NEWS - JANUARY 26 2012

Hello and a very warm welcome to you!

Here are some details about our regular weekly harmony singing groups - and also one day, weekend and week-long singing holidays throughout the year - first in brief and then with more details. Everyone is welcome - even if you haven't sung much - or even at all! All our songs are learnt by ear (so you don't need to worry if you can't read music - and if you can, you might appreciate using a different side of your musical ability.)

Our groups start with body and voice warm-ups and easy rounds - followed by longer songs in 2, 3 and 4 part harmony. Free recordings, and emails with the words and background to the songs, are also available.

For accommodation we aim to suit all needs - ranging from wild camps in the Lake District, to single, twin and double en suite rooms in luxury holiday cottages in the old cobbled village of Dent. Our meals are prepared by the popular Lucia Marquart - as well as vegetarian and meat dishes, she caters for those on special diets such as wheat and dairy free food. Even our five year old daughter Anika helps with the singing of some of the songs.

There are links below to photos on Facebook, and videos on Youtube, of previous singing events:

In brief - Weekly singing groups in Kendal, Keswick and Ingleton:

Mondays: 7.30-9.30pm. Keswick Folk Chorale at Quaker Meeting House.

Tuesdays: 7.30-9.30pm. Kendal community choir Lakeland Voices at Castle Street Community Centre.

Thursdays: 7.30-9.30pm. Ingleton community choir The Ingle Tones at Wheatsheaf Inn.

Please book rather than just turn up.

In brief - Weeks, weekends and days:

FEBRUARY 4: Keswick, Folk Harmony - Saturday 10.30am-5pm - £15 for day includes lunch. Book with Cathy on 017687 73117

MARCH 31: SPRING SING THING - Saturday 10am-6pm workshop, Langdale walk & cave singing. Skelwith Bridge near Ambleside. £20

APRIL 2-9: JURA - Scottish island harmony singing week at Ardlussa House (single, double & twin rooms - meat & vegetarian meals.) £360-£400.

APRIL 21/22: SONGS FROM THE RIVERBANK - Singing at Smithy Cottage, Farfield, in woods, & on walks by rivers Clough & Rawthey. Wild camp with songs round fire (indoors if wet) - or B&B. £23 each day or £40 whole weekend.

JUNE 1-4: LAKELAND SONGLINE - Hadrian's Harmony - long walk along best of Hadrians Wall: Brampton to Hexham - meeting singers, van carries bags/tents, pub singing, concerts, music in advance. Start & finish at stations. £115

JUNE 15-17: LAKE DISTRICT CHOIRS MEET - at Elterwater YH in the Langdale valley. Join other singers on this fabulous weekend with concerts, workshops, song swaps, walks and a cracking good sing in the pub. Come with your choir or on your own. £115 (£98 with choir.)

JULY 6-8: WILD SWIM SING THING - with wild camp by tarn, and swims with singing in several different spots in the central Lake District. (B&B details and wet suits available for softies.) £85

AUGUST 11-18: SLOVENIA - comfortable accommodation, singing, outings, walks, meals, minibus, etc. £395

OCTOBER 15-17: SINGING SETTLE CARLISLE - Staying at Old School at Chapel le Dale opposite the Hill Inn. Workshops, music in advance & singing on the trains, in the stations & on walks through the wild Pennine fells. Also joining the Ingleton festival. £115

NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 2: DENT FOLK CAROLS FESTIVAL - concerts, workshops, ceilidh and singing walk with carols from near and far. Single, double, twin and en suite rooms. Vegetarian & meat meals. Book for individual sessions, whole weekend, with 2 nights basic, or 3 nights luxury, accommodation. £10-£140.

And More details - our weekly community choirs:

Lakeland Voices' Spring term starts again on Tuesdays in the Castle Street Community Centre, Kendal. We will be learning new songs, as well as singing ones we already know. Videos of the parts are available for free home study - as a well as a learning CD which can be purchased. Everyone is welcome - although it is expected that you can match a pitch (ie if I sing something, that you can sing the same thing back! Most people can do this.) The songs are taught by ear, we have a warm-up at the beginning, and we then sing rounds and songs in 2, 3 and 4 part harmony from the British Isles and around the world.

Half term is Tuesday February 14, and we will end just before Easter on Tuesday March 27, followed by our annual Spring Sing Thing on the Saturday. The summer term starts again on April 17 with 5 weeks learning songs at Castle Street, and the rest of June and July with Summer Singing Walks throughout the Lake District - short walks with singing in magnificent places including waterfalls, vast lakeland caverns, woods and the open fell - and ending with a few more songs in a country pub (one or two of the walks are suitable for wheelchairs.)

