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DEPOSIT - SINGING RETREAT May 7-10th 2020

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email singingretreats at gmail.com to be put on the waiting list

DEPOSIT ONLY for MAY 7-10th 2020 Singing Retreat @ West Charleton Grange, Kingsbridge, Devon. Select the deposit that corresponds to your accommodation preference. Full price list is below + pictures of the accommodation. (Balancing payment due 23rd March 2020)

If you would like to book as a couple in a double room please email singingretreats@gmail.com for the rates & deposit info.

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SOLD OUT!!

email singingretreats at gmail.com to be put on the waiting list

SINGING RETREAT MAY 2020

7th-10th May 2020

Led by Dominic Stichbury at West Charleton Grange, Kingsbridge, Devon TQ7 2AD

From 5pm on Thursday until Sunday lunchtime (over the *FRIDAY* bank holiday) contact email: singingretreats (at) gmail.com

Nestled within a small, secluded and sheltered valley, West Charleton Grange offers luxuriously appointed cottages located only one or two minutes from the water’s edge and rarely more than fifteen minutes from the many beaches on offer in the area. We will have exclusive use of an indoor swimming pool and short tennis court over our stay there.

We'll spend a long weekend (over the 2020 Friday May bank holiday) singing songs, making music & eating hearty food cooked by our very own chef. There’ll be time for ourselves, time for a stroll to the water’s edge (only a few minutes away), time to float in the indoor heated pool, opportunity to enjoy good company over food & drink and explore the nearby beaches & countryside.

What to expect

Dominic is an experienced choir leader, singer & musician who draws on a wide range of musical styles to carefully source songs and repertoire that bring a spring to your step, a tear to your eye and a thoughtfulness to your day. Everything is taught by ear with the help of lyric sheets.

As well as learning arrangements in 3/4 part harmony and focussing on our voices over the weekend, there’ll be time for ourselves and each other, time for a stroll to the water’s edge (only a few minutes away), time to float in the indoor heated pool and time to enjoy good company over food & drink.

Accommodation

Our accommodation is spread across 6 beautifully renovated luxury cottages, each with their own kitchen & bathroom facilities. There are double rooms (+ a couple rate), twin singles and for the budget retreaters - twin bunk rooms (adult sized!), including some en-suite options.

There is also the opportunity for one person/couple to have sole occupancy of an entire cottage (Granary cottage).

Food

Meals & snacks are all included and will be cooked by our very own chef, who will cater for dietary requirements and keep us well fuelled over the weekend. We will eat together in the Foley, a large communal converted barn (where we will also sing)

Prices include your accommodation at West Charleton Grange, wholesome tasty meals cooked by our very own chef, all musical activities and tuition over the weekend & access to the on-site facilities.

Prices below are per person. Contact us for details of a couple rate for 2 people sharing a double king room.

£425pp – double king ensuite (sole occupancy)*

£400pp – double king (sole occupancy)* / shared bathroom

£345pp – single bed in twin room / shared bathroom (2 x single beds)

£325pp – single bunk in twin room (1 bunk (2 x beds) adult sized!)

* Contact us for details of a couple rate for 2 people sharing a double king room.

Booking

A deposit of £100 is required to reserve your place. The deposit is non-refundable.

The remaining balance must be received by Monday 23rd March.

If you’re two people who would like to share a twin room, let us know when booking. The allocation can’t be confirmed until both people have paid their deposit.

Cancellation

If you decide to withdraw from the retreat..

..before the 23rd March, you’ll be refunded 50% of the balancing payment

..after the 23rd March then you are liable to pay the full balance.

email: singingretreats (at) gmail.comhttp://www.dominicstichbury.com https://www.westcharletongrange.com/

