Double page spreads from the book were displayed on a 65” television screen. We discussed the chronological content of the book, addressed any issues, exchanged ideas about technique and shared experiences of teaching – especially at a conservatoire level. In addition to this, the players effectively proof-read the music, checking that all the examples worked musically and were visually appealing. It was great to hear the music played by real musicians, as opposed to the digital sounds of the Sibelius software.

Work to edit the book is still ongoing, so it was great to have the editor available on the second day of the workshops, appearing via Skype video link. He was able to explain various issues and he noted certain areas for improvement. He also demonstrated on the violin and explained some advanced concepts in relation to just intonation, and also on the subject of articulation. The editor had hoped to be there in person, but a Covid had other ideas! It was so fortunate that the venue had excellent wi-fi and I had brought a spare iPad which was placed on a lectern and connected to Skype. It worked perfectly throughout the day.

These private events were not open to an audience, nor were they recorded. This gave the players the freedom to experiment. The only record of the workshops were these two photographs, taken so that we can publicly acknowledge and thank Arts Council England for their support.