FAQ's
When do I arrive?
When do I leave?
Who is my teacher?
What is the difference between the adult amateur course and the piano course?
How many lessons do I get?
I want to apply for other courses
When will I know when my lessons take place?
What do I do when I don’t have a lesson and I don’t want to practice?
Will there be any children the same age as me?
Will I get to know anyone?
Who looks after the under 18’s?
Where do we sleep?
Will everyone be more advanced than me?
Do I have a practice room for the week?
What happens if I change my mind about playing in a concert/workshop?
There is so much going on – do I have to go to everything?
What clothes/towels etc do I need?
How much music do I bring?
If I don't get offered a place will I get my deposit returned?
If I need to cancel will I get my money back?
When do I arrive?
Registration is from 15.45 until 18.00 on Wednesday 14th August for part one, and 15.45 until 18.00 on Tuesday 20th August for part two. If you are travelling from abroad and need to arrive a day early, there are many local hotels in the vicinity. The closest is the Premier Inn on Deansgate
When do I leave?
The course ends after morning recitals by the participants on each part. The concerts will end by 11am and then we have a final coffee break before the course ends.
Who is my teacher?
All information regarding allocation of teacher, concerts, extra classes etc will be given at registration.
What is the difference between the adult amateur course and the piano course?
The main difference is the much more informal performance opportunities to other participants on the Adult course. There are also daily discussions about subjects that are of particular interest to this course e.g performance anxiety, memory, how to practise, suitable repertoire. All of this happens in a supportive and encouraging atmosphere.
How many lessons do I get?
You will receive a total of three hours individual lessons. In addition, there are opportunities to play in workshops with your teacher. Most teachers will give an additional 3 workshops to their students.
Of course all lessons are open to watch, so you could in fact have a total of 33 hours of tuition if you attended all the lessons by the different faculty members! If you do extra courses you will receive another 3 hours on each course.
I want to apply for other courses
Many people do 2 or 3 courses. Each course gives you 3 hours of individual lessons so if you did 3 courses you would have 9 hours in one part. NB No more than 6 hours can be booked for each course. Each course costs an extra £145.
When will I know when my lessons take place?
Your timetable will be given to you at registration. A list of all timetables will be on display throughout the week, so you can check when your next lesson is. You can also see when friends are having their lessons as well.
What do I do when I don’t have a lesson and I don’t want to practice?
All the lessons and classes are open to watch, so from 9am to 4.30pm you can watch any of the wonderfully inspiring faculty. At 5pm there are daily lectures and in the evening there are at least 3 concerts.
We have a lovely swimming pool, that is open daily. In addition there are a variety of activities organised in the week, such as table tennis and football. There are also opportunities to have lessons in Alexander technique and Eurythmics at a small extra cost.
Will there be any children the same age as me?
Each year there are many under 18’s and we are renowned for being an incredibly friendly summer school. Last year a rather shy teenager said that he couldn’t believe how friendly we all were and couldn’t wait to come back. We always try to team up children with others that have been on the course before and so they settle in quickly.
Will I get to know anyone?
All newcomers to the course will be welcomed at the opening night reception so that friends can be made over a drink. There is always someone at reception during the day so anyone feeling a little lost is welcome to come for a chat!
Who looks after the under 18’s?
This year we are very lucky to have a youth co-ordinator who will be the point of contact for participants and parents throughout the week. She will meet everyone on the opening night reception and her mobile telephone number will be given to all participants so contact can be made at any time of day. We also have a team of trained house parents, including Murray McLachlan and his wife, Kathryn ( who have 5 children of their own!) who are always happy to talk to anyone in confidence.
Where do we sleep?
Chetham’s is a boarding school so it is possible to have a very large number of participants staying at the school. Everyone sleeps in the school, so you can have breakfast sat next to Peter Donohoe, or a glass of wine with Noriko Ogawa. Accommodation is in single, double or dormitory style rooms. Together with a 24 hour security guard this ensures a safe and happy environment. This fantastic social atmosphere ensures that the summer school will provide many happy memories. Many regulars say it is the highlight of their year!
Will everyone be more advanced than me?
The Chetham’s Summer School is not competitive in any way and the artistic Director, Murray McLachlan, thinks of it as one big happy piano family. There are always a wide range of abilities, but the atmosphere is one of support and encouragement.
Do I have a practice room for the week?
With over 100 practice rooms everyone is given a room for the week and they are open from 7am to 11pm. Everyone shares a room and sort out when to practise with each other.
What happens if I change my mind about playing in a concert/workshop?
This is fine and there will always be someone keen to take up the place.
There is so much going on – do I have to go to everything?
Some people manage everything, but of course you can choose to only go to some of the events.
What clothes/towels etc do I need?
A bath and hand towel are provided, as is all bed linen. If you would like to use the indoor swimming pool, then an extra towel is advisable. Dress code is informal, although if you are playing in an evening concert, you might like to bring something suitably smart.
How much music do I bring?
You can choose to bring several works/pieces for your lessons or just one. You can decide if you want to work in great detail on a small repertoire or get lots of ideas on many pieces to take away with you to work in detail after the course. It is entirely up to individuals how much they want to get through in the lessons. Obviously the more prepared the pieces are, the deeper the voyage of discovery can be!
If I don't get offered a place will I get my deposit returned?
If a place cannot be offered due to the course being full, the deposit will be refunded.
If I need to cancel will I get my money back?
The deposit is non-refunable (unless the course is full) To protect your booking it is advisable to take out insurance in case of the need to cancel. Insurance is available for less than £10 with many online companies. We cannot offer refunds on places booked.