Sing Away - Singing Holidays...
where you can sing all day if you want to!
About the Sing Away holidays
The singing holidays that I lead are always in lovely places either in the UK in Europe or Morocco. They are designed for people who want to go away somewhere special with a group of like minded others, to explore the joys of singing together. I have been several times now to Monte Rosa in the Algarve and love it dearly. The setting is a rural location with 10 acres of unspoiled land with old almond, olive and fig trees. it is 9km from the popular town of Lagos and walking distance from the traditional cobbled village of Barao de Sao Joao. The accommodation is renovated rustic cottages set within colourful gardens, with winding pathways, seating areas, a swimming pool and patio areas. The singing space is a round house renovated from an old mill set on a number of ley line at the end of the property.
In May 2018 we went to a new venue - Monte ne Luz - close to the beautiful and popular town of Loule. There is a similar octagonal building in which to sing, lovely rooms to sleep in, beautiful grounds and a large swimming pool. Please visit the site to see some photos and read more. We had a very special time here, and found that the place was steeped in love - in every aspect of its existence. Frank, who runs the place, pays so much attention to every detail of our care, we ate food cooked by Vincente and his girl friend which was exquisite and we wee able to relax and enjoy our songs, our laughter, our tears (occasionally) and our blossoming friendships. I had planned to return there in May 2019, but very sadly it has had to close down. Who knows, but maybe it will reopen again....
My most recent holiday was a trip to Italy in Sept 2018. We stayed in a Monastery near Pistoia which is in the heartland of Tuscany, away from the mass tourist market, but only 20 mins by train to Florence! We walked in the hills, visited Florence, Pistoia and Lucca and ate delicious Italian food. It was a wonderful week - again!
I lead my first holiday in Morocco in October 2017 at La Maison Anglaise which was a great success. It is such a treat being able to experience such an interesting culture, in the company of local people. My next project is to go to Tafraoute in the Anti Atlas Mountains in Spring of 2019. Keep your eyes open for this.
Singing everyday gives us the opportunity to look deeper into the simple notion of singing songs. It provides an opportunity to fully experience the harmonic detail of a song and how this touches us. It also provides an opportunity to look at the mechanics of how we use our voice, of how our voice reflects how we feel and how it influences the people we are with. We also discover more about how much confidence we have in allowing our own unique voice to be heard.
The way the holiday is planned is that we usually sing in the mornings until lunch time and then have the afternoons free to simply relax or to explore the locality. We sing again in the early evening and then eat and make merry throughout the evening.
I am very flexible in my daily planning and my choice of songs and this allows the group dynamics to mature and develop in a natural way. For a song to be sung at its best there must be a sense of trust between singers. It is this that I am focusing on.
Some of the ways that participants are encouraged to develop greater vocal confidence is through the use of sound and vibration, and through a variety of body work.
Eating together is an essential and important factor in the holidays. It is a time for sharing stories and reflecting on the day whilst we nurture our bodies. We eat both ‘in house’ and out in local restaurants, depending on the location.
Accommodation is always comfortable, usually in twin or triple rooms, depending on the location. The level of luxury is reflected in the overall price of the holiday.
Perhaps the most memorable part of my holidays are the friendships that are made and the laughter that infects everyone!
These days I am becoming more and more interested in the idea of using your voice as a way of expressing yourself, largely through play, but unfettered by the constraints of a song. We shall continue to learn and sing some lovely songs together but there will also be time to play around with some very simple ideas around improvisation.
In the meantime I am planning to find the occasional weekend away.....
In May 2018 we went to a new venue - Monte ne Luz - close to the beautiful and popular town of Loule. There is a similar octagonal building in which to sing, lovely rooms to sleep in, beautiful grounds and a large swimming pool. Please visit the site to see some photos and read more. We had a very special time here, and found that the place was steeped in love - in every aspect of its existence. Frank, who runs the place, pays so much attention to every detail of our care, we ate food cooked by Vincente and his girl friend which was exquisite and we wee able to relax and enjoy our songs, our laughter, our tears (occasionally) and our blossoming friendships. I had planned to return there in May 2019, but very sadly it has had to close down. Who knows, but maybe it will reopen again....
My most recent holiday was a trip to Italy in Sept 2018. We stayed in a Monastery near Pistoia which is in the heartland of Tuscany, away from the mass tourist market, but only 20 mins by train to Florence! We walked in the hills, visited Florence, Pistoia and Lucca and ate delicious Italian food. It was a wonderful week - again!
I lead my first holiday in Morocco in October 2017 at La Maison Anglaise which was a great success. It is such a treat being able to experience such an interesting culture, in the company of local people. My next project is to go to Tafraoute in the Anti Atlas Mountains in Spring of 2019. Keep your eyes open for this.
Singing everyday gives us the opportunity to look deeper into the simple notion of singing songs. It provides an opportunity to fully experience the harmonic detail of a song and how this touches us. It also provides an opportunity to look at the mechanics of how we use our voice, of how our voice reflects how we feel and how it influences the people we are with. We also discover more about how much confidence we have in allowing our own unique voice to be heard.
The way the holiday is planned is that we usually sing in the mornings until lunch time and then have the afternoons free to simply relax or to explore the locality. We sing again in the early evening and then eat and make merry throughout the evening.
I am very flexible in my daily planning and my choice of songs and this allows the group dynamics to mature and develop in a natural way. For a song to be sung at its best there must be a sense of trust between singers. It is this that I am focusing on.
Some of the ways that participants are encouraged to develop greater vocal confidence is through the use of sound and vibration, and through a variety of body work.
Eating together is an essential and important factor in the holidays. It is a time for sharing stories and reflecting on the day whilst we nurture our bodies. We eat both ‘in house’ and out in local restaurants, depending on the location.
Accommodation is always comfortable, usually in twin or triple rooms, depending on the location. The level of luxury is reflected in the overall price of the holiday.
Perhaps the most memorable part of my holidays are the friendships that are made and the laughter that infects everyone!
These days I am becoming more and more interested in the idea of using your voice as a way of expressing yourself, largely through play, but unfettered by the constraints of a song. We shall continue to learn and sing some lovely songs together but there will also be time to play around with some very simple ideas around improvisation.
In the meantime I am planning to find the occasional weekend away.....
I am also waiting for the right time to go to Donegal, Ireland.....
