Elizabeth College Summer Orchestral Course numbers rise

The 2024 course started yesterday and this is the second year of the course since Covid. Course director Charlie Cottam said that the course had lower numbers last year and this year was still lower than usual, but numbers are now on the way back up.

‘We have more than 100 on the course this year across all courses,’ he said.

ECSOC is celebrating its 50th anniversary next year. Teacher Roger Coull has been involved since the early years of the course.

‘It’s fantastic,’ he said.

‘Obviously Covid had an impact on us, but it is growing back up again.’

Mr Coull tutors the first violins and symphonic strings.

James Keirle is the principal conductor for this year’s course.

‘It’s been wonderful, we have so much fun all week,’ he said.

The course culminates with a final concerts at the end of the week for the orchestras.

‘It’s amazing, and the audience have a great time,’ said Mr Keirle.

Mr Keirle was a student on the course in 2011 and has led the symphony orchestra for the last two years.

Violinist Ollie Purdue, 19, is part of the orchestra that is conducted by Mr Keirle, and he has said he had been enjoying this year's course. He has been involved with ECSOC since the age of nine.

‘The repertoire is really varied and it has been really good,’ he said.

He said that although it was early days, he was feeling optimistic about the final concert.

‘It’s a bit of a mad panic when you get to halfway through the week, but then everything slots together in the end,’ he said.

This year is also the first year of a new association with the Royal Marines Band Service. Three marines who play in the Band Service are involved.

‘I used to come to ECSOC and remember meeting marines' musicians then,’ said George Turner.

‘It was always an unofficial partnership, but now it is more official.’

He said it is a good opportunity for students to learn what a career in the marines is like.

With him for the week-long course are Ben Tasker and Greg Male.