vocal and opera studies

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Graduate School

Vocal and Opera Studies

Royal College of Music

Graduate School

Integrated Masters Programme

Incorporating PGDip in Vocal Performance and Advanced Vocal Performance

and MMus in Advanced Vocal Performance

Academic Year 2007-2008

Course Handbook


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If you would like any materialfrom this Handbook in larger print,

please contact the RegistryProgrammes Team

E-mail:[email protected]


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Contents

1. Introduction Describes how the Integrated Masters Programme fits into the RCM’s Graduate School, names courses and theirconstituent pathways and provides instruction in the use of the Handbook

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 4

2. Programme Aims and Learning Outcomes These describe the skills you will expect to have developed, knowledge accrued and understanding gained uponcompletion of the Programme

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 6

3. Programme and Course Structure Shows available courses and the units that constitute each of them

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 7

4. Postgraduate Induction and Starting the Programme

Describes how you enter your chosen course ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 12

5. Progression Staying on for a second year, deferred assessments and reassessments

...................................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 12

6. AssessmentDescribes how practical and written examinations are conducted with the RCM and how these results are ratified

...................................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 13

7. Unit Descriptions

This is a short introduction to the principles behind the Masters Programme unit structure ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 14

8. Masters Programme Unit Descriptions – Contents and Page Numbers These describe the unit content, teaching contact time, modes of assessment, aims and learning outcomesfor each unit in the Programme

...................................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 15

9. Programme Management Arrangements This is a brief description of the individuals and committees that are responsible for managing the programme

...................................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 41

Appendices

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 42 1. Programme Specification for the Integrated Masters Programme

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 42 2. Regulations and Overall Credit Framework for Taught Postgraduate Programmes

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 48 3. Procedures for the Submission and Marking of Postgraduate Written Work at the Royal

College of Music 2007-2008: A Guide for Professors and Student ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 61 4. The RCM Guide to the Presentation of Written Work

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 72 5. General Regulations for Students and Important Sources of Information

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 77 6. Integrated Masters Programme Team Biographies

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 88


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Royal College of Music

Graduate School

Integrated Masters Programme

Incorporating PGDip in Vocal Performance and Advanced Vocal Performance

and MMus in Advanced Vocal Performance

Academic Year 2007-2008

1 Introduction

Welcome to the Royal College of Music Graduate School.

1.1

The Graduate School contains nine programmes:

Integrated Masters Programme in Performance for instrumentalists andconductors (incorporating PGDip and MMus qualifications);

Integrated Masters Programme in Composition including pathways inComposition and Composition for Screen (incorporating PGDip and MMusqualifications);

Integrated Masters Programme in Vocal Performance, (incorporating PGDip

and MMus qualifications) ;

Graduate Diploma in Singing;

PGDip Programme in Creative Leadership Artist Diploma in Performance;

Artist Diploma in Opera

Doctor of Music Programme;

Royal College of Music/Royal Holloway University of London Joint MMus inPerformance Studies

1.2 The School has been conceived as the conceptual home for RCM postgraduates with the ideathat, within its framework, the many diverse activities undertaken by advanced students shouldall provide paths for exploring new ideas in performance, composition and practice-basedresearch. We believe that this is most easily achieved in an environment that facilitates the

exchange of knowledge and skills, underpinned by programmes that give you flexibility andinspire you to work to your full potential.

1.3 The Graduate School has as one of its central precepts the idea of the ‘informed performer’ andit aims to nurture not only students’ ability but also their musical intelligence. This Handbook isspecifically designed as your guide in that process for the Integrated Masters Programme inVocal Performance. Other programmes within the Graduate School have their own designatedhandbooks. These may be obtained from the Registry or from the RCM Intranet informationresource.

1.4 The Masters Programme in Vocal Performance is designed to enable you to employ your time atthe RCM in ways that you feel most appropriate. The Masters Programme comprises thePostgraduate Diplomas (PGDip) in Performance and Advanced Performance, the Master ofMusic Degree in Advanced Performance (MMus) and the one year Intensive Master of Music


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Degree in Advanced Performance (MMus). There are part-time patterns for all but theIntensive MMus.

1.5 All the courses of the Masters Programme in Vocal Performance are practical in their focus anddesigned to help you reach the highest standards. They also aim to help you to become self-

sufficient and self-critical and seek to equip you for the profession as it is now and to prepareyou for the changes that you will undoubtedly encounter in your career. If you choose a patternof study that leads to an MMus qualification, the practical focus of your study will becomplemented by relevant scholarly aspects.

1.6 Students normally enter Year One of the Masters Programme, but may enter at Year Two level ifequivalent Year One attainment can be demonstrated.

1.7 At the end of each year of study, you will receive a transcript showing the units you havesuccessfully completed. If you complete sufficient units successfully, your transcript will recordyou as gaining the PGDip in Performance after the first year and the PGDip in AdvancedPerformance or the MMus in Advanced Performance after the second. For the Postgraduate

Diploma, the actual award title, PGDip, is therefore the same in the second year, but thetranscript will show not only the greater number of units gained after two years but also the factthat at least one of those taken in the second year is specifically designated as being at theAdvanced Performance level.

1.8 If you are undertaking MMus study, you will find three MMus Core units, (Performance CaseHistory Portfolio, Lecture Recital and Vocal Critical Project), two of which must be successfullycompleted to gain the degree, and one of which, the Performance Case History Portfolio, ismandatory for all Vocal MMus candidates. The Portfolio is normally taken in the second year ofstudy. If you are on the Intensive MMus, you must take the Performance Case History Portfolio,and either the Lecture recital or the Vocal Critical Project during your one calendar year of

intensive MMus study.

1.9 At the back of the handbook are six appendices. The first of these is what is known as aProgramme Specification. It is a useful summary of the programme, written in a standard formatused by many UK universities, including conservatoires. You may find it a useful ‘portrait’ ofyour studies; when you have finished your studies, it will also enable you to show someoneunfamiliar with the programme what you had to do to get the award and what kinds of qualitiesthey should expect to find in you.

1.10 The second appendix contains the regulations by which the programme operates. You willprobably only refer to them for specific information – for example, how your overall result iscalculated or what happens if you fail a unit. All the same, it is a good idea to look through themat an early stage so that they are not completely unfamiliar when you may need them urgently.

1.11 In the sections of the main handbook that follow, you will find the aims and learning outcomesof the programme stated, its structure set out and the arrangements for induction, progressionand assessment described. Then there are descriptions of each of the units from which theprogramme is made up. The final section deals with the management of the programme.

1.12 Included in this last section are details of how feedback about the programme is obtained. Yourviews as a student are very important in this and can help to influence how the programmedevelops and improves. Therefore, please take the time to engage fully with the variousfeedback processes which you will encounter during your studies; even if you may not benefit

directly, those that come after you will.