Ben & Dom
'The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood'
‘The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood’ is a beautiful poem by Richard Fariña which he later set to the tune of an Irish air. We discovered the song through the amazing Sandy Denny recording, and knew we had to sing it ourselves.
Ben & Dom
'Children of Darkness'
A song by Richard Fariña, which feels curiously fitting for our days of pandemic.
Chaps Choir 'virtual choir'
Chaps Choir - 'Gold In Them Hills' by Ron Sexsmith
The Chaps on lockdown bring you their version of Ron Sexsmith's song of hope and encouragement 'Gold In Them Hills'. Brought to you from the living rooms, hallways, kitchens & garden disco sheds of the chaps themselves. With this video we're raising money for 100 Black Men of London, they work to transform young people's lives through mentoring and education Website: http://100bml.org Donate here: ---- http://100bml.org/support-us/
Bellow Fellows 'virtual choir'
B ellow Fellows - Will You Love Me Tomorrow?
Many BFs have been solo isolating during lockdown, so here we present our contribution to the virtual choir genre with a rendition of the King/Goffin song 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow?' featuring some of our lockdown companions and objects of affection that have helped us through. With this video we're raising money for CALM; if you enjoyed even just a second please consider handing over some ££ to this important mental health charity: http://www.justgiving.com/fundraising...
Singing together
Hello. I'm Dominic, a singer and group singing advocate. Since 2009 I've been encouraging people to sing together in village halls, offices, prisons, schools and building new communities through this life changing activity. I believe it is possible for us all to explore our innate musicality and expressivity using our voice.

A focus of mine is getting men into singing communities; a male choir can be an alternative space for men to gather outside the usual meeting places on offer. To hear more about my thoughts on these topics watch & listen to TV/radio interviews and articles below that have followed my work. For a longer biography click here.
The Wilderness Choir 2018
Singing Nothing Compares 2 U

Accompanied by The Wilderness Orchestra conducted by Ewan Campbell. Vocal arrangement based on Choir! Choir! Choir! version.
Sing
Where to sing | My choirs & projects & more

Bellow Fellows
Male Voice Community Choir
New members welcome! Bellow Fellows is a friendly welcoming group made up of men from all walks of life. No auditions & everything is taught by ear. We sing a wide variety of music and perform in and around the capital. Tuesday nights | Angel, N1 London.
MORE INFO
Chaps Choir
Singing Men from London
Chaps Choir is a large male singing gang; say goodbye to the male voice choir most would recognise. Auditioned alt-male voice choir turning the male choir presentation on its head. For information about joining visit this link
Harmony Live
Community singing workshops
Welcoming, uplifting and accessible day-long workshops open to absolutely everyone - located in London, Brighton & Bristol co-led by four experienced community singing facilitators. Keep an eye on harmonylive.co.uk for new dates or sign up to the mailing list
MORE INFO
Videos
Chaps Choir (live) - 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody'
Chaps Choir (very) mini docu
Chaps Choir - 'The Book of Love'
Chaps Choir - promo reel
Harmony Live: Workshop for all
Chaps Choir & Samantha Whates - 'Anyone Who Knows What Love Is'
Arrangements for male & mixed voice choirs
In July 2020 I joined the team of arrangers and composers at Choir Community. CC is a growing resource with a mixture of licensed arrangements, original works and traditional songs ideal for community choirs. You can see my current catalogue here and there'll be more added in the 2nd half of 2020 including new arrangements for mixed voices.
About Me
Dominic is a singer, choir director, arranger and group singing advocate. Since 2009 he has worked in community centres, schools, offices & prisons encouraging a wide variety of people to use their voice for expression. After founding Chaps Choir in 2013 he has become a unofficial spokesperson and advocate for men’s community singing.

Dominic has delivered workshops and collaborated with The Wigmore Hall, Southbank Centre, Spitalfield's Music, The Orpheus Centre, The Good Life Experience, Wilderness Festival, The Choir With No Name and other events & organisations in London and the UK. Artistic & educational collaborations have included artists as diverse as Shlomo, Huutajat (Finnish Shouting Men's Choir), Omar, Voices Now, Samantha Whates, Joe Stilgoe & Hattie Webb.

In 2013 he founded Chaps Choir in an attempt to get more men singing and to challenge the traditional male choir presentation. Chaps Choir has toured the UK, sung on prime time TV and collaborated with recording artists, filmographers & raised money for mental health charities. The choir's live shows, diverse repertoire, recordings and videos have been recognised around the world in offering an alternative example of the male choir presentation and encouraging men to use their voice for positive expression.

In 2015 he founded Bellow Fellows, London's first non-auditioned male community choir and in the same year began working with Beating Time, delivery singing in prisons.

An experienced ensemble singer, Dominic has toured the Europe & the US with The Spooky Men's Chorale and groove & jazz ensemble The London Vocal Project, collaborating with icons of the jazz and folk world. In 2019 he began a duo collaboration with vocal artist Ben See; ‘Ben & Dom’ have released live recordings and videos highlighting the rare sound of two unaccompanied male voices together.

