Our Story

The emphasis on process, and community—all the ways that we were encouraged to be people who sang, not singers—is at the core of Village Harmony’s musical achievements. What’s moved me (almost obsessed me) in the four or five concerts I’ve heard has been each group’s ability to sound from some single powerful center, some shared conviction, without ever getting fussy or virtuosic. Art of a high order, a very high order, made by ordinary people. That’s part of the human legacy in lots of places, but not so much in my life, or in the lives of people I know, where even the artists have their terrain marked out rather narrowly.
–Shawn, adult camp participant

VH programs have grown almost entirely through word of mouth, and through the wide exposure afforded by extensive touring and distribution of recordings.

Unlike many choirs where the aim is to have a membership whose voices blend seamlessly, Village Harmony is an un-auditioned, inclusive group whose only demands of would-be members is that they be committed to making good music. This has resulted in a choir whose sound remains dynamic, unpredictable, and absolutely exciting year after year. With their easy command of phenomenally varied singing styles and infectiously joyous stage presence, Village Harmony ensembles always knock people’s socks off.

We have a international staff of musicians who are fluent in a wide range of traditions, including American shape-note, Appalachian and gospel music, West African and South African folk music, Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian and Bosnian music, polyphony from Corsica and Caucasus Georgia, and Western baroque and renaissance music.

We hold most of our concerts in village churches and small town community halls, perform at folk festivals, and collaborate with local musicians. The communities that sponsor our concerts and make up our audiences historically have provided potluck suppers and overnight housing. These home-stays offer a unique opportunity for campers to glimpse the startling variety of ways in which people live their lives—and to experience directly the excitement generated by Village Harmony’s music making.

In 1994 the first teen overseas summer camp was held—with a trip to Russia—and in 1995 the first of many England camp sessions took place. That year Patty Cuyler joined Village Harmony (VH) and Northern Harmony (NH) as co-director. She become the driving energy in extending VH’s repertoire and travels to other countries in eastern Europe, into the Mediterranean and onto the African continent.

Since those initial trips we have organized study-performance camps in Italy, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Corsica, Bulgaria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Macedonia, Lithuania, the Republic of Georgia, Ukraine, Canada, Cuba, Ghana and South Africa, changing destinations each year and making repeat visits to favorite communities.

Over the years VH has developed a strong international presence, through these study-performance programs, as well as through the recordings and travels of our semi-professional touring ensemble, NH.

Northern Harmony is the highest level performing group under the VH umbrella. Begun in 1993 by Larry Gordon, this ever-changing semi-professional ensemble has included many VH alumni, teachers and friends.