Winter Weekend Festival – February 27 – 28, 2021

Date: February 27-28, 2021
Venue:
N/A
Leaders:
Suzannah Park,
Sarina Partridge,
Reza Saffari,
Olaolu Lawal,
Suzannah Park,
Sarina Partridge,
Reza Saffari,
Olaolu Lawal,
Ketevan Mindorashvili,
Frederic Vesperini,
Elitsa Stoyneva Krastev,
Northern Harmony,
Brendan Taaffe,
Lala Simpson,
Lonnie Norwood,
Larry Gordon,
Emma Björling,
Zedashe Ensemble,
Bongani Magatyana,
Samira Merdzanic,
Carl Linich,
Nicholas Williams,
Adam Simon & Sophie Michaux,
Sandra Santos Canizares,
Frank Watkins
Price: $150 with self-selected discounts
Join Village Harmony teachers zooming in from around the world for a virtual smorgasbord of song—or a smorgasbord of virtual song—as we replace our customary in-person February weekend in Vermont with a very special online musical extravaganza.
Our two-day feast of online singing sessions will take place Saturday & Sunday, February 27-28 with twenty-four 50-minute classes spread out over two days.
Sessions will be led by expert musician-teachers from across the US, Quebec, Norway, Sweden, Corsica, Bosnia, Georgia, Iran, South Africa and New Zealand.
REGISTER HERE
Here is one of the songs we will learn, a children’s song cover from Iranian folk-pop singer Reza Saffari, who will be joining us from his home province of Gilan, Iran on Saturday.
Reza will also be MC-ing pre-recorded concert by his band on Sunday.
Pre-registrants will be sent a pdf booklet of songs (mostly from the Northern Harmony book) ahead of time so that they can take part in our shape-note sing, led by Larry Gordon and members of the current quarantine incarnation of Northern Harmony, at 5pm EST on Saturday.
Otherwise, song teaching during the weekend will be done primarily by ear, with word sheets displayed onscreen. And when the festival is over we will send attendees a download link to access recordings and lyrics for nearly all songs taught during the weekend.
Otherwise the sessions are intended to be ephemeral and in the moment. A joyous celebration of how music can build bridges between us—in a time when connections between nations and peoples are sorely missing.
The zoom link we will send out in advance will be the same for every session. You may of course attend as many or as few classes as you wish. Zoom fatigue being a reality, we expect most people to pick and choose among the sessions and not be on the whole time. But even just a few great new songs in your back pocket will make it a great weekend.
Registered singers will be able to contribute a voice part video online for a SongAlong instant virtual choir video ahead of time that we will broadcast during the FINALE.
Registration for the weekend is $150, but we also offer self-selected reduced tuition levels ($100/$75/$40) for those who find the fee steep.
REGISTER HERE
Here is the weekend’s schedule. Note that times are in USA Eastern Standard Time (EST). There will be a 10-minute break between each class. Faculty bios are below.
SATURDAY, February 27
11 am – Welcome/Breakout Sessions: Suzannah Park, clogging / Sarina Partridge, original songs
12 pm – Reza Saffari (Iran)
1 pm – Olaolu Lawal (Nigeria)
2 pm – Ketevan Mindorashvili (Georgia)
3 pm – Frederic Vesperini (Corsica)
4 pm – Elitsa Krastev (Bulgarian)
5 pm – Northern Harmony Shape-Note Sing (a pdf booklet will be sent to all registrants ahead of time)
6 pm – Brendan Taaffe (Original songs)
7 pm – Lala Simpson (Malagasy)
8 pm – Lonnie Norwood (Gospel)
9 pm – Suzannah Park (Lullabies)
10 pm – Kafana/coffee house: presentations by Village Harmony faculty
SUNDAY, February 28
11 am – Welcome/ Breakout Sessions: Larry Gordon & Wanda Philibert, Balkan dancing / Beth Damon, art project
12 pm – Emma Björling (Sweden)
1 pm – Zedashe CONCERT (Georgia)
1:30 pm – Reza Saffari CONCERT (Iran)
2 pm – Bongani Magatyana (South Africa)
3 pm – Samira Merdzanic (Bosnia)
4 pm – Carl Linich (Georgian)
5 pm – Nicholas Williams (Quebec)
6 pm – Sophie Michaux / Adam Simon (Original/Croatian)
7 pm – Sandra Santos Canizares (Cuba)
8 pm – Frank Watkins (Gospel)
9 pm – FINALE: Singalong of all songs & a showing of our instant virtual choir from the SongAlong project