I am freshly home from opera camp, that is: the Oxenfoord International School for singers and pianists in St. Andrews, Scotland. I worked with some impressive faculty, including Paul Wynne-Griffiths of Covent Garden, international concert accompanist Malcolm Martineau, and Head of Vocal Studies at Guildhall School of Music Robin Bowman, and many others. My head is swimming with new information, and I am anxious to crack open some new repertoire, but I must give it a few days, as my throat is little raw from the travel and temperature change, as well as hard-working American air conditioning.
I would recommend this program to any singer who would like a taste of European musical education as well as additional experience for their resume and general well-being. I performed in a masterclass (with no less than the estimable Irish mezzo Ann Murray), in a student showcase recital, and in opera scenes. There is a strong focus on German lieder at this program, so one should be prepared for that, but there is everything else from Baroque to lighter rep, such as musical theatre and folk melodies. I am especially fond of French song, so my time with Robin Bowman was invaluable.
On the touristy side, I thoroughly enjoyed Britain. Both the Scots and the English could not have been more pleasant and friendly, and Edinburgh is a beautiful city, in an unassuming way. St. Andrews, too, is charming, as well as tiny, but its ruins are impressively large (or echo what used to be large) and inspiring. My whole adventure had a Harry Potter feel to it, having left for Britain just a few days after the latest film and the last book came out, and then taking the train from King's Cross station in London to Edinburgh and then onto to a school that could double for Hogwarts and was without a doubt haunted. (I didn't see any ghosts, thankfully, but one of the passageways at the school was unabashedly named after a ghost. At least they're comfortable with the idea.)
And no, I didn't touch any haggis.
