Founded in 1974, The Elizabeth Summer College Orchestral Course is a residential (by host family) and day Orchestral Course suitable for students aged 8 - 20, which takes place on the beautiful island of Guernsey during August.
E.C.S.O.C. Elizabeth College
ECSOC provides a fun and educational setting for all students to develop their abilities and confidence in performing. Our professional tutors enthuse students with their energy and challenging repertoire.
The 43rd anniversary course will run from Monday morning 21st August and finish after the final concert on Saturday 26th August
2017.
The brochure is here:
Archive photos from previous courses:
Symphonic Wind Band with Graham Harvey
Friday 1:00pm featured Symphonic Flutes, Symphonic Reeds, Symphonic Brass, ECSOC Flutes and the ECSOC Big Band all displaying their wonderful acheivements during the week.
String Group with Julia Atkinson
That same evening at 7:30pm the Training Wind Band, String Group and Symphonic Wind Band performed with great gusto and enthusiasm.
On Saturday at 7:30 the final concert featured the String Orchestra with Sarah Drury showing the promising future for ECSOC strings.
String Orchestra with Sarah Drury
This was followed by the usual "knees-up" that marks the performances by the Intermediate Wind Band they started with a brilliant performance by Scott Kempster of the jazzy trumpet concerto by Harry James
Intermediate Wind Band with Scott Kempster
Intermediate Wind Band with Nick Care
The course was brought to a rousing finish by the Symphony Orchestra with Dominic Wheeler. After "Finlandia" and the Overture to Hansel & Gretel the wind and brass stepped out for a well earned break whilst the strings performed Panufnik's Concertino for Timpani, Percussion and Strings with fantastic soloists Oliver Butterworth and Jack Chown, then the Elegie from Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings proved how good the strings and particularly the violas were this year. The Symphonic Dances from West Side Story was a wonderful conclusion to the course with everyone rising to the challenge magnificently.
E.C.S.O.C Symphony Orchestra with Dominic Wheeler