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2

Programme Aims and Learning Outcomes

2.1 The Masters Programme has the following overall aims:

To provide advanced musical training at postgraduate level in which a fundamental emphasis

upon practical attainment is complemented by the encouragement of critical self-awareness, acapacity for reflective insight and the ability to formulate discriminating musical judgements;

To offer to graduate musicians of proven ability, and with the potential for further development,the opportunity to enhance their skills, broaden their knowledge of repertoire, hone theirinterpretational and/or creative abilities and thereby to develop their musical talents, both interms of maturity and of individualisation;

To provide a training whose own internal standards and, where applicable, whose actualcharacteristics mirror as closely as possible those demanded within the profession. In doing soto seek the fullest involvement of musicians active within the profession, whether professors of

the College or visiting individuals and groups;

To acknowledge, and reflect wherever applicable, the leading trends in musical thinking withinthe profession;

To produce musicians capable of contributing to the development of the profession and ofparticipating in its future shaping through their insights and understanding, as well as theirpractical abilities.

2.2 The PGDip in Vocal Performance and Advanced Vocal Performance and MMus in AdvancedPerformance have been designed to generate the learning outcomes listed below. These

outcomes are noted numerically in each of the unit descriptions of the Programme, with eachunit generating its own profile of end results:

Skills and other attributes

Practical Skills – on successful completion of the programme, you should be able to:

(1) perform at a level expected of a front-rank professional vocal musician in terms of technique,musical interpretation and communication

(2) apply personal research, analysis, reflection and listening to the process of forming a musicalinterpretation

(3) use a thorough understanding of the components of music and its underlying structures to

inform musical performances(4) memorise and reconstruct sound(5) conceive, manipulate and develop musical ideas and apply aesthetic/stylistic principles to

performance

Cognitive (thinking) skills – on successful completion of the programme, you should be able to:

(1) research, synthesise and evaluate information from a variety of sources, both text and nontext-based (e.g. the oral testimony of teachers and fellow-performers, information carried inthe sound of performances and recordings)

(2) use advanced levels of reasoning and logic to analyse this material and form relevantperforming strategies

(3)

exercise significant judgement and apply artistic/intellectual perspectives(4) carry out extended projects


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Transferable skills – on successful completion of the programme, you should be able to:

(1) approach and solve problems in a flexible, open and creative way(2) work as part of a team, often in a leadership role, taking spontaneous decisions and

responding to the decisions of others

(3)

improvise, manage risk and cope with the unexpected(4) be self-motivated and disciplined, and promote projects/performances with self-critical

awareness(5) understand work regimes and professional protocols(6) work independently

Knowledge and understanding - on successful completion of the programme, you should haveknowledge and understanding of:

(1) the full range of technical and expressive capabilities of your voice(2) the vocal repertoire of all periods(3) how to master less familiar repertoires and the performing conventions associated with

them(4) the current state and likely direction of development of the profession, the range of

competencies needed to enter it and the ways in which your skills may be continuouslyenhanced to keep pace with rising challenges in a developing career

2.3 These learning outcomes are derived from the standard Credit and HE Qualifications Guidelines for England, Wales and Northern Ireland , and are taken as applying to all units and pathwayswithin the Masters Programme. However, students obtaining the PGDip in Advanced VocalPerformance or the MMus in Advanced Vocal Performance will have deepened their skills andknowledge in their Principal Study area and broadened them in relation to the range of otherunits taken.

2.4 As noted in 2.2, the unit descriptions later in this handbook refer back to these listed learningoutcomes for each unit and attempt to show how they contribute to the overall learningoutcomes of the programme. The description for Principal Study shows how the second-yearunit builds upon its equivalent in the first year, leading to the higher, Advanced Performancelevel for the award.

3

Programme and Course Structure

3.1 Overall structure:The overall structure of the courses has already been outlined in the introduction. This sectionprovides greater detail about how each year of study is built up, including diagrams of thevarious units and how they may be put together.

3.2 Unit structure:All the courses within the Programme are built from a range of units. Units are built up intopatterns of study that normally occupy the period from September to June (10 months) andcorrespond to 120 credits. The exception to this is the pattern for the Intensive Masters, whichlasts 12 months from September to September and contains 180 credits. The four routes shownin the diagrams below are built from three basic patterns of annual study:

Pattern A: Performance Level 120 creditsPattern B: Advanced Performance Level 120 credits (two versions, PGDip and MMus)Pattern C: Advanced Performance Level 180 credits


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3.3 MMus/PGDip in Vocal Performance

Year 1 – all students - PGDip in Vocal Performance. One year only (10 months)

MMus Core Unit

(Level M)

Principal Study 1-to-1 Units (Level M) Supporting Classes

Singing Lesson Repertoire Lessons

Opera Coaching(15 hours/year)20 credits

Not applicable in YearOne.Students take firstMMus Core unit inYear Two (see next

diagrams)

Principal Study(Performance level)(42 hours/year)60 credits

Repertoire Coaching(10 hours/year)10 credits

Classes in the Singer’s Craft(several classes across year)30 credits

Acting, Movement, Stagecraft,Italian Recitative

French, Italian and Germanlanguage

German song, French song, Englishsong/Oratorio, Russian/Spanish

Total of 120 credits

Year 2 – students taking PGDip route - PGDip in Advanced Vocal Performance. One year only

(10 months)

MMus Core Unit

(Level M)



Opera Coaching(15 hours/year)

20 creditsNot applicable ifPGDip is being taken

Principal Study

(AdvancedPerformance level)(42 hours/year)60 credits

Repertoire Coaching(10 hours/year)10 credits







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Year 2 – students taking MMus route - PGDip in Advanced Vocal Performance. One year only(10 months) Plus second MMus Core Unit, will give MMus in Advanced Vocal Performance

MMus Core Unit

(Level M)




Acting, Movement, Stagecraft,Italian RecitativeFrench, Italian and Germanlanguage10 credits

Or Or Performance CaseHistory Portfolio30 credits

Principal Study(AdvancedPerformance level)(42 hours/year)

60 credits Repertoire Coaching(15 hours/year)20 credits

German song, French song, Englishsong/Oratorio, Russian/SpanishFrench, Italian and Germanlanguage10 credits


Year 2 – students taking Intensive MMus route - MMus in Advanced Vocal Performance. Onecalendar year (12 months)

MMus Core Unit

(Level M)



Performance CaseHistory Portfolio30 credits


Critical Project/Lecture Recital30 Credits

Principal Study(AdvancedPerformance level)(42 hours/year)60 credits Repertoire Coaching

(10 hours/year)10 credits






3.4

The diagram on the next page shows how the Integrated Masters fits into postgraduate vocalprovision as a whole at the College.