Subscription for each term is £49 (a term is 10 weeks, though I usually add a few extra weeks) - those who don't wish to walk in the summer are welcome to pay £25 for the 5 weeks in Kendal in April and May.

There are videos of me teaching the parts for many of the songs we sing at www.youtube.com/Lakelandvoices and photos of singers at: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150552006859108.431363.619619107&type=3

THE INGLE TONES -Thursdays 7.30-9.30pm - harmony singing group in Ingleton (home of the excellent Ingleton folk festival n the English Yorkshire Dales) - we meet in the Wheatsheaf Inn in the village. All are welcome - though please book in advance - all songs learnt by ear, we will be singing primarily for our own pleasure, in a way which allows us to fully enjoy the harmonies we create. There will also be opportunities to perform if singers would like this. A subscription of £25 for the 5 week half term to is required. Please ring or email if you need more information.

KESWICK FOLK CHORALE - starts on Monday February 6, in the Quaker Meeting House from 7.30-9.30pm in Keswick (opposite Booths.) We will sing songs from around the world in 2, 3 and 4 part harmony - and enjoy summer singing walks from the end of May in the nearby countryside. There is a large free car park alongside the Quaker Meeting house and lift shares can be arranged. Singers are welcome to come just for the first night to see if they like it with no obligation to join the rest of the term. £30 for 6 week Spring term. Photos of local valley:

THE SPRING SING THING - 10am-6pm Saturday March 31 at Skelwith Bridge Community Centre near Ambleside, with a workshop in the community centre followed by a singing walk via caves, waterfalls, and pubs through the Little and Great Langdale valleys. Bring a packed lunch. £20


AND ONE DAY, WEEKEND AND WEEK LONG SINGING EVENTS:

KESWICK HARMONY SINGING DAY - 10am-5pm Saturday February 4, Quaker Meeting House in Keswick. Enjoy a day of folk harmony - and soup for lunch too. £15 for the whole day - or £8 morning or afternoon if booked by Jan.27. To book please contact Cathy Meunier on 017687 73117 or email: cathy_meunier@hotmail.com

JURA - April 2-9 - Scottish island harmony singing week staying at Ardlussa House in the north of the island. Learning songs from Scotland and around the world - with outings, workshops, delicious meals, walks etc. Accommodation in single, twin and double rooms - some with sea views. £360-£400. See photos of singers at Ardlussa and beyond:

WOODLAND HARMONY - April 21 - 22. Learn songs about trees, woods and their environment, from rounds to longer 2, 3 and 4 part harmony. Sing round the fire in my riverbank cottage at Farfield, near Sedbergh in the Yorkshire Dales - and then on short walks up the river Clough, and down the river Rawthey to sing in nearby woods. Refreshments included. Singers can also visit the Woodland Coppice Festival next door to my house - Smithy Cottage - at Farfield Mill Arts and Heritage Centre. Please bring food to share for lunch. Evening concert. Camping available - or information on local accommodation. £23 each day or £40 whole weekend. Concert £7.50. View from our lane of the Howgill fells:

LAKELAND SONGLINE - a harmony walk along Hadrians wall, June 1-4. Brampton to Hexham along the best remains of the Roman wall and meeting local singers along the way. Our annual long Whitsun walk with singing and camping along the way - and a van to carry all your bags (and weary walkers) and with food prepared for you. Our route will allow you to arrive and leave on public transport - or leave a car at one end and return to it on the Monday by train. Early bookers who are unable to camp may be able to stay in B&B accommodation. (We also hope to have available wet weather indoor camping alternatives - ie village halls as we had last year). Lift shares can be arranged. £115


LAKE DISTRICT CHOIRS MEET - June 15-17 2012. Elterwater in the centre of the Lake District. Join other singers on this fabulous weekend with concerts, workshops, song swaps, walks and a cracking good sing in the pub. Photos of last year's choirs meet with Sounding it Out: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150273634074108.374480.619619107&type=3
and singers singing in nearby cavern at

WILD SWIM SING THING - JULY 6-8 with a wild camp by a tarn and swims in several different outdoor places throughout the central Lake District including tarns, small lakes and rivers (we can also send details of local B&Bs and hotels and wetsuits for softies.) Singing will be round the fire (or inside large tent) - meals prepared. Walking from the camp to the other swimming venues with singing en route (and in Lakeland pubs.) Some songs sent in advance with recordings and written music. Singers will need outdoor walking clothes (ie walking boots, waterproofs, etc.) small tent (either carry it to the wild camp yourself - c. one hour very slow walk uphill - or hire local porter to take up and bring back your heavy bag.) Support vehicle, and lift shares can be arranged. £85

SINGING SETTLE CARLISLE - October 5-7 2012. Staying at Chapel le Dale opposite the Hill Inn, (between Ingleton and Ribblehead) - learning songs and then singing on the trains, in the stations and on walks through the wild Pennine fells. Also joining the Ingleton festival for singarounds and ceilidh. Music and recordings sent in advance. £115 includes train tickets.


