The Edinburgh Residential Course

Our annual Edinburgh summer residential course is a unique and rewarding venture which gives you the opportunity to combine rehearsals of fantastic orchestral repertoire during the day with exploring Edinburgh at festival time during the evening. This year, we’re excited to announce that we have a new rehearsal venue, George Watson’s College, which offers us more space and greater accessibility. The repertoire will include the music listed on this page, with more details to follow as we confirm further pieces.

Rooms will be provided in self-catering apartments close to Edinburgh’s main railway station and the festival venues in the Pleasance area. The apartments sleep five in single rooms, with shared kitchen/diner and shower room/WC facilities.

A limited number of en suite rooms are available at a different site, west of Fountainbridge, for an additional cost of £145 per week. The apartments sleep seven in single en suite rooms, with shared kitchen/diner. Please enquire for more details when applying.

If you wish to arrange your own accommodation, you may pay the non-resident fee.

For information on bursaries for students and recent graduates, please see the information below.

Schedule

Players gather in Edinburgh in the afternoon on Saturday 8th August and rehearsals begin that evening. We rehearse morning and afternoon thereafter, apart from a free afternoon on the Tuesday. The week will include at least one sectional session. The course culminates in an Open Rehearsal on Friday. Players leave for home in the morning on Saturday 15th August. Orchestra seats change by rotation during the week and you are welcome to express a preference for parts in specific repertoire. The seating plan is drawn up in advance and we aim to allocate parts as fairly as possible. (Music stands, timpani and percussion are provided.)

Applications

We invite applications from experienced players, minimum level ABRSM Grade 8 or equivalent, with good sight-reading (or the desire to improve sight-reading skills!). A non-refundable deposit of £205 is payable once we have offered and you have accepted a place, only returnable if the course has to be cancelled because of public health restrictions or other circumstances beyond our control. You must pay course fees in full by 1st July. Resident fees include the new Edinburgh Visitor Levy.

Details of the Edinburgh International Festival are available from:
The Festival Office
The Hub
348-350 Castle Hill
Edinburgh, EH1 2NE
Telephone: +44 (0)131 473 2099

Details of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe are available from:
The Fringe Office
180 High Street
Edinburgh EH1 1QS
Telephone: +44 (0)131 226 0015