Community directory

Benslow Music Trust

Benslow Music Trust provides a year round programme of over 130 short residential and non-residential courses for amateur musicians, students and teachers. The courses offer specialised coaching at grades varying from complete beginner to advanced level.

The Trust has been running courses for 30 years and is based at Little Benslow Hills, a Victorian house with a capacity to sleep up to 50, set in secluded gardens only a few minutes walk from Hitchin Station and the town centre.

Courses run at weekends, midweek and other times, including week long summer schools, covering chamber music, choral and solo singing, jazz, orchestras, big band, and solo workshops for elementary to advanced players.

Facilities include two excellent recital halls, purpose built practice studios and an extensive music library. The library stock is available to members of Benslow Music Trust and course participants. Benslow also has four grand pianos, including a Steinway, seven upright pianos, clavinovas and a collection of early keyboards.

High quality instruments, mostly strings with some woodwind, are available for loan to promising music students who are unable to buy their own.

Public concerts are held regularly at Benslow Music Trust.

Private Hire: the accommodation, including new en-suite rooms, and facilities are available for hire for courses, concerts, conferences, private practice/ study and other activities.

Costs: Weekend courses start from £160.00 residential and £125.00 non-residential.

Office hours: Monday-Friday 9.00am-5.00pm.

Directions: Close to Hitchin BR Station, A1(M), A505, A602.

Accessibility: Benslow is able to offer two en-suite bedrooms for someone needing ground floor facilities, including wheelchair access, plus several other suitably equipped rooms.

Facilities: Bar, car parking.

Registered charity number: 313663