Halsway Manor singing weekend

Halsway Manor Singing Weekend | Friday 23 October 4pm - Sunday 25 October 2:30pm

We are excited to offer our fourth Songways singing weekend at Halsway Manor, the National Centre for Folk Arts, nestled at the foot of the Quantock Hills in Somerset (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). 

Led by Jane Harris, Director of Songways and Pip Wright, guest tutor from Cornwall. 

We invite you to a joyous weekend learning and singing some of our favourite harmony songs from a wide range of traditions, including our own original compositions. Join us for a special weekend of song in a beautiful setting with hearty food and delightful accommodation. Develop your voice and discover new singing styles with inspiring singing tuition throughout the weekend. The weekend is open to all, the songs & harmonies will be taught by ear and there is no need to read music.

TUTORS

The weekend will be led by Jane Harris, Director of Songways and Pip Wright, a singing leader, teacher and community musician based in West Cornwall. Jane and Pip love to collaborate and lead singing events together. They both play the fiddle and have a special musical bond, bringing much joy to all their music-making. 

Our third Songways singing weekend at Halsway last year was joyous and rewarding, filled with singing, live music, dancing, fun and friendship.

Comments from singers:

“Absolutely wonderful and uplifting experience”
“Brilliantly organised and paced”
“Excellent tuition – informal yet well-structured”
“Absolutely fabulous weekend… especially enjoyed the fiddle accompaniment”
“Fantastic weekend, beautiful venue, lovely mix of songs.”
“An inspirational and truly harmonious weekend, brilliant choice of songs and very happy company”
“Teaching very clear and supportive – a joy to participate”
“Excellent teachers, lovely choice of songs, great accommodation, food and company”
“Amazing weekend… loved the Sunday morning meditative singing session with Pip”
“Simply brilliant – as always with Jane and Pip”

Pip and Jane at Halsway

Jane Harris is an experienced choir leader and Director of Songways, based in Bath. She leads singing workshops and singing retreats in beautiful places, and thriving choirs in Bath and Bradford on Avon. With her lively, clear and enabling teaching style, Jane brings out the best in singers’ voices, with open, resonant, heart-felt singing. Jane teaches by ear and loves to explore songs in different ways to enrich and deepen the singing experience.

Jane writes original songs for choirs and has released her own album, One touch of nature. She also plays the violin which she will use to introduce some of the songs, and performs with her vocal ensemble, Rolling Harmony.

She is excited to be working with Pip again after their successful singing weekends at Halsway in 2023, 2024 and 2025, Choir in a Week in Cornwall in 2025 and Buckfast Abbey.

"An exceptional teacher with a wonderful choice of songs"

Pip Wright is a choir leader and musician from West Cornwall where she runs two established community choirs: the Dawn Chorus and Levow an Bys (Voices of the World in Cornish). Pip is passionate about singing for wellbeing and enhancing peoples’ skills and confidence with singing and music. She has been teaching her ‘Find your own Voice’ and Musicianship courses to adults for over a decade.

Pip enjoys playing and singing many different genres of music including fiddling in Cornish bands, sessions and festivals and leading informal ‘Shout’ (traditional song) sessions in local pubs. She enjoys facilitating community song-writing projects – especially bringing together different generations and groups who many not usually sing or play together. Having trained in Singing for the Brain and Singing for Lung Health, Pip led the first groups in Cornwall for both fields. For over ten years she has been bringing world-class singing leaders to Cornwall to lead workshops through her Kana Kernow (Singing Cornwall) initiative.

"An excellent teacher – heart-warming, fun, uplifting, moving, inspiring"

SINGING WEEKEND INCLUDES

• • Full programme of singing and live music from Friday 4:30pm to Sunday 1pm
  • All singing tuition led by Jane Harris and Pip Wright
  • A Nos Lowen (Cornish Ceilidh) on the Saturday evening with Cornish caller, Nina Fenner. If you play an instrument you are welcome to join the band – sheet music with chords will be available.
  • Songs with Spirit, Songs for the Soul – meditative harmony singing session with Pip
  • 2 nights’ accommodation in the manor or the mews (or non-residential option – limited numbers)
  • Full board from Friday evening dinner to roast lunch on Sunday. Departure 2:30pm after Sunday lunch
  • Spacious singing space in the Long Room
  • Cosy and atmospheric bar and lounge
  • Specially produced songbook with words for all the songs and some scores
  • Tea and coffee refreshments
  • Cream tea on the Saturday afternoon
  • Access to the delightful grounds

BOOKING INFORMATION

£370 - £440 per person depending on accommodation 
£310 Camping per person including all meals - see below for camping information
£295 Non-residential per person including Friday evening dinner, Saturday lunch and dinner, and Sunday lunch

£120 per person non-returnable deposit to secure your place. The balance will be due by 1 August.

