A selection of music students will resume face-to-face activities that require access to specialist facilities and performance spaces from Monday 8 March. Our priority remains to ensure the safety of our students and staff as we welcome our community back onto campus. and therefore we have to make difficult decisions to ensure the safety of all at Royal Holloway. 

Until further notice, all of our music practice spaces will be single occupancy only, with the exception of in-person instrumental or vocal tuition where the maximum occupancy in a given room will be 2 people. 

There are special circumstances where those enrolled onto MU2211 / MU3211 Ensemble Performance and/or MU2240 / MU3240 Contemporary Music Performance, are permitted to safely rehearse in-person ahead of their assessment. Full details will be communicated to those impacted via Dr Mary Dullea (Director of Performance). Please read on for further information. 

The Concert Office will be open for in-person meetings (advance booking only) and will continue its provision of online support. Please arrange a meeting in advance by contacting Eleanor Sperling (before 2th December) or Nathan Dearden (3rd December onwards). Online support will be given between 12.00pm - 5.00pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

The Concert Office now has an online platform on Student Intranet and Moodle, filled to the brim with resources and information. You can find us on Moodle by searching ‘Music Performance at Royal Holloway’ or by CLICKING HERE. 

Students who are enrolled onto a music degree programme at Royal Holloway are still able to self-enrol onto this Moodle page by searching ‘Music Performance at Royal Holloway’ or by CLICKING HERE.

During these challenging times, Royal Holloway University of London has taken the decision to close to members of the general public, and visitors should not be invited onto campus by staff or students for the forseeable future. 

However, there are occassions within the student curriculum where it is vital for specialist visitors to guest lecture, teach or lead workshops, and provide expert tuition to our students. We strongly encourage, where possible, that if a visiting specialist is required to lead a workshop or lecture as part of an academic module, that this session is done using digital technology. College protocol regarding our Flexible Teaching Model must be conveyed by the engager to the invited specialist visitor.

In the rare case that it is imperative that a visiting specialist needs to lead their session on-campus, please ensure that this is communicated with the Head of Department and Performance Manager and the engager reads and understands our risk assessment outlined here. In some cases, this may have to be authorised by the College's Health & Safety Officer. 

Full information for specialist visitors and our risk assessment, please click here.

A selection of music students will resume face-to-face activities that require access to specialist facilities and performance spaces from Monday 8 March. Our priority remains to ensure the safety of our students and staff as we welcome our community back onto campus. Therefore we have to continue to adapt and implement safety measures to ensure the safety of all at Royal Holloway. 

There will be no group music-making activities taking place, in-person and on-campus, until at least 17 May 2021, after which our in-person group music-making provision will be revisited in line with Government and College advice.

If you or the group you perform with is affected by this and have any further questions, please feel free to contact Eleanor.Sperling@rhul.ac.uk. 

The Department of Music have extended their 'The Platform' series to ensure there remains creative and safe ways for students and staff to showcase their talent. For more information, please click here. 

On Monday 22 February, the Prime Minister announced a ‘roadmap’ towards ending lockdown. Within the published guidance, universities are asked not to invite students back to campus where courses ‘can reasonably be continued online’, until a further review in mid-April, when further guidance will be given.  

A selection of music students will resume face-to-face activities that require access to laboratories, specialist facilities and performance spaces from Monday 8 March. For some other students, a return to campus for face-to-face teaching may follow over the course of the coming weeks.

If the return to campus on Monday 8 March applies to you, you will receive an email from your school on Friday, 26 February 2021. More information on the College's news can be found here (link embedded).

Testing on return to campus

Students and Staff who attend campus regularly are encouraged to be tested on a weekly basis through the test centre. For regular test results, it is more efficient for students and staff to create an NHS account as this speeds up the registration process. 

All students are expected to take two lateral flow tests (LFT) on your return to campus.

It is important that even if you test negative for Covid-19, that you continue to play your part by following social distancing and hygiene rules and guidance. If you test positive for Covid-19, we will support you through your self-isolation. 

There are three strands to our College-wide response for a safe campus for all:

• Hygiene. Coronavirus (Covid-19) can be spread through touching contaminated surfaces and then the face. To break this chain, the surfaces must not become contaminated and if they are, individuals must not touch them and then their face.
• Social distancing. Most cold and flu-like diseases are spread in part through airborne droplets. Social distancing is a means of reducing this spread. It also serves to reduce the number of people present and so the overall risk.
• Wellbeing and mental health. These are challenging times for most people and so additional support for mental health and managing stress is more important than ever.

