Learn more Kora in Southern France
The Kora Workshop in the UK is a small company that produces beautiful, high-quality koras. (A type of West African Harp) They also teach people how to use them. UK festivalgoers could have seen its staff at Womad The following are some examples of how to use Tribal EarthIt also offers immersion workshops lasting a week in southern France’s Aveyron. The workshops include 7 days of instruction (both individually and in groups), shared accommodation, and a loan of a Kora. First week was quickly booked, so if you are interested in attending, act fast.
14-21 Sept, £510, thekoraworkshop.co.uk
Peak District choir singing
HF Holidays, a cooperative founded in the early 1900s, was a pioneer of walking holidays for workers. The new three-nighter, which takes place in the Peak District, combines singing and socialising in the Peak District with half-day hikes in the forests and valleys around Ilam and Tissington. Dovedale stepping stone is less than a half-mile from the hotel. Peveril of the Peak Country house where the trip will be based. Vocal coach Su Grainger (founder of Singing Our Socks Off, Liverpool’s longest running community choir) leads the singing sessions in a “no-pressure environment” crafted to fit all abilities.
7-10 Nov, from £459pp, hfholidays.co.uk
DJ retreat in Devon/Cornwall
Outsider Hard Trance Europe (HTE) – a record label on the heavier end of the electronic music spectrum – may not seem like the most likely organisation to be running a rural retreat with countryside views. But, as HTE puts it, “the ability to learn is maximised from within a comfortable and relaxed environment”. So, a getaway by the River Tamar on the Devon-Cornwall border it is. Renegade System hosts Iain Cross Lab4 and Nick the Kid have a combined experience of more than 100 years. The three-day program is adapted to the participants’ needs, whether they are just starting out or have mastered their mix. Expect workshops, guest speakers, hard beats – and splendid views.
28-30 Sept, from £750, hardtranceeurope.com
Accordion lessons Somerset
Halsway Manor at the Quantock Hills is the UK’s only residential folk centre. Halsway offers a wide range of courses for midweek and weekends, from workshops to weekend retreats. Irish bouzouki You can also find out more about the following: how to play the dulcimer. Amy Thatcher and Tamsin Ellieot will lead a weekend accordion class for Levels 1-3. All you need is your accordion and the ability to read basic music. Book a room for a solo or shared student, and then jam the night away.
4-6 July, £200 course-only or £215 to £330 with accommodation, halswaymanor.org.uk
Yoga and voicework in Switzerland
Karuna Haus has a picturesque setting at the foothills forested hills, with the Swiss Alps in the background. Sophia Efthimiou, a holistic voice therapist, will be holding a musical retreat at this meditation retreat in August. Each morning begins with gentle yoga and breakfast. Next, there are vocal exploration sessions and harmony singing. The organic, plant-based meals are included. There is also a sauna and a fresh water pool. Sophia offers singing holidays, including a sailing week in Turkey (next dates April 2026).
28-31 Aug, from £730 (£845 in a Private room (private room) singingourselveshome.com
Salsa percussion retreat in Spain
Picture yourself watching the sun set over golden mountains in an ancient farmhouse in Andalucía, isolated between the Sierra Nevada and the Mediterranean. Imagine watching the sun go down over golden mountains from an old farmhouse in Andalucia. It is located between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Mediterranean Sea. Finca Ara OkoWhere are you? Bombo Productions – a community arts organisation focused on Afro-Latin American music – runs week-long retreats. Vicky Jassey, founder of Bombo says that the remoteness of Bombo is one of its attractions. “When guests arrive, they feel they can properly detach from everyday life.” The emphasis of its upcoming Cuban rhythms retreat is on the percussion aspects of Cuban Music. When tuition time is over, guests can walk in the mountains or go snorkelling on the secluded La Rijana beach. The same team also runs singing retreats The off-grid farm.
8-15 Sept, from £760, bomboproductions.com
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Sessions of folk music on a sailing boat, Italy
It is important to note that the word “you” means “you”. Sessions and Sail crew organise week-long voyages on gorgeous tall ships, giving fans of folk music the chance to live aboard and join workshops, sessions and ceilidhs as they sail. The trips usually operate off the west coast of Scotland, but they’re trading Caledonian waters for the volcanic Aeolian Islands north of Sicily this October for an outing on SV Florette, a 40-metre brigantine. Explore Lipari’s old town, and taste Salina wine. You can learn to play fiddle, mandolin, or guitar on board and enjoy the sunrise and sunset over the Tyrrhenian Sea. All abilities are welcome.
The month of October is a great time to get ready for Halloween. 18-25, £1,525 adults, £1,395 under-30s, £1,295 hammock sailor, sessionsandsail.com
You can also find out more about the A-Team here.A road trip to Ireland with guitars
Take a road trip through Ireland and experience the scenery that has inspired generations of musicians. The Guitar Social was founded on the belief that learning guitar with others is more enjoyable. They now run regular classes and meetups, as well as international retreats. The Guitar Social takes players from Dublin to Kilnaleck County Cavan before continuing south-west towards Cork and then on to a stay at a castle near Galway. All the while, they are improving their guitar playing. Thomas Binns says that he is proud to welcome players of all levels. If we get beginners, he tailors the learning according to their needs. There are ten workshops on guitar and evening performances (facilitated by us). You can also read about how to pronounce the word “adopter” As you cross the Cork and Kerry Mountains, it is easy to find a jar.
3-8 Septembre, from £1,100 (£2,000 in a private room), theguitarsocial.com
Marrakech’s Arabic music
Cosy down in a leafy, boutique riad in the medina of Marrakech for five nights, enjoying daily three-hour singing sessions with Belgian-Moroccan singer Laïla Amezian and discovering the storied streets and squares of a city where the scent of spices, orange blossoms and shoe leather fills the air. “We’ll explore Arabo-Andalucían melodies, Chaabi [folk] Amezian explains that he will be presenting ancient poetry and songs as well the rich Judeo Arabic vocal heritage. He also plans to present original compositions. “We’ll journey between poetry and melodic lament, between entrancing tunes and captivating voices.” The journey culminates in a performance.
20-25 Oct, from £2,250, singingholidays.com
Songwriting is a form of art. The Highlands
Ardnamurchan is a beautiful place to host a songwriting retreat. This rugged peninsula – with its wild coastline, rocky outcrops,sandy beaches, stags and sea eagles – juts out from the west coast of Scotland, reaching north to Skye, Eigg and Rum and south to Mull. Iona Lane and Katie Spencer, touring folk musicians, are leading a “relaxed” and “inspired” songwriting workshop at Kinlochmoidart House. The mansion is a Scots Baronial built in 1884. The focus is on nurturing songwriting and musicality which responds to people and landscape – through workshops, creative sessions and walks in this unspoiled landscape.
20-24 April 2020, £745 (£795 in private room), ionalane.com
