Milton Abbey Choral Course 16th-18th August 2024

Price £220-£445

“What a special, beautiful and emotional weekend. The singing was great but the experience was so much more than that hope to be back next year “- Jean

Our Milton Abbey Course is our longest running and most popular course. For over a decade we have been enjoying this idyllic setting where we enjoy making the most of the peace and seclusion it provides, to help our singers to become the best and most fulfilled singers they can be.

Deep in the beautiful Dorset countryside, set in a natural amphitheatre of wooded hills, stands the magnificent church of Milton Abbey. Originally established by King Athelstan in 933, the present building, with its extraordinary acoustic, dates from the 15th Century, with building having been halted by King Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries in 1539. The Abbey became a school in 1953.

For over a decade we have experienced not only the beauty of the school and the setting, but also the thrill of having our own abbey in which to practice and perform. This makes it a great place for people with little experience to come and learn what it’s like to sing choral music, but, it also provides a chance for more experienced singers to concentrate on learning better vocal technique and performance skills.

More imprtantly, we are seeing to help all participants to find more fulfilment in life through the work they do on their singing with us. We intend that you will leave our course feeling better than you ever have previously about your singing, your ability to express yourself, and your ability to find real joy in life.

This has proved an immensely popular course. From humble beginnings with 16 participants, it has grown year on year.

With the help of our wonderful staff, led by our artistic director Jeff Stewart, we will be exploring some of the greatest music in the choral repertoire.

We will begin the course at 11am on Friday 16th August and finish with an informal concert of the music on which we have worked, on the afternoon of Sunday 18th. We will also have a service of plainsong Compline on the Friday evening, an organ recital from our splendid organists, Ben Saul. & Jeff Howard and, for those who choose the option of joining us from the Thursday evening, the added bonus of a song recital from out musical director and international tenor Jeff Stewart with accompaniment from Ben Saul.

You will be staying in the school, where you will receive all your meals and will have access to the tennis courts, golf course and swimming pool. There will be the option to arrive on the Thursday evening on a bed and breakfast and evening meal basis.

The accommodation is the school accommodation. This does not mean dormitories but the rooms are not en-suite. The rooms are not en-suite. Unless you state in your booking that you wish to share with someone, we will put you in a single room.

There is also the possibility to stay off site if you prefer. If you take up this option, we will provide you with lunch and dinner at the school.

It is possible to bring a non-singing partner, who can enjoy themselves in the stunning local surrounding, and join us for meals if they wish.

The surroundings are stunning. Your accommodation, food and all drinks at mealtimes are included in the price.

We look to find a balance in the music that will challenge people and provide them with the opportunity to work on vocal and performance technique.

This year we have put together another of our Mix & Match Masses, which will include the Kyrie from the Palestrina Missa Ave Maria, Gloria from Haydn’s Missa Sancti Nicolai, Credo from Gabrielli Missa Brevis in F, Sanctus from Schubert’s Mass in G, Benedictus from the Hummel Mass in D, and the Agnus Dei from Casciolini’s Mass in A Minor. Other pieces which will be in the mix are Lotti’s Crucifixus, Brahms – How lovely are thy dwellings, Hogan’s setting of De Battle of Jericho, Jake Runestad’s haunting Let My Love Be Heard and the gorgeous setting of Ubi Caritas by Ola Gjeilo.

There is no actual requirement to learn the music before coming on the weekend, but it goes without saying that the more familiar everyone is with the music before arriving, the more we will achieve and the more fun everyone will have. We will send you the music in advance.

In a Massive Bonus, and at no extra cost to you, we have brought in Laura Mitchell, one of the leading practitioners of Voice Medicine, for an optional workshop, to help you to learn how to use your voice to benefit your general wellbeing. Laura will also be available for one-to-one sessions (payable separately) with people who feel they would benefit from this. You can see my interview with her and hear the remarkable story of how she used voice medicine to learn how to walk and sing again after an accident on stage by clicking HERE.

There is a lower limit on numbers. We needed to have at least 45 people, so, if you are nervous about booking, fearing you might be the exposed, don’t be, we’ve already passed that point and half of our places are already gone. Assuming the numbers continue to rise, you will be part of a large crowd.

All we ask is that you arrive with a sense of adventure, prepared to be challenged but also to have a great deal of fun. We want you to leave feeling better equipped to express yourself through music and with new ideas on vocal technique and performance technique, which will enrich not only your singing but life in general.

The Milton Abbey weekend promises, once again, to be a truly uplifting experience in this most wonderful of English locations.