Saturday 1st – Saturday 8th August 2026, Barnard Castle School, County Durham
See photo gallery – 2026 photo selection (to follow soon)
NORVIS 2026 was an outstanding week of early music, fulfilling our aims: togetherness, variety and quality. A record number of 105 playing participants, three non-playing companions and a team of 16 tutors led by Musical Director, Andrew Fowler. A quarter of the participants were at NORVIS for their first time, along with returning – some year by year and others after a few years’ break. We were delighted to welcome overseas participants from Australia, the USA, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, Cyprus and a particularly strong contingent from Sweden.
All of our regular tutors were here this year, with a second year from Nathaniel Mander, third from Annabel Knight and Lou Bradbury and, for the first time, Emily Baines. Julie Dean brought the retail and service strengths of London Recorder Shop as well as coaching second sessions and leading a Choice of Delight. Merion Attwood provided service and support for viols and violin family instruments.
So our amazing tutor team was:
Musical Director – Andrew Fowler
Recorder – Christopher Orton (also Tutor Organiser), Oonagh Lee, Louise Bradbury, Mary Tyers, Jane Rumney, Emily Baines, Julie Dean
Viols – Jacqui Robertson-Wade, Alison Kinder, Susanna Pell, Peter Wendland
Baroque flute – Annabel Knight
Lute – Richard McKenzie
Harpsichord – John Treherne MBE (also keyboard technician), Nathaniel Mander
Course accompanist – Timothy Harper
The established and consistent structure of NORVIS continued this year with a ‘first study’ tuition class each morning and Baroque chamber music or consort groups leading up to lunchtime, with opportunities for informal performance in a lunchtime Prom concert. Then NORVIS Choir (Andrew), NORVIS Baroque Orchestra (Chris) and NORVIS Recorder Ensemble (Peter), and a rich ‘Choice of Delights’ each day before evening meal. Each evening from Sunday included a concert and then finishing off with a gentle wind-down Epilogue on three evenings. Of course, quite a lot of players found extra corners to fit in a bit more music!
Sunday’s wonderfully crafted ‘The Anatomy of Melancholy’ John Dowland celebration interspersed short quotations about sad music and it’s enduring popularity and vocal and instrumental pieces by Dowland, Marenzio, Holborne and Tobias Hume. Notable were the matched set of renaissance viols by Richard Jones.The concert was in memory of much missed late NORVIS legend, Djilda Segerman. This was followed by a commemorative and celebratory glass of fizz and toast to ‘Absent Friends and to NORVIS.’ Monday’s concert was ‘Generally German’ concentrating on a very varied selection of music with some outstanding performances by our tutor team.
Tuesday’s and Thursday’s student concerts as usual gave an opportunity for many individuals and groups to perform. Friday’s final concert brought together the Recorder Ensemble playing Hassler on multi-choir and multi-octave recorders, the Choir singing Weelkes and Schütz, the Dowland Ensemble playing ‘Flow my tears’, the Orchestra playing a suite from Lully’s ‘Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme’ and the Choir and Orchestra performing Bach’s ‘Kindness’ Cantata 39 – ‘Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot.’ This included some excellent vocal and instrumental solos. The concert was dedicated to the memory of late NORVIS member Peter Howarth, and his harpsichord, donated to NORVIS, was played by John Treherne as an extra item.
On Tuesday, Richard and Vivien Jones brought their wonderful renaissance viols again for a playing session.
On Wednesday, as usual, there was a free afternoon for recuperation. A sizeable group visited the Bowes Museum, home to the Silver Swan automaton. In the evening, Trouvere Medieval Minstrels (aka Gill and Paul) entertained us with an appealing Gallop through Five Centuries, with skilful playing of some tricky historic instruments and a clever use of language and history.
Thursday afternoon included the AGM of NORVIS – to which all the participants belong for the year following. It is good to show that the group organising NORVIS is a small one, but that the input of all the tutors, in particular the Musical Director and Tutor Organiser adds up to a rich offering of music and opportunity each NORVIS week.
Friday evening, post-concert, the apres-musique session in the Sixth Form Centre included the raffle, particularly generously supported this year, to raise funds for the NORVIS Bursaries. A glass or two of something fruity, much chatting and, later on, quite a lot of singing. Then NORVIS was all over for another year and Saturday morning was the big tidy up and departure. Many thanks to the housekeeping and catering staff of the school who always go above and beyond to support our week. By 10 am, you could hardly tell there had been a music course there, using about 25 day rooms (and nearly all the bedrooms on site). Apart from the gradual departure of the 12 harpsichords and spinets we had with us this time!
Overall: togetherness, variety and quality – this absolutely sums up NORVIS 2026.
NORVIS 2027 is planned to run from 31st July to 7th August.
NORVIS 2026 concert programmes
Choice of Delights listing: Choices of Delight 2026
Sunday evening tutor concert concert: The Anatomy of Melancholy – John Dowland (c1563-1626): Sunday concert programme
Monday evening tutor concert: Generally German: Monday concert programme
Tuesday evening student and tutor concert: Tuesday concert programme
Wednesday evening: concert by Trouvere – Five Century Gallop
Thursday evening student and tutor concert: Thursday concert programme
Friday evening final concert: Friday concert programme
NORVIS - Early Music Summer School 