4-day Residential Choirleaders Masterclass, Hebden Bridge

We are delighted to be able to present this 4-day workshop, to be held in the creative and stimulating environs of the Hebden Bridge. The longer time span will enable a deeper investigation into ST’s thinking around all of the important bits of choir leading, and will come with accompanying notes. The main areas of interest in this workshop will be:

1. VOCAL WARMUPS/VOICE CARE

2. ARRANGING
I could do a whole week on this alone. We’ll get a good chance to look at the rudiments, my personal philosophy, various dos and don’ts, and some different basic formats and exotic variations. You’ll get the chance to do things, and we’ll get the chance to wrap our ears around many things.

3. PART TEACHING
How do you get a choir or singing group to learn songs? What ways are efficient? Permanent? Fun?

4. BLENDING
This concerns the methodologies whereby we can pull various levers to coax beautiful sounds from mere mortals, in a choir situation. This is how you learn to ask the choir to make sounds which will delight them, and you.

5. CONDUCTING
This, along with no. 2 above, is my favouritest bit. The choir/conductor relationship is extraordinary, and a playground where magic can happen, if you allow it. If there is one part of choirleading that facilitates real music, real songs, and a real sense of connection, this is it. It’s about songs, and it’s about our connections, as humans. You will get to do things.

There are no formal qualifications for this workshop, and you certainly don’t have to be a choirleader. I would probably suggest a degree of confidence in more or less singing in tune, with others around you, even if not always confident in holding a part solo. I hope that makes sense!)

We’ll go from 10am to 5pm each day (from 1pm on Thursday!) and there may also be some evening activities, almost certainly not of a formal nature, probably more of a social/musical nature. I’m very excited to be running this workshop in it’s longer form.

Accommodation is in the Hebden Hostel, an independently run and recently refurbished hostel, right in the heart of town. Next door to our accommodation is the Birchcliffe Centre — our singing venue — with its grand vaulted ceilings! Your ticket includes breakfast and evening meals and Sunday lunch, all cooked by our dedicated vegan chef.

At the hostel there are a selection of rooms with varying capacity. It's my intention not to fill the dorms, to ensure everyone feels comfortable. However, we cannot guarantee that specific requests regarding allocation can be accommodated.