, there’s always time for a quiet moment, catching up over a cuppa.

9 | The view from the contrabasses

A bird’s eye view from the contrabass section, as Philip Thorby led us through Marenzio’s three choir version of Super flumina Babylonis.

10 | Show and tell

On the final morning everyone gathered together to share their musical experiences from the week, before we all headed for home. Here Mirian Monaghan is leading her class through music by Soren Sieg.

All photographs taken by Helen Hooker. To find out more about Helen's work, please click here for her recorder playing and teaching, and please click here for her photography.

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The Sound of Recorder Music!

The Yamaha Tenor Recorder in Maple is a very lightweight instrument with a soft tone which blends very well in ensemble contexts. The double key makes the stretch easier for players, and the recorder is supplied in a high-quality hard case. Listen to the clips below or follow this link to find out more about this instrument.