Learn to Sing - II



Overview

This is a practical course for singers who have either attended Learn to Sing I or have some other singing experience. Whilst basic singing technique will be discussed and repertoire explored, the major part of the course will be workshops for student singers - working on vocal techniques and interpretation.

This practical class will concentrate on how to identify ideal interpretation and practising the vocal techniques, such as breath control and natural placement of the voice, to realise that interpretation in performance. 

The practice techniques covered will include choosing repertoire; selecting breathing points and practising phrasing; identifying and resolving technical problems; interpretative issues; programme construction and the development of musical memory. The emphasis of this part of the course will be to give students the knowledge and experience to make the best use of their practice time.

Programme details

Course begins: 22 April 2024

Please note: there will be no class on the 6th and 27th May due to the public bank holidays.

Week 1: Basic Vocal Technique - an overview

Week 2: Repertoire Workshop

Week 3: Vocal preparation of a song - 5-Point Plan

Week 4: Repertoire workshop

Week 5: Finding the meaning - song classification and analysis

Week 6: Repertoire Workshop

Week 7: Repertoire in different styles - applying different vocal techniques

Week 8: Repertoire Workshop

Week 9: Aria Analysis - assessing performance

Week 10: Repertoire Workshop

Digital Certification

To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend at least 80% of the classes on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £280.00
Take this course for CATs points £10.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Claire-Louise Lucas

Claire-Louise Lucas is a professional mezzo-soprano and a part-time music tutor. She lectures on opera and song for Oxford University Department for Continuing Education.  She has lectured on singing in conservatoires and other universities in the UK and the USA.

Claire-Louise has performed extensively throughout Britain, Europe and the USA, including an appearance as a soloist in the Salzburg Easter Festival with Maurizio Pollini and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Claudio Abbado.  Other recent performances include concerts at Gloucester Cathedral; Christ Church Cathedral; Salisbury Cathedral; Southampton University; the Leominster Festival and the Brighton Festival. 

Course aims

To give students the ability to prepare a piece of vocal music for performance from the initial choice of the piece through the technical preparation to the final interpretation.

Course Objectives:

  • To give a basic understanding of vocal technique.
  • To enable a more informed selection of repertoire.
  • To raise awareness of issues regarding interpretation.

Teaching methods

A mixture of lecture and workshop. The tutor will outline each technical topic with live vocal demonstrations and then students will have the opportunity to try the techniques described. Repertoire will be demonstrated either by the use of audio tracks, video/dvd or with live performance. Students will also sing short pieces or extracts from pieces to the class and work on these with the tutor. 

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

  • know how to produce their voices correctly;
  • work effectively to identify the interpretation required in a piece;
  • use the vocal techniques they have learnt to realise the interpretation in performance.

Assessment methods

Assessment will be through completion of a formative piece of work and an assessed performance. Since this class is for all standards of singer above beginner-level, the assessment of performance will be very much based upon progress during the course rather than the student's absolute standard and, particularly, upon the degree to which they have absorbed the practice techniques studied during the course.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).

Level and demands

Some knowledge and experience of singing  prior to the course (such as membership of a choir, or completion of Discover Your Voice or Learn to Sing - I) would be helpful.

Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Most of the Department's weekly classes have 10 or 20 CATS points assigned to them. 10 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of ten 2-hour sessions. 20 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of twenty 2-hour sessions. It is expected that, for every 2 hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support