‘4,000 students have come through the course’ - 50 years of Ecsoc

This week dozens of young musicians will take part in the Elizabeth College Summer Orchestral Course which this year celebrates its 50th year.

Originally, it was the idea of Miles Attwell, the college’s director of music, and in 1974 he mooted the idea with the principal, Richard Wheadon. In 1999’s Celebrating 25 Years programme, Mr Wheadon admitted: ‘Ever since my own happy experiences at a summer music school in 1949 I had secretly hoped to set one up if and when such a chance should arise – this was it.’

The first course took place at L’Islet Salvation Army Hall during the summer holidays of 1975 and was attended by 47 students. Miles Attwell was in charge of the strings, Lyn de Guerin, the lower strings, Arthur Burns, the brass section and Pat Colley, the woodwind.

Each section studied separately – a simplified version of Mozart’s G Minor Symphony – then once a day they got together for a full orchestral practice. At the end of the course there was a full concert.

Students on that first course who went on to musical careers included David Farnon, Lydia and Laura Colley, Claire Le Tissier (later Claire Claxton), Sam Peters (the late Sam Holland), Terry Garnham, Valerie and Mandy Bound and Andrew Lawrence-King.

‘The idea of the course was to give students the opportunity to play in groups,’ explained Ecsoc director Charlie Cottam. ‘There was no Music Service in those days and the course gave the island the idea that this might be a good thing.

‘Most schools back then didn’t have huge music departments either and this gave young musicians the opportunity to spend a week with tutors not their own.’

Although of great benefit to Guernsey students, not all attendees have been local.

‘Over the years we’ve had students and tutors from Jersey and Alderney, also students from France and the UK who have been encouraged to come here by visiting tutors and musicians. Also some years students from Biberach, which the Music Service has since rekindled.’

The 1976 course proved to be a landmark one. Chris Claxton had been appointed to the college’s music department and joined the team of tutors. Enrolment rose to 70 students and a young ensemble, The Coull Quartet, which was founded at the Royal Academy of Music, London in 1974, joined the team of instrumental coaches. Dame Ruth Railton, founder of the National Youth Orchestra, was brought to the island to observe and advise. The Coull Quartet continued to teach on the course until 1991.

‘Roger Coull has visited every year since as a member of the Coull Quartet and this year the course’s senior cello tutor will be Rose Gallaway, who is the daughter of a member of the quartet.

‘Some of our tutors are local, though not necessarily from the Music Service, and some are ex-pat Guerns. We also get tutors by word of mouth.

‘Recently we’ve been employing student tutors and it’s a great thing for them to put on their CV. Some have then continued to attend the course as full professional tutors, including this year Jack Tostevin-Hall and Rosie Whiteman.

‘Interestingly, the Coull Quartet played in the abandoned St James one lunchtime and the acoustics were wonderful. It’s believed that this was the inspiration for Richard De La Rue and Rodney Collenette’s “Save St James” campaign.’

The premise of the course sees the students divided by age and ability. The ensembles for the 2025 course are the String Group, the Intermediate String Orchestra, the Training Wind Band, Intermediate Band, Symphonic Wind Band, the Percussion Group, Symphony Orchestra, the Jazz Band and Music Makers, a mornings-only course for younger children.

‘Students come along and play to the best of their ability but they improve greatly over the week,’ explained Charlie. ‘I believe it adds a grade to their level.

‘And it gives students a chance to go to specialist groups. We’re lucky that the last few years we have formed a relationship with the Royal Marines Band and they send over a couple of tutors. Two members are coming this year and both are local. There will be an interactive programme and they’ll host a lunchtime talk.’

For his part, Charlie, who was a teacher and house master at Elizabeth College, got involved in the late 1980s.

‘I was asked by Miles to help out during the course and I gradually got involved. I took over in 2000 as director. Chris Claxton stayed on as an administrator until 2017. Jean Owen joined the team in 2019 and about the same time we also welcomed Nicole Wyatt, initially as an assistant administrator and then as director of our then-new Music Makers course.’

Charlie has all the course programmes.

‘I’ve tried to do a calculation. Numbers of attendees continued to grow after the 25th course and hit over 250 every year from 2000 to 2010, peaking at 289 in 2003, then gradually subsiding until Covid struck. Unfortunately, we have not been able to reach the same numbers post-Covid. But I believe 4,000 students have come through the course. Hopefully the numbers will pick up again.’

Three concerts at St James will follow the course. On Friday 22 at 7pm, the String Group, Training Band and the course Jazz Band will be playing and on Saturday 23 at 7pm it will be the turn of the Intermediate String Orchestra, Intermediate Wind Band and all senior players culminating with the full Symphony Orchestra.

On Sunday 24 at 6pm the celebrations culminate in a ‘scratch concert’ with conductors James Keirle and Roger Coull and local-born violinist David Le Page who will play the first movement of Bach’s Violin Concerto movement. Tickets for all concerts are available at stjames.gg.

u Any former students who would like to be part of the 50th Anniversary Concert, which is supported by The Swallow Trust, should contact Charlie Cottam.