We are delighted to announce EIBBSS Encore, a brand-new residential brass band course taking place at Bromsgrove School from Monday 19 July to Friday 23 July 2027.
Created in response to conversations with delegates, Encore will offer the friendship, professional tuition and high-quality music-making associated with EIBBSS, but at a more relaxed pace.
The new course has been developed for players who would welcome more time with the music, additional individual support and a less intensive timetable, while still enjoying the full residential EIBBSS experience.
Paul Holland to lead inaugural course
EIBBSS Encore will be led by Musical Director Paul Holland, one of the most respected conductors and educators in the brass band world.
Paul will be joined by a highly experienced team of regular EIBBSS tutors:
Mark Wilkinson, Stephanie Binns, Daniel Thomas, Christopher Thomas, Shaun Crowther, Coco Chan and Gareth Hand.
Together, they will provide the same specialist tuition, encouragement and musical expertise that delegates have come to expect from EIBBSS.
A different pace, not a different standard
Encore has been created as EIBBSS continues to grow both in delegate numbers and in the musical standards achieved during its main Summer School.
For some musicians, that increasingly intensive experience is exactly what they are looking for.
Others would prefer a little more time.
Encore will therefore feature a carefully selected programme of rewarding and enjoyable repertoire, with fewer pieces, more rehearsal time and greater opportunity for sectional and individual support.
The emphasis throughout the week will be on confident, enjoyable music-making and giving every delegate the opportunity to contribute fully to the ensemble.
EIBBSS Director Carole Crompton said:
“EIBBSS has developed enormously over recent years and we are immensely proud of the standards our delegate bands now achieve.
“But we also know that there are many musicians who love everything about EIBBSS while preferring a little more time with the music and a less intensive daily schedule.
“Encore has been created specifically with that in mind.
“It is not about lowering standards. It is about giving players the time, support and encouragement they need to enjoy making music and to feel confident about what they are contributing.”
Who is Encore for?
Encore is not defined by age, grading or contesting section.
The course may particularly appeal to community and lower-section band musicians, players returning to their instruments after time away, those rebuilding confidence or stamina, and experienced players simply looking for a sociable musical holiday.
Long-standing EIBBSS delegates who enjoy the friendships and atmosphere of the Summer School but would prefer a gentler timetable may also find Encore particularly attractive.
Carole added:
“We do not want anyone to feel that they are holding a band back or struggling to keep pace.
“Encore is about giving people the opportunity to enjoy excellent music-making, outstanding tuition and all the friendship of an EIBBSS course, but with a little more breathing space.”
The full EIBBSS experience
The week will include:
full-band rehearsals under Paul Holland
specialist sectional coaching
individual guidance from the tutor team
social activities
informal performance opportunities
a celebratory final concert
Delegates will also enjoy the residential facilities and welcoming atmosphere of Bromsgrove School, which has become home to the wider EIBBSS programme.
The new course sits immediately before the established EIBBSS Summer School, which will run from Saturday 24 July to Friday 30 July 2027.
For some players, Encore will be the ideal alternative to the more intensive main course. For others, it will simply offer a different way to enjoy EIBBSS.
The same EIBBSS welcome. The same outstanding tuition. A different pace.
