Derby–Sings Workshops 2008 - 2009

Derby_Sings is a series of whole day and evening singing workshops at The VoiceBox, Derby (and occasionally other venues in Derby). To book a place on these events, please print out a booking form.

Map and information on how to find The VoiceBox, Derby.

Northern Harmony. Workshop and Concert.

Sunday 14 March 2010.
Workshop £18 full £15 concession. 2 - 5 pm at The VoiceBox, Forman Street, Derby DE1 1JQ
Concert £10 full £8 concession. 7.30 to 9.30pm at St. Osmunds Church, London Road, Derby DE24 8UW

Northern Harmony have toured and performed widely throughout America and Europe to great critical acclaim. Their varied repertoire includes American shape-note singing and Appalachian harmonies; village songs from Caucasus Georgia and the Balkans; sacred and secular harmonies from Corsican and Occitan oral traditions; South African folksongs and dances; and contemporary works.

Shape Note Singing Workshops
led by Deb Allitt and Richard Talaska

Six Saturdays mornings 10 til 1pm:
April 24th
May 1st
May 8th
May 22nd
June 5th
June 12th
Each workshop costs £8 / £6 concessions.
Venue: The VoiceBox, Forman Street, Derby DE1 1JQ

This set of singing workshops has been funded by the BBC Performing Arts Fund.

American Shape Note songs have a strong, open style of singing, clashing harmonies in three or four parts and stirring words often from Biblical texts, and can be enjoyed by singers with or without religious faith. They let us sing passionately about the beauty of the world and the struggles of life and death. Most of the songs for these workshops come from the songbooks of the American choir Northern Harmony, and many of the songs are written by contemporary songwriters in America.

Deb Allitt and Richard Talaska are local Shape Note singing enthusiasts who have sung and taught Shape Note songs to groups for several years. Time will be given to learning each part separately, hearing different parts together and just enjoying getting to know the songs. We will also prepare songs for performance at a concert on 19th June, alongside Kaleidoscope Community Choir and Samzeo, for those singers who would like to perform.

Songs of Earth and Sky

Saturday 19th June 2010.
A concert with Kaleidoscope Community Choir
Samzeo (Leeds based Georgian harmony singers)
and the Shape Note singers.

Tickets available soon...Keep the date free!

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Past Derby_Sings Workshops:

• Anchiskhati Quartet (Georgia)
• Dessislava Stefanova (Bulgaria)
• Reem Kelani (Palestine)
• Alison Burns
• Nickomo
• Nick Prater
• Sian Croose
• Naked Voices
• Mzetamze (Georgia)
• Northern Harmony (USA)
• Andrea Small
• Black Umfolosi (Zimbabwe)
• Kirsty Martin
• Ravin Jayasuriya (drumming)
• Caroline Bithell (Corsican song)
• Yannick Minvielle-Debat (Breton songs for dance)
• Craig, Morgan and Robson (Folk song from the British Isles)
• Chris Rowbury
• Tafi Mushuku (Zimbabwe)
• Noni Nhlapo (South Africa)
• Mzetamze (Georgia)
• Northern Harmony (USA)