I am finalising my programme notes for DipAMRSM performing (in 18 days time!!!). The trouble with the singing exam is that instead of playing say four pieces on an instrument, am doing 9 pieces (3 oratorio, 2 opera, 2 lieder, 2 English song) and keeping the word count down to 1200 is a nightmare (second only to learning the words!) I've pared them down to the limits of acceptable English. They are supposed to be like concert notes for the average person, and i have written those many times fro choral concerts, but this is a boogar. Any tips please?

I posted about exactly the same problem on the Diploma board - I am doing DipABRSM performing in 3 weeks with 9 pieces....9 songs in fact (no opera, no oratorio - for which you can have the words)...and no-one came up with any solution :-) though it seems others do find it hard even with just 5 pieces!

BTW, you are the first other person on these boards who seems to be doing Dip singing, where are you taking it? what do you sing?

Anyway - I started off with about 2000+ words, and just was totally ruthless about cutting out bits that were not totally relevant - remember you get to discuss in the viva, so any extra detail can actually get the boot. I provide minimal bio - one or two sentences, then another two on the context and a final two about the piece. On avearge about 135 words per song (my notes vary from 117 to 148 or something). Remember you don't have to make them all the same length, for some I had "real" things to say about the piece, some not (Schubert is well documented, Saint Saens is not!). I also had a friend (occasional concert goer) read it for English and general sense after I had cut so much, and that helped reorganised a few things more logically.

Do you happen to know whether the sight reading is indeed just one page and in English?

i want to know as well.... i'm going to do a dip next year....

liebe klavier - as I said in another post, it actually says in the NEW syllabus that it is the case, so you have nothing to worry about :-)