*Please note that for shared Double and Twin rooms, both room places need to be booked at the same time

SINGLE OCCUPANCY ROOMS
£440 Single occupancy of Double or Twin en-suite room
£440 Single occupancy of Double en-suite garden cabin (see below)
£420 Single occupancy of Double room with own sink, with shared bathroom facilities close by

DOUBLE & TWIN ROOMS
£430 per person Superior Double* or Twin* en-suite room on the front of the Manor house, with beautiful views
£395 per person Double* or Twin* en-suite room
£380 per person Twin* occupancy of spacious 4-bed room with own sink, with shared bathroom facilities close by

GARDEN CABINS situated in the gardens with views over the manor, with cosy underfloor heating, fully equipped shower rooms and tea and coffee making facilities
£395 per person Double* en-suite cabin

4-BED ROOMS
£370 per person Female place in a spacious 4-bed room with own sink, on the first floor at the front of the Manor house, with beautiful views and shared bathroom facilities close by

CAMPING
£310 per person including all meals
Camping in the six acre gardens is available and there are pitches for tents, caravans and camper vans. There are four power points, two in the water garden area and two by the manor and are available on a first come, first served basis. Campers are welcome to use the toilet and shower facilities in the house. There is a waste disposal point situated in the Water Gardens. Driving on the water garden is not advised in wet weather as the ground is very soft.

NON-RESIDENTIAL
£295 per person including Friday evening dinner, Saturday lunch and dinner, and Sunday lunch

Read about previous Songways singing weekends and retreats...

CANCELLATION POLICY

• • £120 deposit is non-refundable.
  • The balance is due by 1 August.
  • If you cancel your booking after paying the balance but before 17 August: 75% refund of balance.
  • If you cancel your booking after 17 August and we are able to fill the space with another person, we will refund 50% of your balance payment. If your place is not filled, no refund.
  • If the event cannot take place due to the Covid situation or other circumstances, it will be postponed and your ticket will be valid for the future dates. In that situation, if you are unable to make the future dates, you will be entitled to a full refund.
  • We recommend that you organise your own travel insurance.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• Do not attend if you have any Covid-19 symptoms, a recent positive Covid test or if you feel unwell.
• Please bring your own bottle of water.

DISCLAIMER
You are responsible for your own health and safety at all times.

ABOUT HALSWAY MANOR

Halsway Manor is the heart and home of folk music. The manor hosts residential courses in folk music, song, dance, musicianship, folk art, storytelling, wellbeing and instrument making all year long. If you haven’t been before you are in for a treat! The medieval manor offers a unique space in which to learn from the professional artists who tutor here, develop your interest and meet like minded souls who share a love of folk music, dance and musicianship.

Halsway offers a warm and friendly welcome to guests staying for weekend or mid-week courses, and to visitors to special events (gigs, exhibitions and fayres). There are beautiful views of the surrounding area and six acres of beautiful grounds and gardens with direct access to the Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

There is free parking on site and Wifi.

LOCATION

Halsway Manor. National Centre for Folk Arts. Halsway Lane, near Crowcombe, Somerset TA4 4BD
01984 618274
halswaymanor.org.uk

Halsway Manor is set just outside the West Somerset Village of Crowcombe at the foot of the Quantocks Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with many great walks on the doorstep. . Getting to Halsway is easy either by car, bus or train. It is only 20 minutes from the M5 motorway, there is a regular bus service and a train station in nearby Taunton with easy access to the rest of the country. More information and map

It's a stone’s throw away from many places of interest, including Dunster Castle, NT Selworthy Village, the West Somerset Steam Railway, Hestercombe Gardens, Coleridge Cottage. Exmoor and the West Somerset coast are just minutes away. It is also close to many places of interest to folk enthusiasts – including Watchet where Cecil Sharp collected many sea shanties, the ruins of the cottage where folklorist Ruth Tongue lived and the village where William Winter wrote down many fiddle tunes in the early 19th century. History is all around you with prehistoric sites on the Quantocks to fossil remains on the beach near Kilve. 

Halsway Manor is set in six acres of grounds and gardens.

The Great Hall

The view from the hill behind Halsway - about 15 minutes walk from the Manor