Catherine Black

Catherine @Cellocourses.Com

Lewes, GB

I teach the cello at the University of Chichester and privately. I devise and run workshops for cellists of all ages and abilities in their key areas of Practice, Performance and Ensemble playing. These are attended by cellists from all over the country, Europe and more recently, South America. Currently the ensemble course and workshops Unsung Heroes are the main focus. For some time I had wanted to find a way for cellists who had not been playing long, to be able to play wonderful music with more experienced players. I hit upon the idea of using vocal music as the range of voices also came with the ranges of the cello and so everyone has a part that matches their ability.I then realised that Renaissance choral music had that magic ability to draw people in and set about making arrangements extending first, to the Baroque, and recently the Romantics. If the music blows you away, you are less stressed and therefore more able to relax and absorb in a workshop. Many of my students have never played with others so the prospect is awesome. I arrange all the music we explore and now there is a series of beautifully designed, user-friendly volumes for sale. Volume 1 was published in 2009 and later in 2013, Volume 2 is being released.Recently the Practice workshop became a course with students attending two workshops over two years. I intend to compile these into a book to be published in 2014.This year my publishing takes off and will be called vaultedskymusic. For a while books will still be found at cellocourses.com until a separate site is constructed.Cellists love playing accessible and highly melodic music and advanced cellists from Grade 6 onwards to professional level have a new set of pieces in the album One chair in a Room by Mark J Sinclair. Design is by Max Carrington.In September 2013 Julia Bishop (Red Priest) and I founded the Baroque & Roll String Orchestra for 8 - 15 year olds in Lewes as a training ground for young Sussex string players.