DENT FOLK CAROLS FESTIVAL - November 30-December 2 2012 - concerts, workshops, ceilidh and singing walk with carols from near and far and from all ages, including Sheffield pub carols, mediaeval English carols, west gallery, old folk carols, Slovenian, Polish, American and Russian...and more. All meals cooked by Lucia Marquart and accommodation in single, double and twin rooms, some en suite. £10 individual workshops/ceilidh/walk. £59 weekend without meals or accommodation. £85 including meals but not accommodation. Everything including a choice of luxury accommodation in cosy Dent village cottage - most with the option of 3 nights: £115 - £140


See videos of previous singing events on our video channel: www.youtube.com/Davidburbidge

COMING EVENTS

And later in August 2012 I am leading a week of harmony singing in Zrece, Slovenia with the options of either staying in a local tourist farm - or camping in the woods besides my woodland cabin. Transport in Slovenia provided - plus walks, concerts, meeting local singers etc. Cheap flights with Easyjet to Ljubljana from Stanstead.)

For all details click on our "Events" section on the right of this page.

Welcome - we hope your visit to the Lakeland Voice website is useful and inspiring.

Here you can find out about natural voice and harmony singing workshops based in South Lakeland in the North of England for groups and individuals.
The work is led by David Burbidge (pictured here leading an outdoor workshop in the Little Langdale valley) with guest teachers from around the world.

What is the Natural Voice?
We use the term 'natural voice' here to show that we express certain core beliefs in our way of working. These include that:

a) Singing is our birthright and should be accessible to everyone, whatever their musical training or experience.

b) The voice has its roots in the body and through releasing the breath and unnecessary tensions a more pleasurable experience of singing can be had as well as a richer and more authentic sound.

c) Harmony singing is a celebration of community and difference where the empowerment of the different parts creates a richer whole than when everyone is the same

d) And that musical terminology should be expressed in user friendly terms or explained sufficiently so as not to confuse or alienate those who sing naturally.

Lakeland Songlines
Many of these workshops use the beautiful landscape in our area especially during our short, singing walks when we take our songs out into the landscape, singing by waterfalls and rivers, in
caves, woods and fellside chapels and round the open fires of country inns.

video
Video of Lakeland Voice singers and Old Foster in a Dentdale wood

Some involve longer tours and will require more fitness such as 'The Hills are Alive' long Whitsun weekend with camping in the mountains of the central Lake District and 'The Singing Cyclists' tours.

Workshop Venues

Our workshops are mostly based in Sedbergh and Dent, small communities in an area overlapped by South Lakeland District and the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The area includes the beautiful, rounded hills of the Howgill Fells with the spectacular Cautley Spout waterfall, and the serenity of the wooded valleys with their ancient churches and cobbled villages.

We use comfortable village halls for our workshops, as well as my old stone cottage where the river Clough flows outside the window providing its unique accompaniment to our singing. Where possible we sing round open fire with informal singing sessions in remote country inns, and singing fireside suppers under the old oak beams of Dent's Stone Close cafe.

For our residential weekend and week long retreats we hire old country cottages, and self catering hostels and country mansions in spectacular settings. We are often able to provide single, double and twin rooms. These venues range from Dentdale, Sedbergh and the Lake District to as far away as the Scottish island of Jura and our twin town Zrece in the Slovenian mountains.

Some of our workshops - on weekends or summer evenings - include singing walks using local caves, waterfalls and magnificent mountain scenery for a different acoustic and as a setting for our singing. These have included Cathedral Cavern in Little Langdale, Rydal Caves near Ambleside, Yordas cave near Ingleton, Tarn Hows, Martindale, Raisgill stone circle and 'Long Meg and her Daughters', through the Elysian Shades beech woods and the rapids of the Dee near Sedbergh, and singing cruises across the lakes at Coniston and Ulswater.
Our workshops in other parts of the country include mansions overlooking the sea on a Scottish island and a smugglers' cove in Cornwall.

What Do We Sing?
Songs are mostly drawn from cultures where people sing as naturally as they talk - especially Africa, Georgia and the Balkans. Songs in English are drawn from the American Shape note and British folk traditions as well as some jazz and sacred music.
As we teach mostly by ear - though sometimes accompanied by written music as an aide memoire - our songs tend to come from cultures where music is passed on from one generation to the next by ear, as opposed to the complexities of written music found in Western classical music. We include rounds and simple harmony arrangements as well as two, three and four part harmonies.
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