SING ABBA! — residential weekend

Friday 27 September 2013 6pm to Sunday 29 September 2013 2pm
Farncombe Courses
Broadway (Cotswolds) WR12 7LJ
Worcestershire

Book via the Farncombe Courses website, email [email protected], or phone 0333 456 8580

Spend a whole weekend learning some of ABBA's finely crafted pop songs, all specially arranged for voice only. Come and sing your heart out and bathe in the glorious harmonies of Sweden's most famous pop group.

Hard to believe, but it's been nearly 40 years since ABBA won the Eurovision song contest with their song 'Waterloo', and yet their songs still excite and captivate us. Despite 'only' being pop songs, ABBA's repertoire is fantastically rich, varied and relatively complex and offers plenty of scope for the close examination that a weekend allows.

On this fun and relaxed singing weekend you will learn some of ABBA's best-known songs. All songs have been arranged especially for voice only and will be sung in harmony wihout instruments or backing tracks. Some harmony singing experience is advisable, but all songs will be taught by ear.

You'll be amazed at the sound we create together and a recording of the workshop will be made available free afterwards to remind you of the weekend. Book via the Farncombe Courses website.
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October 2013

SING THE WORLD!

Sunday 13 October 11am to 5pm
School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)
Room G3
Thornhaugh Street
Russell Square
London WC1H 0XG

Cost: £28 (bring lunch to share)

Send a cheque payable to SOAS Students' Union to Deb Viney, Diversity Advisor at the SOAS address above or email Deb Viney: [email protected] to book.

Learn a range of songs from around the world, in the original languages, in glorious unaccompanied harmony: African, gospel, Eastern European, New Zealand maori and more.

It's great FUN! No experience necessary, all songs taught by ear in the traditional way.

Chris is returning to SOAS for the 5th time and his workshops are always very popular so make sure you book in plenty of time.
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A WHOLE WORLD OF SONG — residential weekend

Saturday 19 October 10.30am to Sunday 20 October 3.30pm
YHA Stratford-upon-Avon
Hemmingford House
Alveston
Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 7RG

Cost: £100 includes, buffet lunches, evening meal, bed & breakfast, teas, coffees and cake, and all tuition (availability to stay on Friday 18th October if required)

To book phone Stratford YHA on 01789 297093 or email [email protected]

Get a taste of a range of singing styles from across the globe.

Songs come from traditions and cultures where singing comes as naturally as talking.

All welcome, no experience needed, just bring yourself and have a go. All songs taught by ear (no need to read music) and no solo singing!

This singing weekend is now in its 4th year and we look forward to welcoming old friends and making new ones! So come and join in the fun as Chris teaches beautiful harmonies to amazing songs from all around the world.

The hostel has recently undergone a major £1.26 million pound refurbishment. Set in three acres of land, the facelift includes a stylish new bar and restaurant, and new en suite rooms.

These singing weekends are always very popular so make sure you book in plenty of time. To book phone Stratford YHA on 01789 297093 or email [email protected]
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COME AND SING!

Saturday 26 October 10am to 12.30pm
Boxted & Hartest Institute
The Green
Hartest IP29 4DH (between Sudbury and Bury St. Edmunds

Cost: £9 (reduction for students)
Refreshments included

To book ring Joe on 01284 830457 or email Mo Woods: [email protected]

A relaxed, informal, rewarding morning of singing with like-minded souls, liberally laced with humour!

Learn harmony songs from across the globe. Open to everyone, no experience necessary and no need to read music (all songs taught by ear).
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November 2013

SONGS ON THE EASTERN WIND

Saturday 2 November 10am to 4pm
Hursley Parish Hall
Main Road
Hursley
Winchester SO21 2JW

Cost: £19 for early bookings (before 15 Sept); £24 after that date.
Refreshments provided. Bring lunch to share.

Enquiries to Dallas Maughan on 01962 854812 or 07931 517 369

Cheques payable to Jacqueline Gehring and sent to:
30 Keats Close, Winchester SO22 4HR

Learn songs from a range of Eastern European cultures and traditions: crunchy harmonies from the Balkans, Romanian lullabies, Czech gypsy passion, haunting chants from the Russian Orthodox church, gorgeous clashing harmonies from Georgia, mountain hollers from Macedonia and more. All taught by ear in the traditional way. No previous experience necessary, just a love of singing.

To hear recordings from previous workshops, see the workshop themes page.
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ALL ABOARD THE GOSPEL TRAIN! American roots, gospel and blues — residential weekend

Friday 22 November to Sunday 24 November
Alison House
Intake Lane
Cromford (near Matlock) DE4 3RH
Derbyshire

SOLD OUT!

Some non-residential places may become available nearer the time. Watch this space.

Discover your inner Elvis or Aretha on this fabulous gospel singing weekend for people of all faiths and none.

Immerse yourself in the roots of the blues, southern gospel, Jubilee quartets, and negro spirituals from the slave plantations.

Who doesn't love to sing gospel? You don't have to be religious to enjoy the uplifting, passionate, exciting sounds of gospel music. In this liberating workshop we will sing African-American gospel songs from the 1920s and 1930s; spirituals from the slave plantations; and gospel songs from South Africa — all in glorious unaccompanied harmony! Good old-time gospel singing with no backing band, and no modern R&B flavas.

