The Summer School for Pianists

(A charitable incorporated organisation, registered charity number 1174674)

Stowe School, Buckingham, MK18 5EH, UK

11 - 17 August 2019
Dear Friends,

Demand for places on the course has been high, and so the classes have expanded to
welcome potentially 65 pianists overall, many of whom are new delegates, plus observers
and ‘Taster Day’ teachers.

Arrival at Stowe
Please do not arrive before 09:30 on Sunday 11 August; registration will commence at
10:00. When you arrive at Stowe School, access will be through the security barrier at the
far end of the school drive, and you will be directed to parking places. Registration and
room key collection will be in the North Foyer of Stowe House, which is the large building
overlooking the playing fields.

Lunch will be served in the State Dining room in Stowe House from 12:15. The Introduction
to the course will take place in the Ugland Auditorium in the Music School at 13:15, and
classes will commence at 13:45. The course officially ends at 12:15 on Saturday 17
August. Rooms in the boarding houses must be vacated by 10:00 on that day.

Travel arrangements
Milton Keynes Station is central for travel from all directions; from London there are at least
10 trains leaving Euston from 08:47 which will get you to the area with time to spare. There
is a taxi rank - look out for others on their way to the Summer School for taxi-sharing, or
pre-book with friends; various taxi companies offering up to 8-seater vehicles can be
sourced online. One such firm is Skyline Taxis, telephone 01908 222111,
https://www.skylinetaxis.co.uk/price-guide/. Uber operates in Milton Keynes.

There are three trains from Marylebone Station in London to Bicester North arriving
between 09:45 and 10:46, with a taxi rank, and a taxi office on Platform 1. The taxi price to
Stowe School from this station is £20: Alpha Cars, 01869 252525.

The following bus services operate in the Stowe area:

 Stagecoach Express X5 Cambridge-Oxford (passing through Milton Keynes Central &
Bicester North)
 X60 (passing through Milton Keynes, Buckingham and Aylesbury)

26 Little Buckland Avenue, Allington, MAIDSTONE, Kent, ME16 0BG, England

Telephone: +44 (0)1622 756660 Facsimile: +44 (0)7092 382541
Mobile telephone: +44 (0)7828 925609 E-mail: info@pianosummerschool.co.uk
Website: http://www.pianosummerschool.co.uk
On all bus services, please alight at Buckingham. Stowe School is a 3-mile journey
on foot or a short trip by taxi. Taxis can be found in the town centre or arranged in
advance. Two firms are R&R Taxis, 01280 822222 and AK Taxis, 01280 817817.

If you will be travelling by car, maps and directions are on this link:
https://www.pianosummerschool.co.uk/location/
Accommodation
Ensuite accommodation will be provided in Queen’s House and Stanhope House. Bedding
will include one pillow - please bring any extra pillows that you will need if travelling by car,
so that any spare ones in the Houses can be allocated to those who need them and who
are travelling by bus/rail/air. One hand towel and one bath sheet will be provided for use
during the week, so bring any other towels that you might need, e.g. for standing on after
showering, and do bring your own coat hangers, as these are not supplied. Fridges,
microwaves and kettles will be provided in the Common Rooms, as will be supplies for
making tea and coffee.

Food and drink

We are going to trial an Honesty Bar in one of the Common Rooms on a cash only basis,
which Karl has kindly offered to organise. We invite you to a Welcome Drinks Party after
the first recital on Sunday night; this will take place in the music school. On the final night,
there will be a drinks reception in Stowe House prior to the Gala Dinner, and at this dinner,
half a bottle of wine per person will be included with the meal. The menu will reflect the
Queen’s recent State Banquet at Buckingham Palace, including variations on lamb, and
strawberries, with vegetarian options available. Seating and menu choices will be overseen
during the week by our President, Wendy Wyatt - our thanks go to her for undertaking this
task.

Sale of second-hand music and CDs

Lynne Davis will once again be organising a sale to benefit the Summer School, so any
piano or vocal music or CDs that you no longer need and will be happy to donate, will be
gratefully received. (Lynne says that two piles of music have been donated already,
including some good Urtext editions.)

Private lessons
These can be booked with the tutors at £55 per 45-minute lesson.

Tours of Stowe
Tours of Stowe House can be booked; National Trust members should bring their
membership cards. The bicentenaries of the births of both Queen Victoria and Prince
Albert are being celebrated this year; they visited Stowe for three days in 1845, during
which time the Queen practised Mendelssohn on a grand piano in the State Music Room.
We look forward to a similar experience!

Other documents
Please find enclosed the following:
Plans of the Stowe site and the music block, the course timetable and class lists

Best wishes,

Christine and Karl