Poole Society For Young Musicians Summertime Music Course

Venue: Lytchett Minster School

Summertime Music Course – July 2026 –

The Poole Society for Young Musicians Summertime Music Course is a well-established and much-loved summer course, offering young musicians a high-quality, inspiring start to the summer holidays.

Designed for developing instrumentalists, the course combines excellent musical tuition by top class professional musicians and in a supportive and friendly environment. Students take part in orchestras at various levels, ensuring they are placed in ensembles that suit their experience and ability. In addition to orchestral playing, the course includes string, wind, and brass ensembles, along with a range of supporting musical activities that develop musicianship, confidence, and teamwork.

A key feature of the course is the opportunity for students to perform regularly. There are two or three concerts during the week for families, allowing parents to see and hear the progress their children make in a short space of time. For our regular Year 13 students, the course also offers the special and memorable opportunity to perform as a soloist with the orchestra, celebrating their musical development at the culmination of their time with PSYM.

The course is led by experienced professional tutors who are passionate about nurturing young talent while ensuring that music-making remains enjoyable and motivating. Many families return year after year, valuing the course not only for its musical excellence but also for the confidence, friendships, and sense of achievement it fosters.

In a Nutshell:

24th – 26th July – for ALL levels

23rd – 27th July – Grade 5 to Diploma level young musicians only
See our Poole Society for young Musicians Facebook page and enjoy short clips from recent years:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uQ6kSsKwDA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlFE4rFUyq8

TIMETABLE

23rd July – (Venue – Dumpton school)Advanced orchestral musicians ONLY with rehearsal for the concerto concert on Friday 25th July afternoon. Grade 5+

24th – 26th July – age 8-18, ( Lytchett minster school) tailor-made groups for every young musician level: from Pre grade 1 note readers to diploma level young musicians with 3pm concert on 26th july.

25th July – 2.30pm afternoon senior Concerto concert

27th July – Lytchett Minster School – Senior orchestra continues with afternoon orchestral performance 4pm.

Fees: Days 2, 3 & 4 for everyone – £150.00 are for orchestral instrumentalists aged between 8 and 18 years of age (not piano, recorder or guitar). All levels welcome but basic note reading is essential for starter groups.

+ Senior Days (£185 total) for seniors only. (Includes day 1 to day 5).

More than one child from same family – 10% discount for a sibling and any subsequent sibling (Mark your form accordingly).

We try to avoid anyone missing out on the course due to finances so please get in touch if this is a problem. PSYM grants are occasionally available in special cases.
Also:

SoundStorm Music Agency hardship fund is here:

Soundstorm Grant Access Fund
Or

Changing Key Dorset

We remain grateful for the support of our hub partner SoundStorm Music Agency.

The course is for all orchestral instrumentalists, aged 8-18, from grade – 1 (note reading is essential), to diploma level musicians, age 8-18. Piano is not able to be included as the course is all about group music making. Percussionists are welcome in orchestra and in percussion ensemble.

After icebreakers, the days include chamber ensembles at all levels of learning, string quartets, quintets, tutti string & wind ensembles, wind quintets, wind bands, small and larger brass groups, orchestras and Senior SoundStorm Sinfonia with some year 13 students taking the opportunity to play solos with orchestra. All the young musicians will work and learn alongside distinguished and inspiring tutors, BSO guests and more…

Also included in the days: fun supporting classes with experts at every level to develop musicianship, rhythm and aural skills as well as confidence in performance. Music theory too will be touched on during sessions.
Instruments include all string, woodwind & brass orchestral instruments as well as our recent addition of saxophones again this year!
We strongly believe in music education excellence only at ALL levels, with integrating lots of fun so watch this page for plans for this year as they emerge!

A few glimpses from previous courses:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ski5uIbAY0E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHzMvpw5XBk

2026 Staff – TBC, including highly qualified musicians from BSO and beyond, also including senior students from London Conservatoires
Pastoral staff – Natalie Covell, Harriet Kay, Alison Kay, Mark Law
First Aid – Clare Whitehead, Alison Kay, Simon Gilliver

Course Tutors to be announced shortly..

Our behaviour Policy to read carefully:

BEHAVIOUR POLICY Download

The days will be, as usual, packed full of the most inspiring music provision at every level, with a tailor-made timetable for your child, including an enormous selection of varied ensemble training by invited professional musicians including tutors from BSO alongside specialised and much in demand tutors from further afield. The groups vary from chamber music to larger ensembles with the main emphasis on positive and musical fun with shared musical wisdom at the highest levels! At the end of day 3, there will be the usual showcase for parents of some of the music that was prepared during the summer school.

