Village Harmony Online Camps Summer 2020

Date: June 15 - August 1
Venue: N/A
Leaders: Many Village Harmony Leaders
Price: sliding scale

We will all definitely miss that remarkable joy of singing together in a group, in person, in the coming months. But our new online singing sessions will allow people from different parts of the world to come together virtually to learn and celebrate together. And much of the teaching material will be downloadable, making each course an invaluable source of new repertoire for choral conductors and music teachers.

Each of these interactive courses will culminate with a “concert” of end-of-camp virtual choir recordings and video. This will be immersion in a uniquely Village Harmony way—just with a new twist.

We realize that this pandemic has had an uneven financial impact on our community. Tuition has been set at a level needed to support our faculty, but we are nonetheless offering a tier of self-selected reduced price options for those who need them. Singers signing up for more than one session should feel free to choose the lower tuition level. You may also choose to make a tax-deductible donation over and above your tuition if you are in a position to do so.

These radically inventive song-learning sessions will include prerecorded teaching tracks, in-time Zoom sessions for meeting, socializing and direct teaching from the instructors, opportunities for one-on-one coaching, daily recording & uploading assignments, a zoom talent show, cultural/explorative classes (think cooking lessons, language study, virtual city tours & mushroom-hunting) and more.

Each week will tailor their live session hours to the participants. Tentatively each session is planning their primary live teaching session to take place at around 1pm ET, allowing singers from nearly anywhere in the world to take part.

These main daily live lessons will probably last about an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the program. All live sessions will be recorded and posted on the website so that those for whom it is impractical to “attend” (due to work obligations, living in a wildly different time zone or life’s trials) can always fully participate, even if a little delayed. Most of the rest of the material will be accessible on your own schedule.

Go here to apply

Teen Weeks, for ages 11-19

June 22-27 – Teen Week #1
– Led by Avery Book, Sinead O’Mahoney & Bongani Magatyana
This online course for teens will feature the teaching of Bongani Magatyana, renowned conductor and composer from Cape Town, South Africa. Bongani will lead a variety of South African songs, including his rich compositions. Avery Book and Sinead O’Mahoney, both accomplished VH/NH alumni, will lead a mix of English language songs, songs from the Republic of Georgia and songs from Bosnia-Herzegovina.
$325 full tuition, with self-selected reduced tuition options of $250 and $175.

June 29-July 4 – Teen Week #2
– Led by Larry Gordon, Carl Linich, Sandra Santos
This session will feature Cuban songs with their complex rhythms, Georgian songs of different genres and regions with their striking close harmonies, a couple of contemporary shape-note songs and some Bulgarian songs and dances. Sandra will do a Cuban cooking session and Larry will share the recipe for his famous risotto. We start each day with virtual folk dances.
$325 full tuition, with self-selected reduced tuition options of $250 and $175.

Here are sample clips from some of the songs: shape-note song Certainty followed by Georgian song Khelovneba followed by Cuban song El Arroyo.

July 6-11– Teen Week #3
– Led by Lysander Jaffe, Nadia Tarnawsky, Sora Harris-Vincent
Join these leaders for a fun-filled week of singing together! Nadia will teach songs from Ukraine, Lysander will teach songs from Bulgaria and Corsica, and Sora will teach American shape-note and traditional ballads. The day’s activities will include vocal warmups and live teaching on Zoom, supplemented by practice recordings and opportunities for one-on-one coaching. We will also host social activities such as game nights, cooking and eating together, cabaret night and film screenings related to the music we teach.
$325 full tuition, with self-selected reduced tuition options of $250 and $175.

Here are two sample songs:

Mixed Age Weeks (open to adults & teens)

June 15-20 – Corsican Week
– Led by Frederic Vesperini (from Ajaccio, Corsica), with Patty Cuyler & Mollie Stone
This session is suited for confident singers who can carry their lines on-on-a-part, exploring the distinctive repertoire of Corsican trio singing both secular and sacred.
$325 full tuition, with $250 self-selected reduced tuition option.

July 13-18 – South African Week
– Led by Matlakala Bopape, Bongani Magatyana, with Patty Cuyler & Mollie Stone
Featuring the wonderful rhythms and rich choral sound of South African singing, including folk, church and struggle songs and some of Bongani’s wonderful compositions.
$325 full tuition, with $250 self-selected reduced tuition option.

Some sample song clips:

July 20-25 – Georgian Week
– Led by Ketevan Mindorashvili & members of the Zedashe Ensemble, Patty Cuyler
Featuring a selection of songs from the different Georgian regions taught by a remarkable quartet of singers from Ensemble Zedashe. there will also be some dance lessons from the Zedashe dancers.
$325 full tuition, with $250 self-selected reduced tuition option.

July 27-August 1 – Mixed Repertoire Week
– Led by Suzannah Park, Gideon Crevoshay, Kathy Bullock
A convivial week focusing on in depth learning of a few songs, with lots of time for group interaction and individual coaching.
$325 full tuition, with $250 self-selected reduced tuition option.

Half-Week Session (open to adults & teens)

June 26-28 – Fresh-Caught Songs: Original Harmony-Rich, Accessible Songs to Connect People
– Led by singer-songwriters Heidi Wilson & Sarina Partridge

$165 full tuition, with self-selected reduced tuition option of $125.

Apply Now!