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Routes through an Integrated Masters in Vocal Performance and Artist Diploma in Opera

Integrated Masters in Vocal

Performance

Additional MMus Unit

MMus in Advanced Vocal

Performance

Second MMus unit taken on its own –either directly after Year 2 or after the Artist

Diploma in Opera when the student hasalready taken the PGDip in Advanced

Vocal Performance including the first

MMus unit

rtist Diploma in Opera

1-2 years Not credit rated

Assessment for award based on major role(s) undertaken in a production before thestudent completes the programme; feedback provided on any other roles or scenes

undertaken.

Progression to second MMus unit, taken onits own and potentially at a distance from

RCM, to complete MMus in AdvancedVocal Performance

Direct admission toArtist Diploma in Opera from

Year 1 of the Integrated Masters


Performance

Year 2

PGDip in Advanced Vocal

Performance

120 credits – at least 90 at level M;maximum of 30 at Level 3

The student chooses to take a second

year of purely practical study


Performance

Year 2

PGDip in Advanced Vocal

Performance


The student chooses to take a second year

combining practical study with the first of 2

MMus units


Performance

Year 2 Intensive

MMus in Advanced Vocal

Performance


The student chooses to take an

intensive second year combining

practical study with both MMus

units and therefore obtains an

MMus after 2 calendar years

Integrated Masters in Vocal Performance

Year 1

PGDip in Vocal Performance

120 credits – at least 90 at level M; maximum of 30 at Level 3All students pursue a pattern of practical units (1-to-1 identical for every student) whether

intending to proceed to Opera, PGDip Year 2 or an MMus


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4 Postgraduate Induction and Starting the Programme:

4.1 In order to help new students to become full participants in College life, the firstterm will begin with a period of Induction. During this time, students will be ableto attend a series of events providing a grounding for the year’s work, receiveadvice about the course of study from Course Team members and the Head of

Graduate School, meet with Faculty Heads and the Course Team for orientationand practical activities, hear Lunchtime Concerts which will show what returningstudents in both Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programmes haveaccomplished in their Principal Study work in the first year, learn about RCMresources such as the Woodhouse Centre and engage in social activities run by theRCM Student Association.

4.2 All postgraduate vocal students, new and returning, are urged to make the mostof the RCM’s general Induction for postgraduate students as well as inductionevents taking place within the Vocal Faculty and Opera Department.

4.3

Language streaming: Language assessments take place at the end of Inductionweek and take the form of IPA tests for each language as applied to a text,followed by a reading of a poem or prose to determine the student’sunderstanding and sense of the flow of each language. Students are informed ofthe timetabling of this in advance of the beginning of term.

5 Progression:

5.1 Students enrolled upon the PGDip in Vocal Performance must inform the Registryby November of their first term if they wish to stay on for a second year,progressing to the PGDip or MMus in Advanced Vocal Performance, through

filling out a designated form of notification. Student hoping to advance directly tothe Opera Programme are still advised to make this notification as a default,should they fail to gain a place in the Opera Programme. On submitting thisnotification, they are given a conditional offer of a place. To fulfil the conditionsof this conditional offer, they must successfully complete the PGDip in VocalPerformance. If they do so with a mark in the Principal Study unit of 65% orabove, their place will be confirmed; if their Principal Study mark is between 50%(the pass mark) and 64%, they will be offered a reserve place in their chosencourse.

5.2 Immediately after the June Board of Examiners, when results for the PGDip in

Vocal Performance are known, students in the 50-64% category are consideredand a decision reached upon whether they can be given a confirmed place or mustremain on the reserve list. The students are then informed of their progressionoutcome along with their results for the PGDip in Vocal Performance. As a result,some students with Principal Study marks of 50-59% will nevertheless be givenconfirmed places straight away. For those who are placed on a reserve list, a finaldecision will be made by the second week in July.

5.3 Students wishing to progress who fail a unit or who have to defer assessment in aunit until September must pass the unit before the start of the new academic year.Provided that they do pass, they are then treated as above. Those with a mark of65% or over in the Principal Study will have their place for the Advanced VocalPerformance year confirmed immediately; those with a mark between 50% and64% will be offered a reserve place. This place will be confirmed or otherwise assoon as possible, and by Monday of Induction Week at the latest, so as to permit


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the student to register for the PGDip/MMus in Advanced Vocal Performance inthe normal way if successful.

5.4 Completing an MMus, other than by the Intensive Route: If you successfullycomplete the Performance Case History unit and the rest of your second-year,Advanced Vocal Performance PGDip, you will only require the successful

completion of either the Lecture Recital or the Vocal Critical Project. The Collegeoffers these as stand-alone units (also known as distance-learning, or flexibly-dispersed learning). Much of the study they involve may be undertaken at adistance from the RCM. However, it is necessary for students to return for thefinal stages of preparation - and, of course, the delivery - of the Lecture Recital.

5.5 The Regulations at Appendix 2 contain further statements about progression,deferred assessments and reassessments.

6 Assessment

6.1 Each unit of the Masters Programme has its own assessment element associatedwith it. In each case, the mode of assessment is tailored to the activity with whichthe unit is concerned. The majority of units are assessed by a single assessmentevent.

6.2 Practical assessments:Where units are of a practical nature, assessments also take the form of practically-based events. These range from specially-organised repertoire examinations topublic performance events at which an examining panel is present. In the lattercase, normal performance conditions and normal expectations of performance

presentation apply. These same conditions are replicated as closely as possible inthe various repertoire examinations that take place.

6.3 Written assessments: Some units employ written submissions for their assessed component. These maytake the form of portfolios or a single extended assignment.

6.4 Assessment teams and panels:Written assessments usually have two markers. Major practical assessmentsusually have three examiners, a Chair – usually the Head of Faculty in the case ofvocal Studies - and two specialists. Usually one of the two specialists is internal

and one external. Where this is not the case, two external specialists areemployed.

6.5 External Examiners:The Masters Programme in Vocal Performance shares two overall ExternalExaminers with the Integrated Masters Programme in Performance. TheseExternal Examiners moderate the work of the examining panels, rather thanparticipating directly in the examining process.

6.6 The Masters Programme in Vocal Performance Board of Examiners:Results are ratified, and any necessary moderating adjustments made by theMasters Programme in Vocal Performance Board of Examiners. This meets in fullsession twice a year, in June for the main set of results and in September toconsider deferred assessments, re-assessments and October for assessmentssubmitted at the end of the Intensive Masters. In addition to these meetings,


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there are various internal meetings of the Board to consider interim results andstudents’ proposals for various elements of the course.

6.7 A student’s result in each unit is weighted according to the credit volume of theunit and the results combined to arrive at an overall mark.

