JACKDAWS

04/06/2026

🎶✨ 2026 – 2027 Season! ✨🎶

🎼 Wind Courses

Our Wind courses encompass dedicated weekends for Recorders in November, Clarinets in April, Oboes and Bassoons in June, and the popular Chamber Music Weekend in July — with opportunities to play solo and in ensembles. 🎻🎺🎹

Enjoy inspiring weekends of music-making, learning, collaboration, and performance in a welcoming atmosphere for musicians of all levels. 🌟🎵

🔗 All Wind Courses: https://www.jackdaws.org.uk/courses/

🎶

03/06/2026

🎶 Practise, Play, and Recharge at Jackdaws

Looking for a peaceful place to practise, recharge, or simply enjoy time at the piano?

Our beautiful Lehane–Wishart Studio is now available to hire on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

🌟 What’s included:

A world-class Steinway piano 🎶
Glorious acoustics and inspiring garden views 🌿
A space that’s entirely yours — for a morning, an afternoon, or even the whole day 🕰️
A supportive team on site, plus the freedom to bring your own lunch for a true retreat-style day 🥪🐦

💷 Rates: £15 for the first hour, £12 per hour thereafter.

Take a break from the everyday and give yourself the gift of uninterrupted music-making.

📧 Email [email protected] or 📞 call 07880 091066 to book your piano away-day.

01/06/2026

🎹 Reimagine Your Playing: Release the Music
with Stephen Marquiss

📅 18 September 2026, 6:30pm – 20 September 2026, 4:00pm
🎼 Level: All

Stop fighting the piano and start finding your flow.

What if the secret to piano mastery isn’t more practice but a different mindset?

Stephen’s approach was born from his own journey as an adult pianist moving from technical frustration to effortless facility. Drawing on the revolutionary principles of Abby Whiteside, he guides you to find your “emotional rhythm”—a whole-body coordination that starts in the torso and flows to the fingertips.

Do you long to perform confidently from memory or play expressively at any level? This course invites you to bring your “challenging” repertoire and discover a gentle, transformational path to piano mastery. By spotlighting “Elephants in the Practice Room,” we move beyond drills and dogma to dissolve technical barriers through deepening self-awareness.

🎥 Learn more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVtEeac-miw&t=5s

🎟️ Book your place now:
https://www.jackdaws.org.uk/events/3755/

If you’ve ever felt that Burgmüller’s Arabesque Op. 100 No. 2 is 'e...

30/05/2026

Jackdaws is looking stunning in this beautiful weather! ☀️🌸🌼

29/05/2026

🎶 Book Now for Our 2026-2027 Season! 🎶

We’re thrilled to welcome you to the Jackdaws 2026-27 Season, whether you're a returning visitor or discovering us for the first time. Our weekend courses offer high-quality content, a welcoming atmosphere, and delicious home-cooked meals, all set in the stunning rural beauty of Great Elm in the Vallis Vale area.

Our year-round programme includes courses for adult amateur musicians, large-scale education projects, a Young Artists programme, and performances.

At Jackdaws, we’re passionate about bringing music to life, enhancing participation, and enabling creative expression for everyone. Did you know that over 50% of our new bookers find us through word of mouth?
Help us “Spread the Word about the Bird” — your support makes all the difference in sustaining our mission.

By booking a course, you’re not just developing your own musical journey — you’re helping support future musicians! Your participation allows us to engage with thousands of children and young people, offering accessible music projects and inspiring creativity in schools across the South West. 🌟

Let’s make music together and support the next generation of musicians.
Book your place today! 🎵✨

Info & Booking:https://www.jackdaws.org.uk/all-courses/

Any questions call the office on 07880 091066

27/05/2026

🎹 2026 – 2027 Season!

Piano Courses 🎼 #2026

✨ There are five exciting new piano courses to explore this year: The Romantic Pianist with Karl Lutchmayer, Making it Simple for Pianists with Nicholas Walker, Beethoven 2027 with Sarah Beth Briggs, The Classy Classics with Julian Jacobson, and The Persuasive Pianist – A World of Pure Imagination with Anthony Williams. 🎶

🎵 Alongside our wide range of regular piano courses—covering diverse repertoire, technique, and musical understanding—there’s something to inspire every player, whatever their level or style. 🌟

All Piano Courses: https://www.jackdaws.org.uk/courses/

26/05/2026

🎭✨ “Write a Review” Competition – OperaPLUS Project ✨🎶

We were delighted to receive so many thoughtful and enthusiastic reviews following our OperaPLUS – Team Mascot workshops and performances!

The competition gave students the chance to reflect on their experience with opera, music-making and performance in a creative and personal way.

Our winning review, submitted by E.H. from The Blue School, included brilliant observations such as:

🗣️ “I thought it was very inspirational to hear a story through opera… the emotion through the singing still allowed me to understand the character and the emotion that they are feeling.”

🎵 “It was really interesting to hear this style of music since it's not very popular in my generation, making it a very unique experience… now I have a huge respect for it and I think it's a very talented form of singing.”

👏 A huge thank you to everyone who took part — your feedback reminds us exactly why projects like OperaPLUS are so valuable in inspiring confidence, creativity and a love of music in young people.

🎁 The winner received a £25 Amazon Gift Voucher!

This activity is supported by Octagon Music Hub, funded by Arts Council England and the Department for Education, with additional funding from the D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, as well as an anonymous donation. We are also incredibly grateful to our Patrons and all of our supporters. ❤️

25/05/2026

🎶 It was lovely to chat with (Bruce participant and long-time Jackdaws supporter) at The Three 'R's of Singing course! 🎤

Hear Bruce share his experience and what makes the course so special 👇
🎥 https://youtu.be/_Y7_IVcvqFc?si=YnedobEAhiBljGgT

You can book your place on The Three ‘R’s of Singing this September, alongside many other inspiring music courses at Jackdaws:
🎼 https://www.jackdaws.org.uk/courses/

📽Lovely to talk with Bruce a participant (and Jackdaws supporter)at The Three 'R's of Singing with Richard Jackson and Russell Smythe this weekend. ...

20/05/2026

🎶 We’re delighted to share this fantastic music event from one of our friends at Jackdaws — sure to be a wonderful evening of music and community! 🎭✨

20/05/2026

🎶 2026 – 2027 Season!

📢Voice Courses

✨ New This Year!

🎼 Song, Poetry & Partnership:
A Singer’s Journey through Stanford’s Legacy with Louise Winter and William Hancox

🎵 Charles Villiers Stanford was not only a major composer, but one of the most influential teachers in British musical history. From his studio emerged a remarkable generation of composers who shaped the English song revival of the early twentieth century. While Stanford himself remained wary of modernism, his students forged bold and distinctive musical voices, embracing a rich spectrum of styles, techniques, and influences.

Over this weekend a rich programme of masterclass style sessions, group sessions, and contextual discussions will be led by eminent course leaders Louise Winter and Will Hancox.

🔗 This course joins our inspiring lineup of courses for singers, Courses and Info: https://www.jackdaws.org.uk/courses/