Baroque Week. Patron: Trevor Pinnock CBE Artistic Director: Theresa Caudle

Welcome from the Artistic Director


Welcome to Baroque Week 2026!


A huge “thank you” to all those who attended Baroque Week 2025. You, the participants, make the course such a special and joyous occasion each year, and make all the hard work that goes into preparing it so very worthwhile! It is always lovely for us all, tutors and participants alike, to meet and to work and play together with old friends, but you also do a wonderful job in helping us to make newcomers feel welcome and included in this family atmosphere. Thank you to all of you who took the time to provide valuable feedback, which was, most gratifyingly, overwhelmingly positive. We always consider any constructive criticism, comments and suggestions seriously and act upon them wherever possible so the course continues to develop and get even better year by year.

  

Thank you very much indeed to all of you who so generously gave a donation on top of the basic fee. We know that this is not possible for all – the whole point is to keep the actual course fee as low as possible so that only people who can afford to give a bit more do so – but these donations enable us to hire in more, good keyboard instruments and to award bursaries, principally to support up-and-coming student and professional musicians, but also to help others who make a positive contribution to the course as a whole and would not otherwise be able to attend. We had a brilliant bunch of student and emerging professional singers and players this year – I know that they got a great deal out of attending, and they contributed hugely to the high standard of singing and playing as well as throwing themselves so willingly into helping with the catering, stage management and harpsichord-moving duties.

It was very sad to see Peter Collier in such poor health, but I know that I speak for all who were there in saying that it was wonderful that he managed to be with us and to participate in playing in several sessions despite suffering with such pain and weakness. We are hugely indebted to him for still managing to bring his library, which is largely what makes the course tick. Huge thanks to Pam too, for continuing to help so ably with the afternoon tea, coffee and cake despite largely having to devote herself to looking after Peter. I know that it meant a huge amount to us all that they were there, and on behalf of all the Baroque Week confraternity I would like to send them our love and best wishes.


I am very grateful to one of our trustees, Sylvia Turner, for offering to become our Safeguarding Officer and for updating her training for the role. She and other trustees are revising our Safeguarding Policy document for the course and, although we have had very few problems in the past, it is good to know that this will be in place should it be required in future; that the appropriate procedures will be publicly documented, and that there is a designated person you can go to with any concerns.


I’m very pleased to report that all of the wonderful tutors from 2025 are able to return for the 2026 course with, sadly, the exception of Zoë Cartlidge, who is unable to commit herself to the dates on this occasion. However, I am extremely pleased that Ann Allen is able to rejoin us after a gap of a few years since 2019. As an oboist and dulcian player, recorder player and also a singer, her wide-ranging instrumental skills combined with her knowledge, warmth and enthusiasm make her the perfect addition to our team of tutors.


Our theme for 2026 “NORTHWARD BOUND: A Musical Voyage around Northern Europe and the Baltics” provides an exciting opportunity to delve into lesser-known repertoire from The Netherlands, Belgium, Northern Germany, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe as well as focusing on works by such giants as Buxtehude, Telemann, Handel, and CPE Bach. There will be something for everyone!  It proved helpful last year so I shall again assemble lists of suggested composers and compositions to help you to find interesting music, which will be available on the website in due course. This is bound to be a gradual process so I suggest you keep a check on this from time to time. We will be adding suitable new repertoire to the BW library, including pieces we plan to include in tutor-led sessions, so look out for new editions of the music catalogues, which are available on the website. The latest additional music will of course always be in the front of the boxes in the library and Jill will once again print a separate list detailing the new repertoire, which will be on the table in the library alongside the main catalogues.


Do book early to avoid disappointment as we are very optimistic that we will be fully booked again, but please also encourage any suitable newcomers to apply – especially tenors, basses, harpsichordists and string players, as we tend to have available places in these categories and we need to ensure a good balance, both of instruments and voices.  And please do have a look at the bursaries page if you might need financial assistance in order to attend.


I look forward to seeing you next August!


Theresa