A singing weekend in Borth youth hostel – 4th – 6th March 2016 with Roxane Smith, 10 other tutors and lots of singers from Wales and some from England!
This was a weekend which Roxane http://www.harmonyjunky.co.uk/ organised and became so oversubscribed due to her being such an amazing host that she actually put on another weekend! I was on the first weekend and was given a free workshop place in exchange for being prepared to teach a little throughout the weekend. Sort of a bus man’s holiday!
So lovely that some of the singers in a couple of my choirs also went and Gilly, Debbie and Iona (a tutor) travelled together making the long journey pass quickly. Also singers from the Cardiff Canton Singers
Sharing a room was fun too and when we arrived we had the amazing surprise of being met in the room by Vanessa – who used to be in the Chapter singers with us but has moved to Machynllyth in the past year so is now in Roxanne’s choirs!
On the first night I stayed up late, chatting and singing with other choir members and tutors – not realising I was supposed to make my bed beforehand, It was quite a struggle leaning up to the top bunk to put the plastic sheet – then sheet then quilt cover on etc – trying to be quiet at the same time.
Anyway – I couldn’t resist staying up late on the second eve too – having been plied with a little wine I’d had an absolute ball singing in the dining room, round the campfire (until I suggested “Oes Gafr Eto” – which I heard someone later say that the evening took a dive for the worse from then – maybe I got a little too excited!)
The more structured workshops were organised either the night before or 10 mins before the actual session – what a fab way of working and such a joy to be working so freely alongside other tutors – seeing the way they worked – learning their songs etc. Great to have Rebecca – of the Cardiff Canton Singers there too and she really helped out on “A Single Drop of Rain”.
Thanks to Roxane for creating such a wonderful rejuvenating space for tutors and singers alike. I’d had awful voice problems for months leading up to that weekend and then suddenly my voice felt free again – no rhyme nor reason for it – just having fun and feeling relaxed!