The Executive Board has set College-wide controls to meet these aims. This includes College policies and processes applicable to all students, staff and visitors.

Under these top-level controls, each school, department or building will complete a detailed risk assessment to ensure that these principles are met in their area. This could involve a range of measures that could include staggering start times, implementing one-way systems, and reconfiguring offices.

These risk assessments are being reviewed by the Health and Safety Office prior to re-opening. 

The final part is the individual responsibility that every student and member of staff has to comply with the controls and not attend campus if they are unwell.

 A breakdown of the three strands:

Government advice

The guidance makes a clear distinction between Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and face coverings. The former is a control measure specified within a risk assessment; such items are required to meet a defined standard. PPE must not be used to control the risk from Covid-19 outside of clinical settings. A face covering is any form of cloth that covers the ‘mouth and nose while allowing you to breathe comfortably’. 

Face coverings may be ‘marginally beneficial’ in ‘some circumstances’, although they do not offer protection to the user but instead help reduce the spread of infection. This ignores the psychological aspect that wearing a face covering will have for some students and staff. The perception of the College, and our values, based on our position must also be considered. This is particularly important for our students from countries where face coverings are commonly used. 

Finally, the guidance states that the face coverings should be supported if employees chose to wear them. There is a list of information that should be provided to staff about the safe way to use face coverings. This has been included at the bottom of this section. A key point is that face coverings should be washed each day; practically this means each person will require a minimum of two. 

College Position

Within the sector there have been three positions discussed with reference to face coverings, broadly to: mandate, encourage, or allow. It is recommended that Royal Holloway actively encourages their use, including a suitable campaign by Marketing and Communications, supported by clear visible leadership and aligned to the support that Human Resources (HR) will provide around the return to campus. In terms of health and safety, if something is mandated then it must occur; supervision is required to ensure compliance and there must be sanctions for non-compliance. This would be a difficult to manage in this case and would result in numerous issues with few benefits. Likewise, to only allow the use of face coverings, without encouraging them, does not address the perception and psychological benefits of their use. 

The College will provide 2 reusable face covering to every member of staff and student at no charge. 

Information to be provided to staff and students on face coverings

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser before putting a face covering on, and after removing it; 
• When wearing a face covering, avoid touching your face or face covering, as you could contaminate them with germs from your hands; 
• Change your face covering if it becomes damp or if you’ve touched it; 
• Continue to wash your hands regularly; 
• Change and wash your face covering daily; 
• If the material is washable, wash in line with manufacturer’s instructions. If it’s not washable, dispose of it carefully in your usual waste; 
• And practise social distancing wherever possible.

We are naturally having to look at our public facing events for the coming year as a College, therefore, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students, staff and our wider community we are implementing the following steps: 

• Public facing events will be ‘digital first’ between now and 17 May 2021;
• There will be no public tickets for events on campus until 17 May 2021, where our public facing provision will be revisited in line with Government and College advice;
• Events normally accessible to a public audience may be live streamed or pre-recorded and any such event will have a pre-planned on campus location, where possible;
• Regular religious services and commercial events are not within the scope of this plan.

Organisation

• Booking of practice rooms to be made online via Resource Booker to ensure “contact-free” bookings. Facilities staff to patrol the building to ensure the correct use of practice rooms.
• Each room will be equipped with a shared keyboard cleaning kit (where applicable) and a clear Perspex partition screen (dimensions: 1800mm x 1000m).
• Try as much as possible to use rooms designated for single occupancy. Please refer to separate Social Distancing – Room Capacities document for more information. Room capacities will also be displayed in each room. 
• If possible, please ensure the space you are using is well ventilated by opening a window for fresh air.

Equipment

• Bring your own music stand and only use your own music and equipment.
• In order to ensure flexible and safe music practice, there will be no music stands available in any of our rehearsal and teaching spaces.  The Department of Music can provide a portable music stand for first-study instrumentalists and singers (excluding piano/organ) to those enrolled onto one or more of these courses: MU1118, MU2205, MU2210, MU3407, MU3393, MU5535, MU5509, MU5539 or you can bring your own personal music stand.
• Second study instrumentalists/vocalists will be required to bring their own stand for Department ensemble activity in which they might be taking part.  If you foresee an issue with this, please do get in touch with Eleanor Sperling as soon as possible.
• Number of chairs and stands in each room limited with all excess stands and chairs removed.
• All spaces with a shared keyboard instrument to be equipped with a keyboard cleaning kit for individual’s present in a space to clean the keyboard responsibly. Guidelines outlining the process will be included in each kit. 

