Sing Out! Finding Our Community Voice

Over the last weekend of August we invite you to join us to sing songs of hope, of connection, of protest and of love at glorious rustic Trealy Farm, a peaceful natural setting high up in the hills just west of Monmouth.

Trealy Farm is a 138 acre organic mixed farm on a hillside looking out towards the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons. It’s a beautiful, wild and secluded space. Amongst the fields of sheep and the small herd of horses, are woodlands and wilderness and magical places: Trealy wood, Women’s Oak, the coppice, meadow, secret garden, and ancient yew, hillside walks and a stone circle.

The weekend is a fund-raiser for Pete Lawrence’s first album in two decades, a collection of new songs designed to be sung together in community. These are songs for our times — not just to listen to, but to sing. In an age marked by division and disconnection, collective singing is more vital than ever. It reminds us of what it means to be human: to raise our voices in harmony, to listen deeply, to come together around a shared vision.

The retreat is a co-creation between Pete Lawrence and Helen Yeomans. Arrival from 17:00 Friday August 29th, leave 16:30 Sunday afternoon 31st.

Helen Yeomans is known for her original choir songs and arrangements and her performance choir, Glorious Chorus, earned itself an enviable reputation over the twenty years Helen directed it. Helen teaches all over the UK and abroad and her music is sung by choirs all over the world.

Pete Lawrence is the founder of Campout and its affiliated social network Campfire Convention. Previously, he launched the Cooking Vinyl label and the pioneering Big Chill festival. He has been described as a conceptualist, firestarter, community social networker, musician, writer and naturist and is enjoying digital nomad status when he’s not to be found at home on Paros island, Greece or in his camper van at at Trealy Farm in the Welsh hills.

This workshop weekend is for all levels of singers.

Sing Out! is part of the Campfire Circle Singers crowdfund initiative for Pete's new album 'This Is The Fire' and some of these songs will be included in our programme. We started to sing them at last year's Campout and had a very positive reaction! 

We believe in the power of music to change the way we see the world. We will be singing several songs from the album, designed to be sung in community, some of which we have already unveiled at Campout last year.

As Brian Eno infamously said "Singing together is the key to world peace". He's not wrong. There is an indefinable quality to the buzz we can all feel when in glorious song with others, each playing our part but creating harmony together. It's a great starting point in imagining the changes we need to be making to find hope and inspiration through connection and through finding our voices, individually and collectively.

THE SCHEDULE

We will meet for a welcome evening meal on Friday evening at 19:00 (arrival from 17:00). Saturday workshop hours will be 10:30 - 16:30 with breaks, allowing time to prep dinner, to socialise or swim / sauna. Sunday 10:30 - 15:00. Friday and Saturday evenings will featuring informal song teaching around the community campfire, bring songs, bring a guitar!

THE FARM

Immerse in the beauty of Trealy Farm. You can write alone or with others in the dedicated group meeting space of the Pavilion. Be inspired by stunning views of the Black Mountains. Wake up with a dip in the natural swimming pool, let the ideas ferment while you sit with horses, wander through the woods, and unwind in the saunas. The Pavilion is a super, modern space with views over the mountains and valley below.

The fresh water pool and infra red sauna are available for the use of attendees.

ACCOMMODATION

There is a choice of log houses, pods, barn room, Sheppy the shepherds hut, caravans, camping (bring own tent) or camper van space (farmhouse bedrooms are not available for this event)

Farm accommodation details and prices

Accommodation in rooms or camping is an additional cost, booked direct with the farm. Email Ruth Tudor <ruth.trealy@btinternet.com>

First come first served. Once the rooms are full at the farm, we can advise on offsite local options.

FOOD

Some meals will be fully catered with delicious, nourishing and sustainable ingredients. Other meals will be self catering. All participants have access to a kitchen. We grow vegetables on the farm, all organic, and there is a farm shop next door at Square Farm selling a range of foods.

Breakfast: Eggs, sourdough bread, oats, honey, butter, various milks, dairy & DF yoghurts are in the Pavilion kitchen and can be found in the freezer at bottom of fridge, fridge and on top of sideboard. 08:30-09:30

Lunch: A light lunch, consisting of salad will be served. (13:00-14:00)

Evening: Either a meal in the house (cooked communally) or a BBQ outside, Friday and Saturday 19:30

TICKET BOOKING 

Book your event ticket and email Ruth Tudor <ruth.trealy@btinternet.com> to sort your accommodation, either the farm in rooms, or camping. Alternatively you may wish to stay in a nearby BnB. The event postcode and directions are listed below: 

DIRECTIONS

Post Code NP25 4BL

OS References SO47829 09313

What 3 Words:

host.excellent.estuaries

Trealy Farm approximate instance and times by car

Bristol centre 58 minutes (44m)

Abergavenny station 23 minutes (13m)

Newport railway station 29 minutes (22m)

West London 2 hours 40 mins (144m)

Birmingham International 1 hour 34 mins (81m)

Trealy Farm is reached via Red House Farm which is on the Groesonen Road between Raglan and Monmouth.

Full directions here