6.8 The College’s Regulations and Overall Credit Framework for Taught Postgraduate

Programmes (see Appendix 2) describe the three routes by which a student mayobtain an overall Distinction. Essentially, they are as follows:

An aggregate mark of 70% or above

A mark of 70% or above in 75% of the credits for the award

A mark of 70% or above in 50% of the credits for the award and an overallaggregate mark of at least 68%

7 Unit Descriptions

7.7

On the pages that follow are unit descriptions for each of the units that make upthe PGDip in Vocal Performance, the PGDip/MMus in Advanced VocalPerformance and the Intensive MMus in Advanced Vocal Performance. They areset out in the following order:

Year 1 Vocal Performance Level Units

Principal Study Units Supporting Class Unit ‘Classes in the Singer’s Craft’

Year 2/Intensive Programme Advanced Performance Level Units

MMus Core Units

Principal Study Units Supporting Class Units ‘Classes in the Singer’s Craft’

7.8 Each unit description begins with statistics about the unit. It then provides briefdetails of unit objectives and learning outcomes, content and assessment. Unitdescriptions are deliberately broad in their description of content. Theinformation that they contain is supplemented, where appropriate, by syllabusbooklets that enable the detail of the unit content and, for 1-to-1 practical units,the examination requirements (repertoire, etc) to be varied from year to yearwithin the parameters defined by the unit description.


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8

Masters Programme Unit Descriptions

Contents and Page Numbers

8.1 Year 1 Performance Level Units

8.1.1 Principal Study Units 158.1.2 Supporting Class Unit 21

8.2 Year 2/Intensive Programme Advanced Performance Level Units

8.2.1 MMus Core Units 24

8.2.2 Principal Study Units 30

8.2.3 Supporting Class Units 36


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8.1 Year 1 Performance Level Units

8.1.1 Principal Study Units

Every student on the programme, whether ultimately studying for the MMus orPGDip, will take the Principal Study units. There are three of these, of which the

most substantial is the unit associated with the singing lesson. In addition, thereare Principal Study units associated with opera coaching and with repertoirecoaching.

The assessment for the Principal Study unit associated with the singing lesson willnormally be a Recital, but may, with the relevant permissions, be an Operatic Role:

Recital

In Week 7 or 8 of the Summer Term, first year postgraduate singers deliver aRecital of 30-35 minutes duration, including brief spoken introductions. Thechoice of programme is free, but must include one item by a living composer. The

entire programme is to be sung from memory. Details of the requirements arecontained in the syllabus booklet for singers.

Proposed programmes, signed as being approved for content and length by thestudent’s principal study professor, must be submitted to the RegistryProgrammes Team by the advertised date. On the basis of these submissions,particularly in relation to timings, students may be recommended to make certainchanges to their programme.

Students are required to bring to their Recital the following, for the use of theexaminers:

a copy of each work in the edition used to prepare the performance; a programme, preferably word processed, that sets down the works in

order of their performance, and acknowledges the participation of anyother performers.

Students should hand this material to the steward to be given to the examiners. Inthe absence of a steward, it should be handed directly to the examiners. Studentsshould note that mark penalties will be imposed if this material is not provided.

A high standard is expected from this short examination, with no obvioustechnical shortcomings, adequate stamina for the entire programme and the

ability put across a well-chosen programme to near professional standard.

Or Operatic Role

The operatic role proposed for assessments should provide for an on-stage focusof attention of not less than 30 minutes as a significant participant during theopera, or

Where the role is considered to be significant enough for the purpose of thisassessment, but where the on-stage focus of attention is for fewer than 30 minutesbut greater than 15, then additionally the singer must present, under concertrecital conditions, a selection of contrasting songs timed at not less than 15

minutes (but not more than 20) including brief spoken introductions, to make upthe balance of the period stipulated for assessment.


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Where a student is assessed on both an operatic and a concert performance, andwhere different assessors are involved for each activity, then the final mark for thisassessment (based on these equally weighted marks) will be moderated by theHead of Vocal Studies and the Director of Opera, together with the Head ofGraduate School.

Students should inform the Registry Programmes Team of their choice ofassessment by the last day of the Spring Term.

Personal Development Plans (PDPs)

All students on the Integrated Masters Programme are required to complete aPersonal Development Plan during the course of study. This is a record of theaims for the academic year and provides a place to systematically log suchinformation as repertoire covered and performances completed. The mandatoryPerformance Profile is contained within the PDP. Individual assistance incompleting PDPs will be provided by the Programme Team. It is anticipated thatthis will be done online in 2007-2008. Vocal students provide a 1,000-word

reflective document based on their experiences in classes as part of this PDP.

Programme Notes/Spoken Presentations in PG Recital Examinations

Today’s professional performers are expected to be well-informed about theworks they perform and to be able to communicate relevant information aboutthem in writing and, increasingly, through clear and engaging spokenpresentations. The RCM expects its postgraduate performers to take theseprofessional standards of presentation as seriously as they do their quest forexcellence in their actual performing. All postgraduate recital examinations musttherefore be accompanied either by well-prepared programme notes or byaccomplished spoken introductions.

Programme notes must be the work of the student and should avoid plagiarism inexactly the same way as other written assignments. They should aim to beinformative and may by all means reflect personal scholarship on the part of thestudent. However, they should be sufficiently accessible in style to facilitatereading as an adjunct to listening. Above all, they should give the readerinformation which will help to focus and enrich his or her listening experience bycontributing to an aural understanding of the works performed.

Spoken introductions should be delivered without a written text and should beclearly communicated in a lively and interesting manner. The tone of a spoken

introduction may well be less formal than that of a programme note but what issaid should again aim to focus and enrich the listening experience of the audiencemember.

Tuition for these elements

It is assumed that postgraduate students will already have acquired someexperience of writing programme notes and/or introducing their recitals. Inaddition, guidance in programme note writing/delivering spoken presentations isgiven as part of the induction course of the Induction Lecture Series. TheDiagnostic Portfolio undertaken just before Planning & Review Week containsassignments dealing with writing about music. Although not every student will

take the whole Lecture Series, all are encouraged to take at least these inductionsections.


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A student who chooses not to attend the induction sessions because he or sheknows they will not be undertaking the whole lecture series and associatedPerformance Case History Portfolio must take personal responsibility for theirpreparation for the production of suitable programme notes/spokenintroductions when the time comes for their recital.

Examination of these elements

As Principal Study Units are assessed through examinations of a practical nature,the assessment criteria for these are to be found in Practical ExaminationsProcedures at the Royal College of Music 2007-08 , available from the Registry.

Copies of programme notes must be submitted to the Registry Programmes Teamat least six weeks before the date of the recital. Where a student has chosen todeliver spoken introductions, a form confirming this must be submitted to theRegistry Programmes Team by the same deadline.

The examining panel for the recital will judge the effectiveness of the programme

notes/spoken introductions, setting them in the context of the performances thatthey are intended to enhance. The panel will award a separate percentage markfor the programme notes/spoken introductions. This mark will be communicatedafterwards to the student along with the mark for the performance itself.

In the normal way, the mark awarded for the programme notes/spokenintroductions is not given a distinct weighting within the recital’s overallassessment – i.e. the student is credited with the mark as awarded simply for theperformance. However, where a mark of less than 50% (i.e. the pass threshold) isawarded for the programme notes/spoken introductions, a student may not beawarded a Pass with Distinction even if their actual performances merit this (i.e.

the mark is capped at 69%).

