Lacock was honoured to lead the quatercentenary tributes to Spain's greatest composer Tomás Luis de Victoria in his native city of Ávila in August 2011. El Festival de Música Abulense, a Lacock initiative in cooperation with Caja de Ávila, brought together sixty-six singers from fifteen countries to perform Victoria's monumental Mass Laetatus Sum in Ávila cathedral on the exact anniversary of his death. The singers were joined by the four sackbuts of Il Nuovo Chiaroscuro and the conductor was Carlos Aransay.

LACOCK
 courses for choral and consort singers

Lacock music courses are for amateur and student musicians who are serious about their ensemble singing. They are held in interesting places often connected with the chosen repertoire, which is naturally centred on early music – the Renaissance being the great age of unaccompanied choral music. The tutors are leading specialists in their field and many are internationally-known performers. The general aim is to stimulate international contact and broaden enthusiasm for music, in a relaxed and convivial setting. Lacock courses have also played a significant role in introducing young professional singers to the directors of some of the world's leading vocal ensembles: a week-long informal course being a better setting than a nervous ten-minute audition to reveal the full extent of one's vocal and musical talents. The course fees for these professional participants are usually much reduced.

Lacock courses have been held in most countries in western Europe, and as far afield as Cyprus and Mexico. The  list of courses until October 2012 is now on the Lacock Calendar. These include a week in Havana, one of the most fascinating cities of all America; two weeks in June in Monteconero on the Adriatic near Ancona: a voice workshop led by Ghislaine Morgan, and a repertoire-based week directed by Patrick Craig; a week in August culminating in a concert in León cathedral with the sackbut ensemble Il Nuovo Chiaoscuro, directed by Carlos Aransay; a week in the former Venetian port of Trogir on the Dalmatian coast, directed by JanJoost van Elburg; and a week in a church on the Grand Canal in Venice, directed by Eamonn Dougan.

 The criteria for joining vary slightly from course to course, but in general you should be a good reader, have a blending, straight voice (or one with a controllable vibrato) with full dynamic range, be used to normal choral discipline and be able to respond quickly to direction – the intention being to combine professional pace of work with amateur enthusiasm.

The first Lacock course, held in 1986, was directed by Harry Christophers. Since then, many eminent musicians have made regular appearances as directors, including Andrew Carwood, Robert Hollingworth, Andrew Parrott, Jeffrey Skidmore and Paul Spicer. Lacock courses have also introduced several continental conductors to English musical life, among them the Fleming Erik Van Nevel, director of the ensemble Currende, the Spaniard Carlos Aransay, an authority on Hispanic and Latin-American music, and the Dutchman JanJoost van Elburg, who subsequently became the director of London's specialist early music choir, the Renaisssance Singers. You will find more information on these directors and many other musicians associated with Lacock courses in the list of Lacock People in the panel on the left.

  Lacock courses are run by Andrew van der Beek from Cantax House, Lacock, Chippenham, Wiltshire, UK, SN15 2JZ. Email us if you would like to receive email alerts of new courses as they are announced.