Zac Crowe

Bursary receiver in 2019. Apply for your bursary here

Starting the summer holidays I was nervous yet very excited to take part in the Oundle for Organists summer course once again this year. This is a course in which young organists are given masterclasses, private tutorship, and musicianship classes to promote their playing and passion for the organ. Overwhelmed with nerves, it was important that I was able to continue my Organ and Piano studies in preparation for the course with my tutor Alistair Mackenzie. Without the financial grant from the Brereton Fund, I would not have been able to continue this tuition.

I had an amazing time on the course and met a fantastic group of like minded people who inspired and encouraged me to practice hard. This gave me a deeper passion not just for the organ, but for all aspects of music. Following my experience at Oundle for Organists, my tutor and I planned to work through the syllabuses of the next exams on both instruments — with the view of taking the exams early next year [2020].
Continuing my lesson pre and post Oundle has been vital as it has given me the
opportunity to continue my progress with my tutor through working intensely on my technique and in particular looking at different pianistic techniques appropriate to different periods of music.
Ultimately this has been extremely useful in my preparation of exam pieces and in my wider playing. Consequently, the benefits from these lessons have also helped me with my A Level composition and with my performance element. Without the support of the Brereton Fund, I would have had no access to lessons through the entire summer holidays; this would have been detrimental to my studies. Therefore it is with great gratitude and appreciation that I write this testimonial, with the knowledge that without the kindness and support of the Brereton Fund I would not have had a summer filled with inspiration and encouragement, exploring a passion that I love deeply.

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