A recital which is not accompanied at all by programme notes or introductionsmust fail (i.e. it will be capped at 49%). A student who finds him- or herself in thissituation will normally be permitted to submit programme notes retrospectively.Provided that notes are submitted within the timeframe stipulated for theparticular case (normally within two weeks of permission being granted) thestudent’s result will be altered to a Pass but the mark will remain capped at 49%.


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PRINCIPAL STUDY UNIT: SINGING LESSON

Unit Leader: Head of Vocal Studies

Level Credit Rating Core/Elective Prerequisite

M 60 Core N/A

Delivery Availability Unit Code42 hours/year 1:1 lessonssupported by faculty classes,

masterclasses and otherevents

Each year M6P01

Unit objectives and learning outcomes

Successful completion of this unit means that you will have:

enhanced your performing skills, broadened your knowledge of vocal repertoire, honedyour interpretational abilities

enriched your understanding of musical structure and style, of the relationships betweenthese and the meaning conveyed in musical texts and of the ways in which these impingeupon the formation of a performance

acquired maturity and an individual voice as a performer

deepened your awareness of the current state of the singing profession and developedyour contacts with your future professional colleagues.

This unit contributes to the following learning outcomes of the programme (see programmespecification):

Practical skills 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Cognitive skills 1, 2, 3, and 4

Transferable skills 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6

Knowledge and understanding 1, 2, 3 and 4

Indicative content

1-to-1 guidance tailored to individual needs – this may reflect some finishing work ontechnical aspects but is more likely to focus upon the exploration of new repertoire andpreparation for specific performances

participation in faculty classes, masterclasses, College concerts and other concerts ofsimilar standard outside the College

performance as appropriate in ensembles, operas, etc.

independent practice to support all these activities

continued exploration of Principal Study repertoire, not only in performance but alsothrough self-directed listening – at concerts and to recordings

Method of assessment

Repertoire Recital (30-35 minutes)Summer Term 60 credits

Performance Profile (showing at least two College concerts or their have been undertakenacross year) completed as part of the Personal Development Plan (PDP). The PerformanceProfile is not allocated separate credits but must be submitted and found acceptable forthe unit to be passed.

(Note: With the permission of the Head of Vocal Studies and the Director of Opera, students

may substitute a major Opera Role for the Repertoire Recital. The decision to do this MUST

be communicated to the Registry Programmes Team as soon as it has been taken. Failure to

do so may jeopardise the Final Assessment)


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PRINCIPAL STUDY UNIT: OPERA COACHING

Unit Leader: Director of Opera


M 20 Core N/A



Each year M2B03



developed your knowledge of operatic repertoire, honed your interpretational abilities inrelation to this repertoire

enriched your understanding of the musical and dramatic elements that combine in theoperatic repertoire and of the relationships between these that need to be born in mindwhen forming an operatic performance

acquired maturity and an individual voice as a dramatic performer

deepened your awareness of the current state of the operatic profession and developedyour contacts with your future professional colleagues.






Indicative content

1-to-1 guidance tailored to individual needs – this is likely to focus upon the explorationof new repertoire and preparation for specific performances

participation in classes, masterclasses and opera scenes



continued exploration of the operatic repertoire, not only in performance but also

through self-directed listening – at concerts and to recordings


Opera Scene (10-15 minutes on stage)

Opera Scenes (i.e. scenes from the operatic repertoire, staged and performed in concert orin costume with piano accompaniment) generally take place in the Spring and SummerTerms. Students are prepared intensively for these events and a producer works with anentire group to determine and develop the overall character of a particular Opera Scenesevent.

Spring or Summer Term 20 credits


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PRINCIPAL STUDY UNIT: REPERTOIRE COACHING



M 10 Core N/A



Each year M1B01











Indicative content

1-to-1 guidance tailored in the exploration of new repertoire and preparation for specificperformances


performance as appropriate




Song Class Recital (each student contributing an individual song)

Spring Term 10 credits

Students participating in a particular song class are required to build an integratedprogramme around a specific area of repertoire or a thematic concept. The assessedperformance will usually take place in the Spring Term. Students are assessed on theirindividual performance but also on how they integrate their effort with the group as awhole and the quality of their rapport with their accompanist.


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8.1.2 Supporting Class Unit

All singers take a range of classes designed to support the work they carry out intheir 1-to-1 lessons and coaching. Collectively, these constitute what might becalled ‘Classes in the Singer’s Craft’. Underpinning these classes are sessions onlanguage training in French, Italian and German. Supported by these language

classes are two further groups of classes that apply these skills in specific musicalcontexts. The relationship between the various elements may be representeddiagrammatically as follows:

Preparation for the Musical Stage (assessment through Opera Scenes)

Class Lesson time Number of Lessons Hours per year

Movement 90 min 15 22.5

Acting 90 min 15 22.5

Stagecraft 90 min 15 22.5

90 min 19 plus assessmentconcert

30Italian Recitativeclass*

Italian recitative class would cover the basics of Italian operaticrecitative-Monteverdi and his contemporaries, Handel and Haydnthrough to Mozart. Recitative studied would tie into texts studied inlanguage classes.

Foundations of the Sung Languages (assessment through Scenes and Song Classes)

Language Lesson time Number of Lessons Hours per year

French 60 min 20 20

Italian 60 min 20 20

German 60 min 20 20

Preparation for the Concert Platform (assessment through Song Classes)


German Song* 90 min 19 plus assessmentconcert

30

French Song* 90 min 19 plus assessmentconcert

30

Oratorio/English Song 90 min 19 plus assessmentconcert

30

Russian/Spanish Targeted provision throughout the year on a project basis withdefined objectives eg a Faculty concert etc


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The sessions in the central group, ‘Foundations of the sung languages’ broadlycover the following issues:

the understanding and implementation of the IPA rules for each language

textural fluency in delivery and inflection

proficiency of delivery of operatic and song texts, with additional reference to

recitative classes, opera scenes where necessary and song class requirements useful and applicable linguistic fluency for work overseas whether in Italy,

France or Germany

The upper group of classes in the diagram deals with the operatic environmentand covers movement, acting, stagecraft and the crucial skill of performing Italianrecitative.

Movement classes are structured so that students profit from physicalcoordination and centering from yoga and similar disciplines, have facility in termsof dance (whether waltz, minuets, jazz, tap etc) and are encouraged to explorephysical techniques for specific character portrayal building on their own

individual physical gifts.

Acting classes have a similarly structured approach, starting from games,improvisation and textural work through to specific work on Opera Scenes etc.

Stagecraft classes are run on the basis of inviting different operatic and theatricalpractitioners of distinction to run a series of classes in which the students areencouraged to finesse their acquired movement and dramatic skills throughinteraction with external practitioners. Students are thus offered exposure to avariety of approaches and beliefs as to what constitutes ‘stagecraft’.

