Singing the land, Enchanting the voice
April 08, 2022
Join Joanna Spence for a long weekend of harmony singing and vocal exploration on the banks of Loch Tay in Perthshire, Scotland.
All experience levels warmly welcomed!
£100 // £130 // £160
To book, email joanna.spence91@gmail.com
What, when, where?
During our long weekend together, we’ll explore how harmony singing and vocal play can support us to come into deeper relationship with ourselves, one another and the land – and how singing with an awareness of ourselves as active participants in our environment can support us to develop a greater awareness of the vibrant aliveness of all things.
We’ll gather on the first weekend after Beltane, the Celtic festival celebrating the coming of summer, from the 5th-8th May. The retreat will take place at the Big Shed, a beautiful venue on the banks of Loch Tay in Perthshire, Scotland. Accommodation will be camping, and there’s a large indoor workshop space where we’ll sing.
We’ll sing a variety of songs in 3- and 4-part harmony, including arrangements of folk songs from the British Isles and elsewhere. Songs will be taught by ear, so you don’t need to be able to read music. We’ll also have exploration and play sessions where we’ll explore aspects of the embodied voice. All experience levels are warmly welcomed!
There will be plenty of space in the programme for swimming in the loch, walking and exploring, building friendships and community. We’ll have fires in the evenings, so please bring instruments! On the final evening we’ll gather for a traditional ceilidh, where everyone will have the opportunity to share something – a song, poem, story or something else.
Co-creating community
During our time together, we’ll co-create our community. We’ll look after our camp together, and each day we’ll ask for volunteers for tasks like veg chopping, pot washing and wood chopping. Three simple and tasty vegan meals will be provided each day, along with a gluten-free option for each meal.
Cost
You’re invited to choose from three tiers of pricing, based on what you can comfortably afford. You might think of this as ‘low income // standard // generosity’ , but it’s really just what you feel comfortable paying. The options are: £100 // £130 // £160
This includes a camping spot for three nights, all meals and teaching sessions. I’ve tried to keep the retreat as affordable as possible, but please get in touch if the cost feels prohibitive.
About Joanna
Joanna is a Natural Voice Network trained voice and choir leader, singer, musician and Buddhist within the Triratna tradition. She wrote her Master’s thesis on the experience of enchantment through ritual practices of the body, and is interested in the convergence points between these themes and voice work, her greatest love.