MUSIC FOR WORKERS

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: january 2015 :: RMTnews 20 I f you are interested in music, singing, playing or composing, you can indulge your hobby with other working people at the annual Workers Music Association's summer school. This year it takes place between August 25/30 at Castle Head near Grange-over-Sands in the South of the Lake District. It's 10am on a Sunday morning, and I'm taking a ten- piece band through an examination of the music of Thelonious Monk. Under normal circumstances, something is wrong with the world here – I didn't become a musician to even be out of bed at that time on a Sunday, never mind working on the challenging music of one of the twentieth century's great musicians. But in fact this means that it's the WMA Summer School at Castle Head in South Cumbria, and I wouldn't be anywhere else in the world. The Workers' Music Association was formed in 1936, a year of turmoil as Europe stumbled towards fascism, to promote peace and socialism and ally musicians with the labour movement. When British composer Alan Bush founded the Summer School, summer schools were something of a rarity, and the original school focused on choral and orchestral work. This year is the 69th, and its range has broadened considerably. A quick stroll around Castle Head will expose you to my Modern Jazz course, the Bach double violin concerto, some of Ewan McColl's folk songs – a staunch supporter of the WMA in his time, Vaughan Williams' opera 'Sir John in Love' and the Brass ensemble playing Handel. Later on, you'll hear the chorus tackling songs of Peace and Freedom (in four parts), a trad jazz band playing 'Exactly Like You' and the composers' group imagining the future – and we haven't even got to the evening activities yet. As befits a Summer School with strong Trade Union links, the school is not at all elitist. People are welcomed at all levels of ability, and we endeavour to bring them on during the week and give them something to take away with them, to work on during the rest of the year. Recognising that music is a co-operative, rather than a competitive, activity, we consider that 'where you're headed' is of more importance than 'where you've got to'. While there are now many residential summer schools, most focus on a single musical style, and very few have the WMA's breadth. This does mean that people are not constrained to single areas of music, and we often host informal groupings of people trying other forms of music, and interesting cross- genre collaborations often spring up during the week. Ballroom, bar, library, even on the stairs – it's hard to avoid a concert of some sort. Not that you'd want to. After your evening meal, the choir is warming up in the ballroom. Many people have had their first foray into choral singing via the Summer School chorus, and everyone's invited in. Meanwhile the Big Band is reading through some classic standards down the corridor. After that, the night is still young and there's recitals and folk nights, ceilidh dancing and jazz sessions to enjoy, or simply a relaxing evening in the lounge, there's a bar just outside, if all that's too much for you. After all, we'll be doing this all again tomorrow! More details about the WMA's summer school, including prices, can be found at www.wmasummerschool.org.uk – many trade unions provide scholarships and local branches can often be approached for help as well. In addition, there is a number of bursaries and scholarships available to individual students, so we try to make sure that no-one is excluded. So we look forward to seeing you. MUSIC FOR WORKERS Workers Music Association tutor Phil Hargraves invites RMT members to a lively and friendly musical holiday