More than 100 musicians have signed up to the course this year and will be training and rehearsing together ahead of their final orchestral concert at the end of the week.
‘To celebrate the 50th anniversary, we have a concert at St James on Saturday at 6pm made up entirely of former students, tutors and current teachers, including David Le Page, who is one of our ex-students and a superb professional musician,’ said course director Charlie Cottam.
‘The students are sounding really good this year. When you’re walking around you hear all this fantastic music and they really improve over the week.’
Greta Nicolle, 14, plays the oboe and Amber Le Page, 13, plays the flute.
Both have been attending Ecsoc for three years and said it was rewarding when their hard work paid off in the final performance.
‘It’s a good week to get to know people and it’s fun with your friends,’ said Amber.
Read more: 50 years of Ecsoc
Celeste Le Sauvage, 17, plays lead violin.
‘I’ve been doing Ecsoc for quite a few years, this is my third year in a row because it stopped for Covid,’ she said.
‘This gives good variety and helps my musicality. It boosts my summer holidays as well otherwise I wouldn’t be doing anything.’
James Keirle was an Ecsoc student in 2011, and now lives in Valencia, conducting a symphonic wind band.
‘Ecsoc has been coming back from strength to strength since Covid and now we’re in our 50th anniversary,’ he said.
‘There’s such a long history of it and most of the tutors were here as students at some stage. It’s worth investing in and that’s why people come back.’
Roger Coull has been teaching at the summer course since 1976. He teaches violin but takes the string orchestra and occasionally the symphony orchestra.
‘It’s astonishing that it’s the 50th anniversary. It’s made such a difference to the island but it’s also a focal point of the year where people come together, explore some different repertoire and some really challenging stuff to play.
‘The students work really hard and it’s tiring towards the end but I think they always feel a sense of achievement.’
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