Italian recitative classes explore this core aspect of the operatic tradition and theskills necessary to ‘speak’ the lines idiomatically and shape and pace them to

dramatic purpose

The final, lower group addresses the art-song repertoire of the key Europeantraditions – the German Lied, the French mélodie and the English song, withadditional coverage in this latter case of the Oratorio repertoire. Occasional,project based work on Russian and Spanish repertoire complements thisprovision.


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SUPPORTING CLASS UNIT

‘Classes in the Singer’s Craft’



M 30 Core N/A

Delivery Availability Unit Code

Classes of different lengthsand numbers of weeks (see

earlier diagram)Each year M3E01



developed your linguistic skills in the key languages of European classical music

applied these in the context of acquiring the skills of the operatic actor used them to develop a true poetic and musical understanding of representative works of

the art song repertoire

synthesised the experiences gained in the various classes into a deepening of yourunderstanding of the singer’s craft.






Indicative content

Classwork, operating in groups selected to produce broad equivalence of level

Working to syllabuses designed by individual in-house group coaches

Receiving a range of perspectives and inputs from visiting coaches


application of the skills in preparing for events such as Opera Scenes and Song Classrecitals


Opera Scene (10-15 minutes on stage) 40%

Song Class Recital (each student contributing an individual song) 40%

1,000 word reflection on what has been learned through the classes as part of end-of-yearPDP 20%

(NB Opera Scenes and Song Class Recitals also form the assessment for OperaCoaching and Repertoire Coaching respectively. In the case of those units, the panel’sassessment is the only component used; in this unit it is inflected by evaluations madeby the staff involved in the preparation processes for these events. This, in

conjunction with the student’s reflective account in the PDP, means that the focus ofthe unit is more on process and that of the other two on product)


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8.2 Year 2/Intensive Programme Advanced Performance Level Units

8.2.1 Year 2 MMus Core Unit/Intensive MMus Core Units

If you are planning to study for an MMus, you will select the first MMus core unitas part of your second year’s study. Similarly, if you are taking the Intensive

Masters course, you will take this unit along with one of the two Advanced VocalPerformance Level MMus core units.

Delivery of he first MMus core unit takes the form of an Induction Lecture Series,after which the group of students meets for tutorials focussed on thedevelopment of Performance Case Histories. The unit is assessed through thesubmission of a portfolio of these. Details of the unit are given in the UnitDescription which follows.

The first five weeks of study on this unit take the form of an Induction Course.The course consists of three weeks containing two lectures per week, tutorial sign

ups and an initial diagnostic task requirement to be submitted by Friday of thefifth week.

The Induction Lecture Series is important for all students in the instructionprovided for writing of Programme Notes and delivery of spoken introductions toperformances; the completion and delivery of one or the other of these is now anobligatory Principal Study performance requirement for all PGDip and MMuscandidates.

The Induction Lecture Series is mandatory for all vocal students taking theYear 2 MMus Core unit or following the Intensive MMus.

Induction Lecture Series: AUTUMN TERM 2007

Mondays 6.00-7.30pm; Thursdays 11.30-1pm - Recital Hall

Monday 17 Sept. 2007The Integrated Masters Programme (incl. Using the Internet)Darla Crispin, Ingrid Pearson, Ivan Hewett

Thursday 20 Sept. 2007Writer’s Workshop: Musicians and Research - Some Whys and HowsNatasha Loges

Monday 24 Sept. 2007Performer and Composer Rights / Studio VisitMike McEvoy and Augustos Psillas

Thursday 27 Sept. 2007The Unanswered Question: Practice-based ResearchIvan Hewett and William Mival / Madeleine Mitchell

Monday 1 Oct. 2007Spoken Introductions (incl. Making your Pitch)Ingrid Pearson and Mike McEvoy

Thursday 4 Oct. 2007Tools of the Trade I: Research Craft in MusicMeredith McFarlane


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Monday 8 Oct. 20087Tools of the Trade II: Research Resources in MusicMeredith McFarlane and CPH (Paul Banks and Jenny Nex)

Thursday 11 Oct. 2007Programme NotesMeredith McFarlane

Monday 15 Oct. 2007Authority in Source MaterialsIngrid Pearson

Thursday 18 Oct. 2007Diagnostic Portfolio (and assignment) ClinicDarla Crispin and Ingrid Pearson

Diagnostic Portfolio for all MMus Vocal Studies Students Due: Friday 19

October 2008, 1.00pm

NO LECTURES: P&R Week 22 Oct. 2008 + 25 Oct. 2008

Thursday 25 October 2008 Diagnostic Portfolio Marking Session: 10am

Following the Induction Lectures, singers will have dedicated group instruction onvocal Performance Case History Portfolios for the remainder of the academic year.The shape of these group tutorials consists of topic-based, weekly meetings atwhich the principles of the Performance Case History will be explained and thencase studies, chosen by members of the group, will be presented and discussed.

The Intensive MMus

If you are planning to study for an Intensive MMus finishing by the end of yoursecond year, you will also need to select one of the two Advanced VocalPerformance MMus Core Units as part of your second year’s study, along with thePerformance Case History Portfolio unit described above. The AdvancedPerformance Level MMus Core Units are the Lecture Recital and the Vocal CriticalProject. Details of these units are given in the Unit Descriptions that follow.

Completing an MMus, other than by the Intensive Route

If you successfully complete the Performance Case History unit and the rest ofyour second-year, Advanced Vocal Performance PGDip, you will only require thesuccessful completion of either the Lecture Recital or the Vocal Critical Project.

The College offers these as stand-alone units. Much of the study they involve maybe undertaken at a distance from the RCM. However, it is necessary for studentsto return for the final stages of preparation - and, of cours, the delivery - of theLecture Recital.


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MMUS CORE UNIT: PERFORMANCE CASE HISTORY PORTFOLIO

Unit Leader: Head of Graduate School


M 30 MMus Core N/A

Delivery Availabili ty Unit Code

6 x 1.5 hour Induction Lectures with 1tutorial, followed by 16 x 1.5 hour group

tutorialsEach year M3A01



enhanced your research and writing skills, broadened your knowledge of repertoire,honed your interpretational abilities, and related these to specific issues in musicscholarship

enriched your understanding of musical structure and style and of the ways in whichthese impinge upon the formation of a performance

developed your identity as an ‘informed performer’

deepened your awareness of the current state of the profession and developed yourcontacts with your future professional colleagues.


Practical skills 2, 3 and 5


Transferable skills 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 Knowledge and understanding 2, 3 and 4

Indicative content

Participation in MMus Induction Lecture series

group tutorial support on MMus Performance Case History Portfolio projects

independent research to support all these activities

auditing of Lecture Recital rehearsal events and feedback sessions.