Further measures

• Strict handwashing policy in operation upon entering the College, with signage and clear one-way system to direct people to facilities (where applicable).
• Wind and Brass instruments – ensure you have your own cloth to soak up any condensate and take away with you after use. 

For full information about the use of one of our practice spaces for solo instrumental rehearsal, please read thoroughly the following risk assessments: RA – MUPerf01: Small practice rooms and RA – MUPerf07: Using shared instruments and musical equipment.  

There are special circumstances where those enrolled onto MU2211 / MU3211 Ensemble Performance and/or MU2240 / MU3240 Contemporary Music Performance, are permitted to safely rehearse in-person ahead of their assessment. Full details will be communicated to those impacted via Dr Mary Dullea (Director of Performance). 

Please refer to the guidelines above, plus consideration of social distancing measures. These will be outlined in each suitable rehearsal space. 

The below are guidelines for group music practice or rehearsal with 2 – 8 people for individuals enrolled onto MU2211 / MU3211 or MU2240 / MU3240 only. Please note the conductor, group leader or nominated representative will be responsible for the organisation of the following guidance, overseeing the guidance within a space and enacting the guidance (please also see page 43):

Organisation

• One member of each ensemble will have responsibility to ensure that they fully understand and implement the guidelines and that these are shared with and understood by each member
• The designated member will be responsible for reporting to the Performance Manager the membership of the ensemble as soon as fixed and outline the Room Bookings procedures. 
• Booking of practice rooms to be made online via Resource Booker to ensure “contact-free” bookings. Facilities staff to patrol the building to ensure the correct use of practice rooms.
• All rooms in Woodlands, Woodlands Cottage and Engineers Cottage will have 3 metre markings on the floor and drawings suggesting the layout and capacities, dependent on the make-up of your ensemble (instrumental/vocal/mixed).  3 metres should be aimed for and certainly no less than 2m for singing, wind and brass. Varying social distancing mappings will be displayed in each practice and rehearsal space. 
• Chairs (if needed) should be laid out in advance of the rehearsal by the designated member. 
• If there is a conductor they must stand a minimum of 3 metres from the nearest singer/wind/brass instrument.
• The designated manager will aim to ensure ventilation of spaces as detailed below, that any keyboards and screens that have been used have been cleaned before vacating the space.
• Most of these guidelines rely on the individual responsibility of each member to adhere to these guidelines at all times.
• Any ensemble member with symptoms of COVID-19 must not take part and must follow the general college advice to remain at their residence. If they have participated in rehearsals with a group in the last seven days, they should also follow College procedures.

Spacing

• There must be no face-to-face performance and should be side-by-side or in a semicircle.
• If a second row is required they should be at least 2 metres behind the front row and placed carefully so as not to be projecting directly into the head of the person in front.
• Be careful to maintain social distancing around crowded areas like doorways and not to congregate between sessions.
• Face mask are encouraged to be worn when moving between your assigned space and another other of the space and/or building. 
• Clear signage will be posted in each space on best practice for positioning of musicians, where the room is needed for more than one individual.  

Duration

• No rehearsal session should last longer than 1-hour before taking a break of a minimum of 15 minutes.

Ventilation

• Ensure that the space you are performing in is as well ventilated as possible with doors and windows fixed open where possible.
• During a break, air must be allowed to circulate in the room.
• When a room is being ventilated during a break, there should be no individual remaining in the room. However someone should remain within sight of the room for security purposes.

Equipment

• No personal music scores, pencils, water or other equipment should be shared with another student or staff member.
• Each student is required to bring their own music stand to rehearsal/practice. 
• All spaces with a shared keyboard instrument to be equipped with a keyboard cleaning kit for individuals present in a space to clean the keyboard responsibly. Guidelines outlining the process will be included in each kit. 

Further measures

• Strict handwashing policy in operation upon entering the College, with signage and clear one-way system to direct people to facilities (where applicable).
• Performers should wear face coverings when not playing/singing and particularly at the end of a session
• When available in a given space, protective screens can be used. Please enquire with Eleanor Sperling to loan additional screens. 

For full information about the use of one of our practice spaces for solo instrumental rehearsal, please read thoroughly the following risk assessments: RA – MUPerf02: Large practice rooms and RA – MUPerf07: Using shared instruments and musical equipment.  

IMPORTANT There will be no group music-making activities taking place, in-person and on-campus, until at least 17 May 2021, after which our in-person group music-making provision will be revisited in line with Government and College advice.

