Following five highly successful years in the UK, the Tallis Scholars Summer School launches in the USA in 2005. The course was initiated in 2000 by Peter Phillips, founder and director of the internationally celebrated early music group the Tallis Scholars, in response to many requests throughout his career to study with him. TSSS is dedicated to exploring our great heritage of renaissance choral music, and to developing a performance style appropriate to it, as pioneered by the Tallis Scholars. In the UK the course attracts around 60 singers annually from all walks of life and all corners of the globe. The age range is between 16 and 74 and participants have attended from the US and Canada, Australia, Japan and across Europe.

Featuring choral rehearsals with Peter Phillips, sung services, vocal tuition, morning warm-ups, a series of talks and lectures and a Gala Concert by the course participants, directed by Peter Phillips, TSSS has made a name for itself as one of the best courses of its kind in the world. The course has sparked a wave of passion for renaissance choral music and many amateur and semi-professional choral groups have sprung up globally as singers from the course take home their experiences to share with others. In the words of Peter Phillips: "TSSS is incredibly rewarding and great fun - and a delight to see TSSS alumni at our concerts all over the world. It's especially gratifying to hear of new ensembles and concerts springing up as a result of people's experience at TSSS. There seems to be a real sense of global community, with alumni setting up their own internet chat rooms to keep in touch, sing and go to concerts together. We've had some great singers on these courses and the USA course is a very exciting development."

The first Tallis Scholars Summer School in the USA will take place at Seattle University from the 23rd to the 30th of July 2005. A dynamic, global city, Seattle is a thriving hub of early music, providing the perfect setting for TSSS USA. Located within steps of Seattle's downtown core, Seattle University offers excellent facilities both for comfortable living and for music making -- including the celebrated Chapel of St Ignatius.

Tutors for TSSS USA will be Peter Phillips (Director, The Tallis Scholars), David Woodcock (Director of Music, Oakham School), Andrew Carwood (The Tallis Scholars), Patrick Craig (The Tallis Scholars), Ghislaine Morgan (Associate, The Tallis Scholars) and Doug Fullington (Director, The Tudor Choir).

Fees: The course fee includes 7 nights accommodation and all meals, all tuition, vocal lessons, talks, warm-ups and activities, a visit to the Seattle Art Museum, a ticket for Tudor Choir concert with members of the Tallis Scholars and a CD recording of the Gala Concert. The standard fee is $1500 and student fee is $1450. Hardship bursaries: the Friends of TSSS offers a limited number of bursaries on a discretionary basis in cases of extreme hardship. Please apply in writing by the course applications closing date. The closing date for applications to TSSS USA is 1 February 2005.

For further information or to apply on-line, please visit www.tsss.uk.com or e-mail Juliet.allan@tsss.uk.com to be added to the mailing list.