NORVIS is the full week-long early music summer school in County Durham which we’re proud to describe as one of the UK’s longest-established and friendliest. Our NORVIS 2025 summer school, at Barnard Castle School, was a great success. NORVIS 2026, our 54th course, will take place at the same venue from 1st – 8th August 2026.
If you love playing early music, a week at NORVIS will enable you to progress:
We teach recorders, Baroque flutes, viols, lutes and historic guitars, harpsichords and consort singing
Repertoire from early Renaissance to late Baroque
An impressive team of tutors who are specialist performers / teachers
A very generous participant : tutor ratio
Many participants play other instruments, besides their main study instrument, including Renaissance and Baroque strings and woodwind
Bursaries enable more individuals to participate in NORVIS
You can see reports from previous NORVIS weeks HERE.
NORVIS was founded in 1971 in Durham as The Northumbrian Recorder and Viol School by the late Layton and Christine Ring. These days simply called NORVIS, over time it has broadened to teach recorders and Baroque flutes, viols, lutes and historic guitars, harpsichord and voices, and to incorporate many more instruments as may be played by those taking part.
NORVIS is a registered charity, no 1014801.
NORVIS - Early Music Summer School 