Back in Derbyshire after last autumn's fantastic ABBA weekend, this time Chris has chosen a smart hotel with all en suite rooms as the venue.

Alison House is a Georgian style House built by the Arkwright Family and set in the Derwent Valley world Heritage site. Set in seven acres of grounds with beautiful gardens in a peaceful setting, yet only a short walk from Cromford and the cable cars and attractions of Matlock Bath.

All 16 rooms at Alison House are en-suite and are situated in either the main house or in the cottage which is just across the courtyard. Each Room is tastefully decorated and serviced to the highest standard.

In the gospel church everyone participates, whether they have a conventionally 'beautiful' voice or not. All parts in the harmony are important, every role is valued, and each person's contribution enriches the whole — expression, not technique, is what is valued. This workshop is open to all, even if you've never 'sung' outside the bathroom before! No experience is necessary and all songs will be taught by ear.

Gospel music is undoubtedly spiritual in nature and requires expression of feeling, using body, mind and spirit. We will sing the songs with the greatest respect, but there will be no preaching here, and everyone can join in regardless of race, beliefs or ability.

You'll be amazed at the sound we create together and a recording of the workshop will be made available free afterwards to remind you of the weekend.

To hear recordings of previous workshops, see the workshop themes page.
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A WHOLE WORLD OF SONG

Saturday 30 November 10.30am to 4.30pm
Westacre Theatre
River Road
Westacre Norfolk PE32 1UD

Cost: £28

Booking by phone: 01760 755800

Learn songs from all around the world especially arranged for voice only — Africa, Eastern Europe, the Pacific, USA and more — and not an instrument or backing track in sight! Everything will be taught by ear (no need to read music). No previous experience needed - just bring yourself and have a go.

Join Chris for a day of fun and laughter, find your natural voice, discover new songs from other cultures, feel the joy of creating rich and vibrant harmonies, sing your heart out and make some new friends.

Whether you've only ever sung in the shower, or you're already in a choir, there will be something here for everyone — all in a fun, friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
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May 2014

BETTER HARMONY SINGING — THE SMALL GROUP CHALLENGE

Friday 2 May 2014 5pm to Sunday 4 May 2014 2pm
The Claret Centre, Buckden Towers
High Street
Buckden St. Neots PE19 5TA
Cambridgeshire

Cost: from £140 (shared twin)

The cost for the weekend includes full board, all tuition and teas/ coffees throughout.

Please note that when booking a shared twin, you must book with one other person. If you are just one person, you will need to book single occupancy.

Click to download a booking form as a Word document. You can fill this in electronically in Microsoft Word then email it (the grey boxes expand to accomodate your text).

If you can't do this for any reason (for example, if you don't have Word on your computer), then download the booking form as a PDF which you can then can print off, fill in and post. Make sure you read Chris's booking and cancellation policy.

Take your singing to the next level by working as a small ensemble over a whole weekend.

• improve your singing and harmonising skills
• learn to get the best out of your voice
• get feedback on your singing and harmony skills
• relish a challenge and seize the chance to work in a small ensemble
• be prepared to look and listen to yourself carefully
• step up for a full-on weekend of hard, but rewarding work

This weekend course will be strictly limited to a maximum of 16 singers so I can give more attention to individuals. There will be some training on breath, voice production, vocal qualities, etc. but most of the work will be done using harmony songs drawn from a range of traditions across the globe.

This is your chance to explore your voice in a safe environment with a supportive bunch of like-minded singers, all of whom want to explore and stretch their harmony singing abilities. Serious work, but in a fun style! To get the most out of the weekend you will need experience of harmony singing and be prepared to work in detail on some fairly complex songs.

As a rough guide, you'll need to feel comfortable holding a harmony part entirely on your own. For example, in a three-part harmony song with just two other singers.

The Claret Centre at Buckden Towers is a Victorian house set in a fifteen acre estate offering seclusion and tranquillity. A beautiful collection of buildings from diverse historical periods is surrounded by a variety of gardens and natural features including a Tudor knot garden, a lake, woodland walk, pasture and lawns. Buckden itself is a pleasant village which used to be an old coaching stop on the Great North Road in Huntingdonshire.

Accommodation is in twin rooms all with shared bathrooms (no en suites). We will have the entire main house to ourselves during the weekend. The weekend includes all meals, tuition and tea/ coffee breaks. Click to download a booking form in PDF format.

Comments from 2013's weekend:

“Thank you so much for such a brilliant weekend. It was one of those rare magical weekends — as well as your superb teaching, developing our skills through such carefully thought out exercises and songs — it was wonderful to meet such lovely people there.”

“It was just right in terms of learning for me. I feel I will go away with a lot! Being with a group of more confident and able singers has been awesome. It was a great group of people to be with AND to sing with.”

“What an amazing weekend! I've returned initially exhausted but very definitely replenished and inspired by so many aspects of what you offered. It really is the case that you distilled somehow much of what the best people I've trained with have told me. It was a really brilliant injection of all that's possible with the voice and harmony singing.”
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