Performing Arts — Online Courses

Through a selection of 20 iconic albums, we will study the key figures, the innovators and the star soloists of 20th century jazz, as well as some important artists you might be less familiar with. Break week: 26 Oct 2026

Although they’re not exact contemporaries, these four American composers were all composing in the early decades of the twentieth century, in four fascinatingly different, highly distinctive ways. This course is a chance to meet them all, and get a sense of what American music meant to them over their idiosyncratic, and often wildly successful, careers. Break week: 28 Oct 2026

Do you want to know more about Western classical music? Explore selected topics and key works in Romantic and early 20th century music on this informative 10-week course. Ideal for people with no specialist knowledge. Break weeks: 03, 31 May 2026

Do you want to know more about Western classical music? Explore selected topics and key works in Medieval to (early) Baroque music on this informative 10-week course. Ideal for people with no specialist knowledge. Break week: 26th Oct 2026

Join us to explore the history of opera over three enjoyable terms. In this first term we’ll explore the ideas that fuelled origins of opera and the wonderful world of Baroque opera seria. Break Week: 30th Oct 2026

Learn to appreciate and play swing jazz on a drum kit. Learn also about Jazz music origins and development. Enjoyregular and constructive feedback on your progress to enable you to achieveyour drumming goals.

Explore your comedy writing and performance potential under the guidance of an Emmy-award winning comedy producer/director. Alan Nixon shares the skills behind creating powerful comedy using classic and modern techniques.

Develop your knowledge of musical language by learning to read and write rhythm and melody in simple and compound time. Explore the concept of ledger lines, minor scales, intervals, and common key signatures, terms and signs. Scheduled break weeks on bank holiday Mondays or Thursday 3rd June (as appropriate)

The music history book club meets towards the end of each term to discuss novels and biographies with musical themes and references relevant to the music history programme. This term’s book is a recent novel depicting on a talented violin pupil of Vivaldi.