Satisfactory completion of Diagnostic Portfolio at end of induction course Completion of minimum 3 assignments generated from the MMus Lecture Series

Selection of three of these assignments to be submitted as an Performance Case HistoryPortfolio, together with Programme Notes for the Principal Study Recital

30 credits

ONE COPY of the Performance Case History Portfolio must be submitted to the Registry by

the published deadline.

See also Appendix 3: Procedures for the Submission and Marking of Postgraduate Written Work

for further guidance on the preparation, submission and assessment of this unit.


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ADVANCED VOCAL PERFORMANCE MMUS CORE UNIT: LECTURE RECITAL

Unit Leader: Deputy Head of Graduate School


M 30 MMus Elective N/A

Delivery Availability Unit Code3 x 1.5 hour Induction Lectures followed by 30minute 1-to-1 supervision to prepare topic

submission, followed by 6 hours 1-to-1supervision and twelve lecture recital ‘dry-run’

sessions with 6 x 1.5 hours tutorial feedback

Each year M3A03



Demonstrated that you can work effectively and flexibly across the areas of performanceand scholarship

enhanced your fluency of presentation and effective communication skills in addition to

those you have as a performer broadened your knowledge of repertoire, honed your interpretational abilities



focussed upon a specific topic to be presented through a composite of approaches.



Cognitive skills 1, 2, 3, and 4 Transferable skills 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6


Indicative content

participation in classes devoted to appropriate research methodologies and modes of

presentation for the Lecture Recital

1-to-1 tutorial support tailored to individual needs – this may reflect some finishing workon technical aspects but is more likely to focus upon the exploration of new repertoireand preparation for specific performances

Principal Study performance as appropriate

independent practice and research to support all these activities continued exploration of Principal Study repertoire and its applicability to the Lecture

Recital as a mode of presentation, not only in performance but also through self-directedlistening – at concerts and to recordings

Method of approval

Proposed topics for Lecture Recitals must be approved by the Course Team Sub Board. Proposalsmust be submitted, countersigned by the professor teaching this element, to the RegistryProgrammes Team by the advertised date.


Lecture Recital(25 minutes, plus 5 minutes for open questions from Panel and audience) 30 credits

(Students with borderline results may be called for a viva voce exam)


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Criteria for assessment

The examiners will look for the following:

a strong quality of presentation and sense of communication with the audience

assurance and professionalism in the spoken commentary and the performance of examples.

clear handout sheets, including a bibliography/discography, as appropriate.

Good defence of your argument in the question session, with explanation of decisions taken inthe lecture recital itself, as required

The Lecture Recital should be marked according to the criteria below. The three categories ofoutcome should each be awarded a nominal mark. An overall mark should then be selected whichseems best to represent a balance of these elements. It is not necessary for this mark to be a literalaverage of the preceding three.

Category Percentage

Range Outcomes

Quality of musical

performance and of

spoken

presentation

Breadth of

background research

and its reflection in

the performance

Quality of discussion and

coherence of supporting

arguments in viva voce

Distinction80 - 100 Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding

70 - 79 Excellent Excellent Excellent

65 - 69 Extremely Good Extremely Good Extremely Good

Pass60 - 64 Very Good Very Good Very Good

55 - 59 Good Good Good

50 - 54 Fairly Good Fairly Good Fairly Good

45 - 49 MarginallyUnsatisfactory

MarginallyUnsatisfactory

Marginally Unsatisfactory

Fail40 - 44 Unsatisfactory Unsatisfactory Unsatisfactory

26 - 39 SeriouslyUnsatisfactory

Seriously Unsatisfactory Seriously Unsatisfactory

0 - 25 GrosslyUnsatisfactory

Grossly Unsatisfactory Grossly Unsatisfactory


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ADVANCED VOCAL PERFORMANCE MMUS CORE UNIT:

VOCAL CRITICAL PROJECT

Unit Leader: Deputy Head of Graduate School


M 30 MMus Elective N/A


3 x 1.5 hour Induction Lectures followed by 30minute 1-to-1 supervision to prepare topicsubmission, then 8 hours 1-to-1 supervision

Each year M3A08



displayed a mastery of a complex and specialised area of knowledge and skills

enriched your understanding of musical structure and style and of the ways in which

these impinge upon the formation of a performance in relation to your specialist topic employed advanced skills to conduct research

attained a high degree of fluency in written expression.


Practical skills 2, 3 and 5



Knowledge and understanding 3 and 4

Indicative content

1-to-1 supervision tailored to individual needs

development of research skills intrinsic to topic development

independent research to support all these activities

linkage of research work to Principal Study repertoire, not only in performance but alsothrough self-directed listening – at concerts and to recordings.

Method of approval

Proposed topics for Lecture Recitals must be approved by the Course Team Sub Board. Proposals

must be submitted, countersigned by the professor teaching this element, to the RegistryProgrammes Team by the advertised date.


Completion of a 5,000 – 7,500 word Critical Evaluation on a specialist topic which hasbeen agreed by the MMus Board of Examiners in the previous Autumn term.

(Students with borderline results may be called for a viva voce exam).

30 credits

ONE COPY of the CEP must be submitted to the Registry by the published deadline. CEP’s

that achieve a Distinction level mark will be archived in the Library.

See also Procedures for the Submission and Marking of Postgraduate Written Work for further

guidance on the preparation, submission and assessment of this unit.


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8.2.3 Principal Study Units

In the second year of the Masters Programme, Principal Study units are designatedas being at Advanced Vocal Performance level. The differentiation between thislevel and that of Vocal Performance in the first year is effected by two means.First, the marking criteria at this level are set against slightly different points on the

percentage scale and second, the recital element requires a somewhat longerduration, as can be seen by comparing the durational range below with that forthe Recital in Year One.

Recital

In Week 7 or 8 of the Summer Term, second year postgraduate singers deliver aRecital of 42-50 minutes duration, including brief spoken introductions. Thechoice of programme is free, but must include one item by a living composer. Theentire programme is to be sung from memory. Details of the requirements arecontained in the syllabus booklet for singers.

Proposed programmes, signed as being approved for content and length by thestudent’s principal study professor, must be submitted to the RegistryProgrammes Team by the advertised date. On the basis of these submissions,particularly in relation to timings, students may be recommended to make certainchanges to their programme.

Students are required to bring to their Recital the following, for the use of theexaminers:

a copy of each work in the edition used to prepare the performance;

a programme, preferably word processed, that sets down the works in

order of their performance, and acknowledges the participation of anyother performers.

Students should hand this material to the steward to be given to the examiners. Inthe absence of a steward, it should be handed directly to the examiners. Studentsshould note that mark penalties will be imposed if this material is not provided.

A high standard is expected from this short examination, with no obvioustechnical shortcomings, adequate stamina for the entire programme and theability put across a well-chosen programme to near professional standard.

