The nurturing of outstanding young talent is a central part of the vision for Music at Woodhouse, and the list of musicians who have performed there in the recent past includes Paul Lewis, Emma Kirkby, Jonathan Lemalu, Sally Matthews, the Sorrel Quartet, Nicola Benedetti and the Con Tempo Quartet.

    Woodhouse Copse's purpose-built concert hall was built with old materials to correspond to the style of the nearby Arts and Crafts house, although it is a late addition. The acoustic is excellent for chamber and vocal music, and the Hall overlooks lake and gardens complete with many flowering shrubs and mature trees. Winter sees concerts by candlelight and log fires, while in summer picnics, walks in the gardens and boat rides are very much part of the concert-going experience!

    'I would personally like to send you a warm invitation to visit the home of our Music at Woodhouse Society, and experience all that it has to offer. Since I founded a platform, primarily for outstanding young professional musicians in 2000, Woodhouse has grown in its number and variety of performers. I have always tried to provide music and musicians of the highest quality, and seek to have works presented in a natural, sympathetic way consistent with our understanding of the composer’s original intentions. I hope this can then provide a unique musical experience for our wonderful audience of Society members.

    Every  year  I  plan  to  celebrate composers  on their  anniversaries and  birthdays which  always  provides entertaining festivals and a special atmosphere. Last year (2007) we  celebrated  the music of Grieg and Elgar with  a violin recital  performed  by  two brilliant  Japanese artists. Music has  no  frontiers!

Last summer we offered Hansel and Gretel as a production created especially for Woodhouse. The highlight of the musical year! Such productions are a colossal undertaking. The entire international cast and production team come and live at Woodhouse  like  a  family (sometimes  up  to  twenty-five).  There we have the peace and quiet to rehearse  in  an intense relatively  short  period to derive and produce a memorable opera. Our young singers are carefully  chosen  and  represent  the best talent there is. It gives great pleasure to see that several "stars  of  tomorrow" go  on to perform in seminal musical events: for example, our Dido represented  Sweden in Cardiff  for 'Singer Of The World', along with Elizabeth  Watts, who has also sung  at  Woodhouse.
 
    I built the woodland-lake stage in 2005 and after  the  successes of Dido and Aeneas  and The Cunning  Little  Vixen we are set on-course for opera in years to come.

    I believe that Woodhouse should primarily be about enjoying yourself, while meeting and making friends who share a passion for music and wish to explore its many aspects. As described by the critic, Michael White, “Music at Woodhouse is one of the most sweetly oddball music ventures to have emerged on the musical scene in the last few years". We hope therefore that you will come and be charmed by the magic of this place with its unique natural setting for music set in the beautiful Surrey countryside.

I look forward very much to meeting you there soon in person.'

Monika Saunders, artistic director of Woodhouse Copse and Music at Woodhouse.

Links

Gertrude Jekyll
The official website of the Jekyll estate.

Jekyll (1843-1932) created over 400 gardens in the UK, Europe and America; her influence on garden design has been pervasive to this day. She spent most of her life in Surrey, England, latterly at Munstead Wood, Godalming. She ran a garden centre there and bred many new plants. Some of her gardens can be visited.

The Cunning Little Vixen Production 2007 (above)

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