About Us

NORVIS is a long-established early music summer school based at Barnard Castle School, County Durham.  Our musical director is Andrew Fowler.  Founded in 1971 as the Northumbrian Recorder and Viol School by Layton and Christine Ring, NORVIS took place until 2019 (the 49th course) at the College of St Hild and St Bede, Durham University.  The Golden Jubilee course in 2022 (after two years of COVID) saw the start of a new era with a move to the present venue.  

Celebratory cake at NORVIS 50 in 2022.

NORVIS includes a broad range of early music interests, welcoming viol-players, recorder-players, lutenists and early guitar-players, baroque wind-players and harpsichordists – as well as solo and choral singers and renaissance instrument enthusiasts. There is a very large team of expert tutors for the size of course.

But more than that, NORVIS is enjoyable, sociable and there is a friendly rapport between tutors and participants.

As part of our charitable activity, we offer reduced fees to those aged 18 – 25 to encourage young people to participate, and generous bursaries towards the tuition fees to encourage those in full-time education and any others (not limited by age) who might otherwise be unable to participate in NORVIS.

We want all participants to have a safe, happy and inclusive time at NORVIS. You can refer to our policies page for more information.

Those who participate in NORVIS in a given year become members of the NORVIS charity for the following 12 months and are entitled to vote in the Annual General Meeting which takes place during the NORVIS week.

The Annual General Meeting of NORVIS took place at Barnard Castle School, County Durham, on Thursday 7th August 2025 at 4 pm. 

NORVIS team

NORVIS is a registered charity no. 1014801, managed by a dedicated team of Trustees together with:

Musical Director – Dr Andrew Fowler
Tutor Organiser – Christopher Orton

Administrator – Molly Jervis

Please contact us if you would consider becoming a trustee of NORVIS; please email: chair@norvis.org.uk

Trustees (2025-26):
Mark Lawrence – Chair, Eileen Finlayson – Secretary, Sarah Kirk – Treasurer, Ursula McKean – committee member, Bill Hunt – committee member, Anna Hambling – committee member

For further information, contact info@norvis.org.uk