He studied music at Southampton University and has undertaken training with the Associated Board of Choral Conductors and Spitalfield's Apprentice Scheme.
PRESS
Radio/TV interviews and articles about my work
ITV News
Men singing & Chaps Choir
2016 | 4 min
SOHO RADIO
(from 17m 40s)
Chaps Choir, male community, getting men singing + CC track plays
2018
BBC Radio Suffolk
Getting everyone - especially men - singing + Chaps Choir promo
2018 | 8 min
BBC Radio Humberside
How to get everyone - especially men - singing / Spooky Men
2017 | 10 min
The Independent
The Independent - 'Scientific evidence proves that singing with others promotes health - and can be life-changing, too' by Simmy Richman
'...It's also the best way to meet new people. But what if you hate group activities? Simmy Richman joined the Chaps Choir for two rehearsals, and one potentially life-changing performance'
The Sunday Telegraph
Sing Out Sister By Julia Llewellyn
'What happened to the snarling cynical Julia Llewellyn of old? Answer: She joined a choir'
CHAPS CHOIR PRESS

Indscene mention - Wilderness 2016 review
'...Chaps Choir, an all-male 50 piece choir of hotties & 'lumbersexuals' performed chart-bothering crowd-favourites that raised the hairs on the back of everyones necks.'

Drowned In Sound mention - Citadel 2016 review
'Our day starts with the bandstand and Chaps Choir, a horde of...singing men from Islington that produce a winning, lifting sound that drifts bucolically through the trees...their set a brief but sweaty whirl of headdress and rhythm'

CHART - notes to consider - 'When The Men Sing, The Silence Ends' by Alexander Mayor; photos by Matt Veal
'Away from the football pitch or the pub at closing time, men aren’t big singers. Somehow, from school age onwards, singing, that free musical instrument most of us carry around all day, gets knocked out of men. Social pressure, emotional restraint, whatever it is, it stops men from singing in public or joining choirs. In 2013, one singing tutor in North London decided to see if this sad social state of affairs could be overturned and Chaps Choir was born. Writer and musician Alexander Mayor reflects on the surprises of joining a choir, and the strange journey men go on once they decide to sing.'
Contact me for access to full piece.

POSITIVE NEWS - 'Rewriting The Man Code' by Lucy Purdy
“Singing in a choir is powerful because, unlike in sport, you don’t have to win to succeed,” says the choir’s founder Dominic Stichbury. “To succeed, you have to become part of the group.”
Social media
say hello
**I'm on sabbatical from January to late March 2020. I'll respond to your query on my return**

Join my mailing list to stay in touch with my work & projects
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DEPOSIT - SINGING RETREAT May 7-10th 2020

Ben & Dom

'The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood'

Ben & Dom

'Children of Darkness'

Chaps Choir 'virtual choir'

Chaps Choir - 'Gold In Them Hills' by Ron Sexsmith

Bellow Fellows 'virtual choir'

Bellow Fellows - Will You Love Me Tomorrow?

Singing together

The Wilderness Choir 2018

Singing Nothing Compares 2 U

Sing

Where to sing | My choirs & projects & more

Bellow Fellows

Male Voice Community Choir

Chaps Choir

Singing Men from London

Harmony Live

Community singing workshops

Videos

Chaps Choir (live) - 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody'

Chaps Choir (very) mini docu

Chaps Choir - 'The Book of Love'

Chaps Choir - promo reel

Harmony Live: Workshop for all

Chaps Choir & Samantha Whates - 'Anyone Who Knows What Love Is'

Arrangements for male & mixed voice choirs

About Me

PRESS

Radio/TV interviews and articles about my work

ITV News

Men singing & Chaps Choir

SOHO RADIO

(from 17m 40s) Chaps Choir, male community, getting men singing + CC track plays

BBC Radio Suffolk

Getting everyone - especially men - singing + Chaps Choir promo

BBC Radio Humberside

How to get everyone - especially men - singing / Spooky Men

The Independent

The Independent - 'Scientific evidence proves that singing with others promotes health - and can be life-changing, too' by Simmy Richman

The Sunday Telegraph

Sing Out Sister By Julia Llewellyn

Social media

Social media

say hello

**I'm on sabbatical from January to late March 2020. I'll respond to your query on my return**Join my mailing list to stay in touch with my work & projects

B ellow Fellows - Will You Love Me Tomorrow?

(from 17m 40s)
Chaps Choir, male community, getting men singing + CC track plays

I'm on sabbatical from January to late March 2020. I'll respond to your query on my return

Join my mailing list to stay in touch with my work & projects