Voice-Works Summer Study Weekend 2025
10th–11th May
Location: Chandler's Ford, Hampshire, UK

Setting the scene

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw an extraordinary flowering of French vocal music, with composers navigating the shifting landscapes of Romanticism, Impressionism, and Modernism. Many of these figures crossed paths, influencing one another’s work, drawing inspiration from shared literary sources, and sometimes even studying under the same teachers. Their English contemporaries—Stanford, Elgar, Vaughan Williams, and others—were similarly engaged in defining a national identity in song, yet the French approach remained distinct in its sensuality, clarity of line, and connection to poetry.

During the study weekend, we will explore the music of 8 great French composers, carefully selected for their impact on both mélodie and opera. Fauré, Debussy, and Ravel each shaped the evolution of French art song, while contemporaries like Massenet and Poulenc moved effortlessly be...