Or Operatic Role The operatic role proposed for assessments should provide for an on-stage focusof attention of not less than 30 minutes as a significant participant during theopera, or

Where the role is considered to be significant enough for the purpose of thisassessment, but where the on-stage focus of attention is for fewer than 30 minutesbut greater than 15, then additionally the singer must present, under concertrecital conditions, a selection of contrasting songs timed at not less than 15minutes (but not more than 20) including brief spoken introductions, to make upthe balance of the period stipulated for assessment.


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ADVANCED VOCAL PERFORMANCE PRINCIPAL STUDY UNIT: SINGING LESSON

Unit Leader: Heads of Faculty


M 60 Core N/A



Each year M6P02



enhanced your performing skills, broadened your knowledge of repertoire, honed yourinterpretational abilities



deepened your awareness of the current state of the profession and developed yourcontacts with your future professional colleagues

brought all of these qualities to the level of full professional readiness

demonstrated the ability to act in complex, unpredictable and/or specialised contexts

demonstrated the ability to adapt acquired skills independently and develop new ones fornew situations.



Cognitive skills 1, 2, 3, and 4 Transferable skills 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6


Indicative content

1-to-1 guidance tailored to individual needs – this may reflect some final finishing workon technical aspects but is more likely to focus upon the exploration of new repertoireand preparation for specific performances

participation in faculty classes, masterclasses, College chamber concerts and otherconcerts of similar standard outside the College

performance as appropriate in ensembles, operas etc.

independent practice to support all these activities continued exploration of Principal Study repertoire, not only in performance but also



Repertoire Recital (42-50 minutes)Summer Term 60 credits

Performance Profile (showing at least two College concerts or their have been undertakenacross year) completed as part of the Personal Development Plan (PDP). The PerformanceProfile is not allocated separate credits but must be submitted and found acceptable forthe unit to be passed.

(Note: With the permission of the Head of Vocal Studies and the Director of Opera, students

may substitute a major Opera Role for the Repertoire Recital. The decision to do this MUST

be communicated to the Registry Programmes Team as soon as it has been taken. Failure to

do so may jeopardise the Final Assessment)


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ADVANCED VOCAL PERFORMANCE PRINCIPAL STUDY UNIT: OPERA COACHING

Unit Leader: Director of Opera


M 20 Core N/A



Each year M2BO3B



developed your knowledge of operatic repertoire, honed your interpretational abilities inrelation to this repertoire

enriched your understanding of the musical and dramatic elements that combine in theoperatic repertoire and of the relationships between these that need to be born in mindwhen forming an operatic performance

acquired maturity and an individual voice as a dramatic performer

deepened your awareness of the current state of the operatic profession and developedyour contacts with your future professional colleagues.






Indicative content

1-to-1 guidance tailored to individual needs – this is likely to focus upon the explorationof new repertoire and preparation for specific performances

participation in classes, masterclasses and opera scenes



continued exploration of the operatic repertoire, not only in performance but also



Opera Scene (10-15 minutes on stage)

Opera Scenes (i.e. scenes from the operatic repertoire, staged and performed in concert orin costume with piano accompaniment) generally take place in the Spring and SummerTerms. Students are prepared intensively for these events and a producer works with anentire group to determine and develop the overall character of a particular Opera Scenesevent.

Spring or Summer Term 20 credits


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ADVANCED VOCAL PERFORMANCE PRINCIPAL STUDY UNIT:

REPERTOIRE COACHING



M 10 Core N/A


10 hours/year 1:1 lessonssupported by faculty classes,


Each year M1B01B



enhanced your performing skills, broadened your knowledge of vocal repertoire, honed

your interpretational abilities enriched your understanding of musical structure and style, of the relationships between

these and the meaning conveyed in musical texts and of the ways in which these impingeupon the formation of a performance







Indicative content





continued exploration of Principal Study repertoire, not only in performance but also





Students participating in a particular song class are required to build an integratedprogramme around a specific area of repertoire or a thematic concept. The assessedperformance will usually take place in the Spring Term. Students are assessed on theirindividual performance but also on how they integrate their effort with the group as awhole and the quality of their rapport with their accompanist.


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ADVANCED VOCAL PERFORMANCE PRINCIPAL STUDY UNIT:

REPERTOIRE COACHING FOR MMUS STUDENTS WITH CONCERT SPECIALISM



M 20 Core N/A


15 hours/year 1:1 lessonssupported by faculty classes,


Each year M2B02B

Students taking the MMus Core Unit take either Opera Coaching or Repertoire Coaching. If thelatter, they receive an enhances level of provision, reflecting the fact that they have chosen tospecialise in this area.











Indicative content









Students participating in a particular song class are required to build an integratedprogramme around a specific area of repertoire or a thematic concept. The assessed

performance will usually take place in the Spring Term. Students are assessed on theirindividual performance but also on how they integrate their effort with the group as awhole and the quality of their rapport with their accompanist.


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SUPPORTING CLASS UNIT




M 30 Core N/A







applied these in the context of acquiring the skills of the operatic actor used them to develop a true poetic and musical understanding of representative works of

the art song repertoire







Indicative content





application of the skills in preparing for events such as Opera Scenes and Song Classrecitals



Song Class Recital (each student contributing an individual song) 40%


(NB Opera Scenes and Song Class Recitals also form the assessment for OperaCoaching and Repertoire Coaching respectively. In the case of those units, the panel’sassessment is the only component used; in this unit it is infected by evaluations madeby the staff involved in the preparation processes for these events. This, in

conjunction with the student’s reflective account in the PDP, means that the focus ofthe unit is more on process and that of the other two on product)


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SUPPORTING CLASS UNIT FOR MMUS STUDENTS WITH OPERA SPECIALISM




M 10 Core N/A







applied these in the context of acquiring the skills of the operatic actor







Indicative content

Preparation for the Musical Stage (assessment through Opera Scenes)


Movement 90 min 15 22.5

Acting 90 min 15 22.5

Stagecraft 90 min 15 22.5

90 min 19 plus assessmentconcert

30Italian Recitative class*

Italian recitative class would cover the basics of Italian operatic recitative-Monteverdi and his contemporaries, Handel and Haydn through toMozart. Recitative studied would tie into texts studied in languageclasses.

Foundations of the Sung Languages (assessment through Opera Scenes)

Language Lesson time Number of Lessons Hours per year

French 60 min 20 20

Italian 60 min 20 20

German 60 min 20 20


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application of the skills in preparing for events such as Opera Scenes




(NB Opera Scenes also form the assessment for Opera Coaching. In the case of thatunit, the panel’s assessment is the only component used; in this unit it is inflected byevaluations made by the staff involved in the preparation processes for these events.This, in conjunction with the student’s reflective account in the PDP, means that thefocus of the unit is more on process and that of the other on product)


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SUPPORTING CLASS UNIT FOR MMUS STUDENTS WITH CONCERT SPECIALISM




M 10 Core N/A







used them to develop a true poetic and musical understanding of representative works ofthe art song repertoire

synthesised the experiences gained in the various classes into a deepening of youru

vocal and opera studies

Documents