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Raymond Burley

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Studley Castle Guitar Ensemble Course

Studley Castle Guitar Ensemble Course
The weekend of 14th - 16th November saw the first guitar ensemble course at beautiful Studley Castle in Warwickshire. The course was organised very successfully by Ray Butcher and it was my great pleasure to tutor. There were 16 students with varying degrees of ensemble experience but they all coped well with the music chosen: Mark Houghton's 'Tango', 'Rustic Dance' and 'Ballad', a set of dances by Claude Gervaise, and a suite by Witt.

On Saturday evening I played a short concert of music by Brouwer, Bach, Weiss, Villa-Lobos and Barrios.

Many of the students had been regular participants at my courses at Urchfont Manor. It was a huge disappointment when Wiltshire Council decided to sell the building. The course relocated to Missenden Abbey but the majority of the students were unhappy with the quality of the food and regimented approach. Studley Castle was similar to Urchfont but on a grander scale. The facilities and food were excellent and the staff couldn't have been more friendly and helpful. I'm happy to report that the course will be running at a similar time next year.

Should you be interested in attending please contact Ray Butcher: raymond3325@gmail.com  




updated: 9 years ago