An exhilarating few days of acapella singing, in the heart of the English Lake District. Brathay Hall is a spacious 18th century Georgian country house, set in 360 acres of mature woodland and rolling pasture, at the head of Windermere. The hall is owned by the Brathay Trust, whose mission is to improve the life chances of children, young people and families, by inspiring them to engage positively in their communities.

This short break gives you the chance to get away for a little bit longer than a weekend (and no Friday travelling!), to enjoy plenty of singing and still have time to explore the beautiful local area. During this long weekend, we’ll mostly be exploring the kind of complex, close harmonies found in British and American popular music of the 1920s, 30s and 40s. We may sing some standards from this period, unexpected songs that have been given the jazz or swing treatment and songs that have been created purely for these workshops. Some of the melodies may be familiar and therefore fairly quick to pick up, but some of the harmony parts may take longer to learn and can offer a challenge even to experienced acapella singers. Every now and then, we’ll sprinkle in a song in a different style, for a bit of contrast, but generally expect a swinging weekend of tantalizing melodies, crunchy harmonies, some fiendish rhythms and some right good singing! In between, you can choose to go for a long hike up the fells or a short stroll to the lakeside, discover the shops and bars of Ambleside or drive out to one of the other great Lake District towns or beauty spots, or you can swim in the lake (brrr!) or just relax at the hall. On Friday 31st May, Faith will be joined by her fellow ‘Lovenotes’ (Jules Gibb, Katherine Watson and Rose Hodgson), and they’ll give a short concert and spend the evening enjoying Brathay Hall with the weekend singers. The concert is free to those on the course, but you’ll be able to book for the concert only nearer the time.

Brathay Hall is just outside Ambleside (a 15 minute walk). A 30 minute drive from the M6. The nearest railway stations are: Windermere (5.5 miles) and Oxenholme (17 miles).

Great singing, good food, relaxation and good company!