I am back from the most amazing week in Switzlerand, singing at the Hindemith Foundation in Blonay, near Montreux. I had to share the experience with you, perhaps selfishly just to relive it!
Through my work as Programme Director at Finchcocks, I get to meet some wonderful people and fantastic musicians. Amongst these is one-in-a-million Véronique. She invited me to attend the biannual piano course she runs with piano pedagogue extraordinaire, Graham Fitch. I was thrilled to join the teaching team alongside Lausanne conservatoire’s Professor of Accompaniment Silvia Fraser to run accompaniment workshops for the pianists. And what a dream team we were!
Situated in vinyard heaven, Blonay overlooks Lake Geneva and offers the most inspiring surroundings to make music in. The views were jaw dropping.
The Swiss welcome was second-to-none and everyone was so keen we experience the best of Switzerland!
The course ran from Tuesday to Friday and involved parallel classes: the main offering of solo performance class and one-to-one lessons in the foundation’s homely music room with Graham, and accompaniment workshops with Silvia and me in the Bartok suite.
For the accompaniment workshops, each pianist chose one or two songs from a selection I had provided, with one or two suggestions from the pianists also thrown in for good measure. This included classical art song, aria, sacred, British folk and musical theatre. Of these, art song was the most popular with Schubert the clear favourite! I had a lovely programme to practise in preparation for the week:
- Music for a while – Purcell
- Lydia – Fauré
- When I am laid (Dido’s lament) – Purcell
- Ave Maria – Schubert
- Seligkeit – Schubert
- Laudate dominum – Mozart
- Star of the County Down – trad. Irish
- Amazing Grace – arr. Jay Althouse
- An die Musik – Schubert
- Du bist die Ruh – Schubert
It was fascinating working with a professional accompanist who understood singers so well. Many things I take for granted in a good accompanist were demystified and explained to the students. One of these was the difficult balance struck between the accompanist leading as “conductor”, but also offering the flexiblity for the singer to have artistic freedom within a phrase and song. An important role in this synchronisation between performers was the role of the left hand and bass line. The unique role of text when accompanying singers was also discussed: before commencing rehearsal to better understand the musical context, how it may affect the rhythm, or how its expression can offer a clue as to how the singer wishes to move the tempo forward or hold back. The pianists all noted and rose to the challenge of listening and thinking outside their own musical sphere – quite a daunting task at first!
On the final evening, I had the great pleasure of singing in two concerts in the foundation’s main music room. The first was the student song accompaniment recital, the second, a teachers’ recital with Silvia and Graham. It was a lovely way to round off the week’s learning and celebrate progress.
Being accompanied by Silvia was absolute heaven. She lifted my singing to another level and showed me musical possibilities I hadn’t dreamed of! We performed:
- Les chemins de l’amour – Poulenc
- Zur Rosenzeit – Grieg
- Ophelia’s song – Maconchy
- Weep you no more sad fountains – Quilter
- Eriskay love lilt – arr. Kennedy-Fraser
- I want to sing in opera – David & Arthurs
The evening was rounded off by Graham’s superb rendition of Bolcom’s Three Ghost Rags and Graham and Silvia’s fantastically quirky performance of Lord Berners’ three duets Valses Bourgeoises.
How to leave on Friday? With many happy memories, a very full heart and a goodbye from gorgeous Bella. Many thanks to Véronique for inviting me, Graham and Silvia for being such a pleasure to work with, the Hindemith Foundation for their beautiful welcome and delicious food, and our students for being so open and preparing so well! Switzerland, I’m in love!
The two courses for 2025 are already sold out, but you can be added to the waiting list or enjoy Graham’s teaching in person at Finchcocks or online at Practising the Piano.