You will find reviews of past year’s summer schools if you scroll down this page!

We are grateful, as ever, for the invaluable support of Soundstorm Music Education Agency and our second-year of support from Dorset Music Service for this event which has enabled us to keep participation charge to the minimum. However, no one should miss out on being part of this fabulous event due to finance, so apply to the SoundStorm access fund if you qualify for help and live in BCP area.

2021 SUMMER SCHOOL and archives:
Wow, just wow! This event was incredible, more than 100 young people, 3 amazing days. Thank you to all for attending, tutoring, and running around making sure it worked out. Tall order this summer, but a resounding success!

Here is a taster from our 2021 Summer School :

See video highlights, made by Soundstorm, thanks for doing that, it is a great reminder of just how much everyone gets out of this event. More below.

^{Hello! I just wanted to say a HUGE thankyou from us. S. has had the best 3 days and has it has really encouraged her flute playing. She loved her group and teacher but also loved her hearing the older ones play too. She has come home every day so happy . And what a lovely venue for an outside performance! It must take so much organising, much appreciated!}
Summer School Parent, 2021

Short Highlight Video 1 (Vivaldi)

Short Highlight Video 2 (wind quartet)

If you or your children have participated before you’ll know just how much fun and knowledge is gleaned from this fantastic annual event. Great bonds as well as great music making always takes place. We hope you will want to join in.

Our lovely film of our summer school in 2020

Feedback from previous summer school:-

“My daughter, an oboist aged 15, wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. Each afternoon, she returned happy and tired – the best combination. New people and old friends, inspiring adults, plus a massive range of music to enjoy and to challenge. She says that it’s her sight-reading skills that have benefited the most; she covered more music in those 3 days than in months before! The other new element was the chance to play chamber music – itself very focused and exposed – with new people, with the immediate need to listen and trust.

What we as parents appreciated was the absolute commitment, passion, and also sense of fun in the staff who ran the summer school, both administratively and musically. The final concert was relaxed, and yet had a real sense of urgency and a desire to communicate all that they had managed to learn and play together in 3 days.“

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Just to say thank you to you, all the tutors and the other helpers – Kiera had an absolutely wonderful time at the Summer School this week. We thoroughly enjoyed the concert. And how incredible to have a Bassoon quartet!!! We will indeed never think of Thomas the Tank Engine in the same way again!
Wishing you a lovely, safe and healthy summer. And here’s to next year!! 🙂
Thanks again,
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Thanks for awesome music event again
Bronnie really enjoyed it and the concert was amazing!
Have a gd summer
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Thank you to everyone involved in the summer school. Our 3 children had a fantastic time, and really enjoyed their first experience of orchestral playing. Also thank you everyone who helped Edward after his pond encounter!!
Hope to see you again next year.
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Just wanted to say a very big thank you to you (and your team) for all your hard work putting together the music camp – Zadie had a great time and really enjoyed it.
The performance yesterday was so good too! We look forward to seeing the pics and vids at some point!
Enjoy the summer – hopefully there’ll be more sunshine!
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Dear Ali,
Thank you so much for organising the summer school. It was a delight to see the children perform this afternoon and I know my Oliver will have got a lot out of it.

You should feel proud of what you and the team achieved over the last few days (especially given the covid situation) and I very much hope that things will start to feel more normal as we move forward from here and things won’t be as tricky for you from an organisational point of view in the future.
Thank you also for your very clear communication and instructions in the run up to the week too.
Many thanks,

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Thank you for all your hard work and dedication putting together the Broadstone summer school. What amazing, inspirational tutors with a super selection of music! The concert was wonderful could really tell the students had learnt lots and enjoyed playing and being together again.
Truly fantastic, thank you for the opportunity!
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Please pass on my thanks to everyone involved. Nia had a brilliant time and came back buzzing every day. It also reinforced how much she had missed face to face music making over the last 16 months. Zoom helped but was never going to be a substitute.
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Wow! What an amazing three days everyone has had. We really can’t thank you and the team enough. Our three have thoroughly enjoyed every day of the summer school, making and sharing music with others once again and in such a beautiful setting too. They all performed brilliantly this afternoon, and it stayed dry.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Enjoy the rest of the summer