Join a blissful harmony singing retreat day at Braziers Park this summer to connect with others, with yourself and with your own voice.
• Step into beautiful, historic surroundings
• Sing beautiful songs in full harmony, all taught by ear
• Enjoy a delicious lunch and refreshments
We will meet in the Drawing Room to sing beautiful songs in full harmony. There is no need to read music, just learn and sing in the most natural way: by ear! We also have access to the grounds to break into smaller groups and enjoy the fresh air.
More soulful than a choir session, these retreat days are designed for you to be creative and expressive, with everything else taken care of: lunch and refreshments are all provided, and we have a beautiful room to call home for the day. You will feel refreshed, relaxed and more creatively freed.
CREATIVE PRACTICE
The creative process can be elusive or even alien to us. What’s it like to hand over control to the spontaneous part of you that sees endless possibilities and loves to explore them? How do you reach that part of yourself? I will provide prompts for reflection and a guided mediation to help quieten your busy mind and open up to your creative side.
In our afternoon session I will facilitate your creative practice so you can improvise and refine a song of your own, inspired by the words of poets or by your own writing. This creation can be shared with the group in full harmony if you would like to.
THE VENUE
The retreat will take place in the beautiful Drawing Room of Braziers Park, a community, residential college and architectural treasure with extensive grounds near Wallingford.
THE RETREAT HOST
Rachel Holmes is a singer and choir leader based in Oxfordshire. She connects emotion, body and voice into powerful group singing. In 2019 she trained as a natural voice leader with Kate Valentine and currently runs natural voice song circles in Chilton and Cholsey. She completed Line Hilton’s singing teacher training in 2020 and completed her Foundation in Art Therapy at IATE in 2021. Rachel loves bringing these threads together into a holistic and uplifting experience of singing.
WHO CAN ATTEND?
This retreat is open to adults who love singing and anyone curious about their voice. No experience necessary.
AN INSPIRING RETREAT
There will be time to enjoy the grounds and work in small groups as well as letting rip in full harmonic chorus. We’ll experiment and work together to come up with new songs, even if you have no experience, to really enjoy the flowing creative process.
WHAT TO BRING
• A water bottle
• A notebook and pen
• (Optional) A book, poem or any words that inspire you
DATES
This retreat is offered on two days (the same course running twice): 22nd June and 10th August, 10 am to 4 pm. Please check which date you are booking.
TICKET INFORMATION
£95 for the day. Booking is essential and closes one week before the event. Spaces are limited to 16. Tickets are non-refundable. Lunch and refreshments are included in your ticket price. All food is vegetarian; vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free options can be provided. Unfortunately other requirements cannot be catered for. Please check carefully before booking.
