Nightingale Singing Weekend

A weekend of harmony singing with Rowena Whitehead and Val Regan

Some of us know the pleasure of singing with a regular weekly group but there is something really special about immersing yourself in song for a while longer, and in a beautiful setting. You can recharge your batteries, make new connections and enjoy all the joys of singing without the day-to-day responsibilities of life.

Rowena and Val are wonderful choir leaders with years of experience and a treasure trove of fantastic songs to share. Together they will lead you in a weekend of harmony singing at the Nightingale Centre, Great Hucklow in the stunning Peak District.

Tickets

To secure your place, you will be asked to pay a £100 deposit on booking your ticket. The remaining balance will then be requested in January. The booking form will ask for your preference on either a single or shared room – we will do our best to accommodate this, and will confirm your option when requesting the final balance. 

• Single Room Ticket - £340
• Shared Room Ticket - £300

Tickets are for one person and inclusive of accommodation, all meals, and a weekend full of singing!

About the Venue

The weekend takes place from at the Nightingale Centre in the village of Great Hucklow, in the rolling hills of Derbyshire.

The Nightingale Centre hosts events, holidays and retreats. It’s spacious, warm and comfortable with a lovely big room for singing, overlooking the fields. It also boasts a lounge and conservatory for downtime. There is a range of simple accommodation available including single rooms, some of them ensuite, plus doubles and triples. All rooms have kettles and tea/coffee making facilities. The weekend is fully catered with tasty food homemade on site; the kitchen team is experienced at catering for allergies and special diets. The centre has an accessible bathroom downstairs, stair lift, and a small number of bedrooms close to singing room for those who have limited mobility.

There are beautiful walks from the doorstep and the weekend may incorporate a short hike. It may be possible to stay on longer for those who would like to explore the area further. Arrangements for this would need to be made independently with the centre. Great Hucklow has a bus service to and from Sheffield and Buxton and is four miles from Hope Train Station. There is ample parking and secure bike storage at the centre.

Find out more about the Nightingale Centre

About the Leaders

Rowena Whitehead

Rowena is a Cambridge-based community singing leader, choir director and voice teacher with a background in teaching, training and community development who is well known for her engaging, relaxed and skilled approach in enabling people of all ages to connect with their voices and sing together in harmony, whatever their previous singing experience. Over the last 25 years she has focussed on creating singing communities and choirs, throughout the UK and beyond and has a passion for exploring songs from different vocal traditions and sharing them.

“This has been the most joyful weekend I've had for a long time” D.E

“I can't believe the amazing sounds that you manage to get from a group of people who have just met” J.T.

Val Regan

Val has worked as a community musician since 1993. She leads choirs and singing workshops around the U.K. and Europe, plus music-making, composition and theatre projects. Her work includes two Sony Award-winning productions for BBC Radio Four and the musical Gwenda’s Garage. Her songs for community choirs are sung far and wide and she firmly believes there is no such thing as a wrong note.

“You are inspirational! You spark such a positive atmosphere” L.R.

“What magic to be able to call a bunch of people together and make that sound” K.M.

“I enjoyed every bit of it and came back with a daft grin on my face” T.G.