The Autumn Recorder Orchestra Weekend

3rd - 5th October 2025

Kents Hill Park Conference Centre

Timbold Drive, Milton Keynes. MK7 6BZ

AROW is a weekend entirely devoted to playing in a recorder orchestra.  In all eight sessions you have the chance to experience the thrilling sound of a large band of recorders. One of the sessions will be devoted to an Eight Foot Orchestra where everyone can enjoy the lush tonalities of massed low recorders (tenor and lower).

For 2025 we have a new residential venue, which will allow us to welcome more players to the course and we’ll be able to work with two orchestras playing in parallel for much of the weekend.

Who are the tutors?

All three of our tutors have a great interest in recorder orchestras. Between them they have impressive experience of conducting such bands, as well as composing and arranging for them. The tutors are as follows (in the interests of space, the comments omit their other recorder skills, such as playing)…

Helen Hooker. Helen is one of the UK’s most active recorder players and has conducted all but two branches of the Society of Recorder Players. She is Musical Director of the Thames Valley Recorder Orchestra, the Hampshire Recorder Sinfonia and the eight foot band – Mellow Tones Recorder Orchestra. Helen also conducts on several recorder orchestra courses. Her keen ear misses nothing, and she makes required changes with boundless good humour.

Ann Marshall. Ann’s conducting experience ranges from conducting on large recorder courses to events aimed at players of modest technical ability. As a prolific composer and arranger, she is ideally placed to provide music that is perfectly suited to the players in front of her. Ann specialises in working at the easier end of the recorder-playing spectrum.

Photos from previous courses - click on each the arrows to make the slide show move to the next image.

What will the music be like?

The tutors will liaise closely, to ensure that the music represents a wide range of time periods and idioms. The music will be suitable for most SRP players, and stronger U3A players. However, it is not music for beginners or near-beginners and, like all orchestral music, it requires an ability to rarely get lost. If your much-preferred instrument is the descant, you will need to be a genuinely good player.

We again intend to have one session each of 'Eight-Foot Orchestra' (tenors and bigger only). The final session on the Saturday of AROW has become a highlight, frequently featuring a large scale work, specially composed or arranged for the course.

Timetable

We’ve yet to finalise the music we’ll be playing at the 2025 course but you’re welcome to take a look at a timetable from a previous course to get a sense of the event.

Which instruments are needed?

It is likely that all pieces will require descant down to contrabass, and some will require sopranino and/or subcontrabass. Whatever the instrumentation, you can be assured of a wonderful sound in every session!

Our new venue

Our new venue is Kents Hill Park - a conference centre on the outskirts of Milton Keynes. We have two large playing rooms and accommodation is available on site in comfortable en-suite rooms. There is also a swimming pool on site which course members can use, as well as a bar and spaces to socialise together when we’re not playing.

Kents Hill Park is on the A421 on the edge of Milton Keynes, close to both the M1 and A5. Milton Keynes station is a ten minute taxi ride away from Kents Hill. There is ample free parking on site.

AROW and Covid-19

Although the state of play with Covid-19 has improved in recent years, there is no way of knowing what will happen between now and October 2025. Please rest assured, if you book a place on the course and it has to be cancelled because restrictions are placed upon us you will receive a full refund.

Course fees

Resident - includes en-suite accommodation, all tuition and meals £375.

Non-resident - includes all tuition and meals except breakfast £220

Non-playing partners sharing a double or twin room - includes accommodation and all meals £120

Booking

Booking for AROW 2025 will open in spring 2025.

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