IMPORTANT There will be no group music-making activities taking place, in-person and on-campus, until at least 17 May 2021, after which our in-person group music-making provision will be revisited in line with Government and College advice.

Instrumental and vocal lessons will be delivered with a blend of face-to-face and on-line tuition as much as is possible. From 8 March 2021, first-year undergraduate tuition will remain online, whereas second/final-year undergraduate and postgraduate taught tuition may be delivered in-person (dependent on tutor's current availability). 

Some key points to remember for your instrumental and vocal lessons at Royal Holloway are:

Spacing

• All teaching rooms will have floor markings at 3m to indicate standing/sitting positions, particularly for singing, wind and brass. 

Equipment 

• Bring your own music stand and only use your own music and equipment (e.g. pencils, paper, water).
• All spaces with a shared keyboard instrument to be equipped with a keyboard cleaning kit for individuals present in a space to clean the keyboard responsibly. Guidelines outlining the process will be included in each kit. 
• Number of chairs and stands in each room limited with all excess stands and chairs removed.

Ventilation

• Ensure that the space you are performing in is as well ventilated as possible with doors and windows fixed open where possible.
• During a break, air must be allowed to circulate in the room.
• When a room is being ventilated during a break, there should be no individual remaining in the room. However someone should remain within sight of the room for security purposes.

Further measures

• Strict handwashing policy in operation upon entering the College, with signage and clear one-way system to direct people to facilities (where applicable).
• Wind and Brass instruments – ensure you have your own cloth to soak up any condensate and take away with you after use.
• Where 2m social distancing cannot be maintained, facemasks are to be worn, as per College Guidelines.
• Each room will be equipped with a shared keyboard cleaning kit (where applicable) and a clear Perspex partition screen (dimensions: 1800mm x 1000m).

For full information about the use of one of our practice spaces for instrumental and vocal teaching, please read thoroughly the following risk assessments: RA – MUPerf01: Small practice rooms, RA – MUPerf02: Large practice rooms and RA – MUPerf07: Using shared instruments and musical equipment.  

The health, safety and welfare of everyone we work with is a top priority for Royal Holloway. To ensure we take all reasonable steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19, we ask that you if you (as a delegated member of a music group) complete a Music Group Rehearsal Checklist & Agreement before a given rehearsal/session with your music group.

Please CLICK HERE to complete the Music Group Rehearsal Checklist & Agreement.(Link embedded)

All music practice spaces in Woodlands Building, Woodlands Cottage and Engineers Cottage can now be booked by both students and staff via Resource Booker. 

All students enrolled onto any undergraduate and postgraduate music course will have the opportunity to book up to 90-minutes for individual practice or small group rehearsal per day. 

All requests for room bookings will be authorized by a member of performance staff. 

As outlined in the various Risk Assessments, you must book a space to be able to use it as part of our Track-and-Trace protocols at the Department of Music. Students and staff found to have neglected this procedure may be prohibited from using music practice facilities. 

Please ensure you read and understand the room capacities document before booking, otherwise the booking process may be prolonged if this information is not given on booking. 

The Concert Office now has an online platform on Moodle, filled to the brim with resources and information. You can find us on Moodle by searching ‘Music Performance at Royal Holloway’ or by CLICKING HERE. 

Students enrolled onto the following courses will have been automatically enrolled onto the ‘Music Performance at Royal Holloway’ Moodle page: MU1118, MU1119, MU2205, MU2210, MU2211, MU3211, MU3393, MU3407, MU5509, MU5535 and MU5539. 

Students who are enrolled onto a music degree programme at Royal Holloway are still able to self-enrol onto this Moodle page by searching ‘Music Performance at Royal Holloway’ or by CLICKING HERE.

Here you will find information on: Welcome Week 2020, General Concert Office Information, Ensembles at Royal Holloway, International Concert Series, Instrumental & Vocal Tuition, Room Bookings, Concert Management & Artist Personnel Programme, Front-of-House Scheme, Instrument and Musical Instrument Loans, and Picture Gallery Composer-in-Residence Programme. 

The Concert Office, situated in Wettons Terrace 0-04, will still be open during term-time on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 12.00pm – 5.00pm. However we strongly encourage you to book a meeting in advance by emailing eleanor.sperling@rhul.ac.uk (before 2 December 2021) or nathanjames.dearden@rhul.ac.uk (after 2 December 2021), to save on trips to the office where the Performance Manager may be busy and to reduce contact with office staff and other students/staff. 

You will also find that the Concert Office has been restricted to incorporate a one-way system (one exit, one entrance) to reduce contact with office staff and other students/staff