English Village Carols
A six-week course led by English folk singer and musician Laurel Swift

There is a fantastic repertoire of carols that became separated from the church, maintained and kept alive by communities in pubs and on the street, most famously in Sheffield, and also in Derbyshire, Somerset, Dorset, Nottinghamshire, and in Glen Rock, York County, PA! You may recognize some of these carols from Nowell Sing We Clear, Revels North or Welcome Yule. Some carols will be familiar to English folk enthusiasts, and others are brand new or totally unusual!

The carols have catchy tunes, some are rowdy, some haunting and sombre. Many have fantastic fuguing entries and all are a joy to sing. Many have religious text, although this is largely a secular tradition. There will be familiar lyrics, obscure lyrics, and some lyrics that appear to have no festive content whatsoever. There is plenty of repetition for ease of joining in and gorgeous rich chords with space to add your own harmonies.

We will be teaching by ear (dots available) and memorizing melody and bass lines, and even learning how to add your own harmonies in preparation for some village carol sings in local pubs in December. Please note this is not a choir, it is a learning group with the opportunity to anchor a fabulous community sing at which all are welcome!

There will be public carol sings at 3 pubs in Brattleboro, Greenfield and Lebanon, details to follow!

There is a choice of two locations to take part in this special course, thanks to our friends at the Brattleboro Music Center in Brattleboro, VT. 
This registration form is for the course taking place in Lebanon NH, for the Brattleboro classes at BMC, please visit: Brattleboro Music Center (bmcvt.org).

The course will be $125 for 6 classes, and there are scholarships available at both organizations.

Revels North Center for Traditional Arts
2 Mascoma Street Suite #3 • Lebanon, NH

Mondays - 7pm to 8.30pm
4, 11, 18, 25 November
2, 9 December

The classes at Brattleboro Music Center will take place on Sundays at 6pm from 3rd November. Visit bmcvt.org for more information.

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About the tutor

Laurel Swift is a musician and composer, an inspiring instigator of creative new projects and performances rooted in the folk arts. She plays double bass and clog dances with Gadarene and plays fiddle with The Gloworms among other people. Laurel is currently absorbed in Travelling with Thomas, a project to write a folk musical in public, inviting people to come on the journey and see inside the artistic process!

Laurel co-created and performed ‘Under her Skin’ with Debs Newbold. Laurel loves to dance and has choreographed for theatre and film and directed national touring dance productions for Morris Offspring. She also teaches folk music, with particular focus on helping people find their own ownership of our shared traditions through creative approaches to variation, ensemble skills and simply having a good time!

Laurel is currently on teaches at the Brattleboro Music Center and with the Vermont Folklife Center along with regular collaborations with Revels North, Country Dance & Song Society and more.