As a conductor of three choirs, including at Homerton College, Cambridge University, and conductor of the professional orchestra The New English Concert Orchestra, Douglas Coombes has decades of experience on which to base his advice on the subject of conducting. He has always maintained that there is no one ‘right way’ of conducting, as so much is dependent upon individual characteristics; however, there are many ways of being an unhelpful conductor. In all his teaching, Coombes emphasises the need for self-awareness and helping performers, whether singers or players, meet the demands of the music being performed. In this workshop, he will address the physical approach to conducting using hands, face and body and take delegates through a number of exercises designed to promote independence of left and right hands.

In cooperation with Lindsay Music.