Gandhi Ashram School, Kalimpong, invites music educators, choral conductors and singers to take a break this February 2019, and gift yourself a one-of-a-kind learning experience up in the Himalayas, in the shadow of the mighty Khangchendzonga. Learn from Manvinder Rattan, a renowned conductor and teacher from the UK, experience a tried and tested Conducting curriculum from Sing For Pleasure and grab a chance to participate at their Summer School for the next level of training.


About Gandhi Ashram School
Gandhi Ashram School is a Jesuit mission school with a musical twist. It offers non-formal education, free of cost, admitting only the poorest of the poor. Music is at the centre of learning, providing instruction in string instruments and the piano. The Gandhi Ashram School Orchestra has toured nationally and internationally. It was founded by Fr. Edward McGuire, a Canadian Jesuit priest and has become an integral identity of the Hills of North Bengal. This project will help raise funds for the Music Program. More information can be found here.
About Sing For Pleasure
Sing for Pleasure is a charity in the UK that strives for choral excellence, encouraging the enjoyment of better singing in class and choirs through conducting training, singing events and courses, publications and scholarships and bursaries. More information can be found here.
About Manvinder Rattan
What will you learn?
The Foundation Course is for complete beginners and those with limited experience of leading singing and conducting. It is a particularly appropriate course for those wishing to lead singing in the classroom as well as for those working with adults, as it provides the key skills upon which further development can be built.
Course Aims
By the end of the course, participants should be able to:
- prepare the music and their gesture thoroughly
- sing the various voice-parts to enable them to be learnt quickly and efficiently
- maintain a good teaching pace during rehearsal
- use a range of simple, clear and economical conducting gestures
- achieve a musical performance, even with the simplest repertoire
- control the rehearsal whilst making it enjoyable for everyone
- analyse their own achievements, and the work of others, in a constructive way
Course Delivery
The course is delivered in two ways – technique sessions include practical demonstrations of all the key aspects of conducting and the workshop sessions that follow give participants an enviable amount of podium time to put into practice what they have learnt. This is achieved within a relaxed and supportive learning environment.
Repertoire
Repertoire at Foundation level always starts with rounds before moving onto simple part songs. It is really important that the repertoire is simple enough not to get in the way of learning the technical aspects our students need to. Very often, repertoire is selected from Sing for Pleasure publications which were written with our conducting students in mind.
For more experienced participants, we can explore the option of also holding the Intermediate Level 1 Course. Course details can be found here.
Contact Information
More information and application details can be found here.
Contact Virgil Vihaan Sequeira, Alumnus of Sing For Pleasure Intermediate 2 Conducting Course 2018 and Music Program Director at the Gandhi Ashram School, Kalimpong on [email protected]m