The Canadian Renaissance Music Summer Schools
The Canadian Renaissance Music Summer Schools organization continues to expand! In 2026, there will be three CRMSS courses, held in London, ON; Halifax, NS; and Burnaby, BC. For the first time, all three courses will last a full week, finally realising a "coast to coast" ambition for complete parity across our events.
You can read about each of our courses in detail on our Courses page or read on for a brief introduction to CRMSS and what we do.
What is a CRMSS course?
Aimed primarily, but not exclusively, at undergraduate students, graduates, and young professional musicians, courses run by The Canadian Renaissance Music Summer Schools organization (known as "CRMSS courses") are dedicated to the study and performance of Renaissance polyphonic vocal and instrumental music at the highest levels.
The CRMSS organization was founded in 2018 by UK-based Canadian baritone and conductor Greg Skidmore. Greg grew up in London, Ontario but has spent the last two decades living in the UK entirely focused on Renaissance music, performing regularly with the world's leading ensembles such as The Tallis Scholars and I Fagiolini. You can read more about CRMSS's Founder and Artistic Director on our Tutors page, where you can also get to know some of the other leading experts Greg brings together for these events.
When you attend a CRMSS course, you learn from internationally acknowledged specialist tutors from the worlds of performance and academia, and become immersed in this magnificent music. These are intensive periods of rehearsal and performance, both liturgically and in concert, all with an emphasis on quality in performance.
Is a CRMSS course for me?
While the courses are open to everyone aged 18 and over, successful applicants will have a high level of sight reading confidence and some experience with small ensemble music making. For singers, being comfortable working entirely unaccompanied is important, and any experience working in small, one-per-part ensembles will set you up well for your CRMSS experience. Some familiarity with Renaissance repertoire will also be an asset, though we welcome people who are new to this music as well. Current and recent university music students are especially encouraged to apply, though a major in vocal studies is not a requirement, nor is the completion of formal musicological study.
Our courses are very heavily focussed on performance; we encounter academic, liturgical, and stylistic questions primarily through our practical engagement with the music itself. All that is required is an open mind and an affinity for collaborative ensemble music making.
Course Dates
Back to topCourse Venues
Back to top
CRMSS Ontario 2026 will take place at
St. John the Evangelist Church,
in London, ON
CRMSS Atlantic 2026 is hosted by
University of King's College
in Halifax, NS
CRMSS Pacific 2026 will be at
St. Helen's Parish
in Burnaby, BC
Applications
Back to topApplications for our CRMSS 2026 courses are now open!
The application deadlines are below:
CRMSS Ontario 2026:
Saturday, February 1st 2026
CRMSS Atlantic 2026:
Wednesday, April 1st, 2026
CRMSS Pacific 2026:
Friday, May 1st, 2026
Please submit your application earlier than the deadlines if you can, so we can get to know you and help you through the process.
More Information
Back to topThe course fees for singers to attend any of our three courses in 2026 are:
Full Price
$650
Student Rate
$450
We pride ourselves on keeping our course fees absolutely as low as possible while offering a world-class experience. We have not increased our course fees again this year.
For more information about our student rates, please have a look at our Course Description pages, in the "Cost" section.
The fee covers all ensemble and individual coaching, more than 50 hours' worth, throughout the course; participation in lectures and panel discussions led by our resident musicologist tutors; attendance at and participation in masterclasses, private recitals, church services, and public concerts; and much more.
Participants at all our CRMSS courses are welcome to keep the scores they use, many of which will be newly edited specifically for each course.
Deposit
We ask successful applicants to secure their place on a course by providing a deposit, a portion of the entire course fee, immediately upon receive of their invitation to participate. This will be counted against the total course fee, the remainder of which is due later. The deposit is due as soon as you receive confirmation from us that your application has been successful. We aim to send out our acceptance letters a few weeks after each course's application deadline. The remainder of the fee is due a few weeks before the course begins and successful applications will be informed of the precise date when they are invited to come.
Deposit for 2026 courses:
$200
Refunds
Once fees are paid, CRMSS reserves the right to limit any refund, taking into account the individual circumstances of a participant's cancellation.
Our instrumental events in 2026 are still being prepared. When we have more information we will post it here.
Don't hesitate to get in touch at any time and ask questions!
Accommodation costs are not included in the course fee. We can help you if you would like some accommodation suggestions, but ultimately finding a place to stay is your responsibility.
You don't need to find accommodation through us and are welcome to arrange for it entirely on your own. Transport between your accommodation and the course venues will not be supplied by CRMSS.
Arranging and paying for your travel to a CRMSS coures is your responsibility. For those of you who arrive in one of our CRMSS host cities by public transport, once you get here we can help to make sure you get to where you need to go on the first day. We can also help you get back to a nearby airport, or the train or bus station, after the course has finished.
Previous CRMSS Reports
Back to topAfter each course, Founder and Artistic Director Greg Skidmore prepares a report, with input from the tutor team, giving you the opportunity to get a feel for what happened. Please give them a read, and get in touch if you would like to know more!
Reports for our three 2025 courses are still being prepared. Read about our previous courses by expanding the section below.
Download a course poster
Back to topPlease download and print off one or more of these PDF posters to advertise our 2026 courses at your university, church, or other institution and help spread the word!
The Canadian Renaissance Music Summer Schools is a federally registered Canadian charity with Charitable Number 762652873RR0001.
