Come and Sing Weekends

These are designed for all who love a good sing, regardless of age or experience. We begin on Friday evening with the first of seven sessions and the course ends at tea-time on Sunday. On the 2008 April weekend in Harrogate, we will learn an Introit, a Psalm setting and a large-scale Anthem culminating in a huge Choral Evensong of Easter music at St Wilfred's Church, Harrogate. During the 2008 October weekend in Whitby, our spotlight will be on Mendelssohn's "Elijah", which we will prepare for a concert performance in St. Hilda's Church, Whitby. Friends and relatives will be most welcome at the Evensong/ Concert and admission for them will be free!

Here are programmes for the forthcoming weekends in Whitby in 2008 and Whitby in 2009

An application form for 2008 Come and Sing weekend can be viewed and printed here

An application form for 2009 Come and Sing weekend can be viewed and printed here

A selection of comments made by people who attended the October 2007 weekend:-

I really enjoyed the weekend. I'll come to `Come and Sing` where-ever the venue. (Janet Roberts)

I met such lovely people and the music brought tears to my eyes. I may be the Granny of them all but I love to come back to these weekends time after time. They are the highlight of my year.(Phyllis Baker, aged 87)

Come and Sing is great. You get to stay in a castle, you can play pool and the grub is good. The singing is good too and they make it really funny so you really want to sing your best. (Sam Burnage, aged 12)

As a newcomer to singing, I cannot imagine a better or more enjoyable way to learn than working our way through the music with such able leaders. Brilliant. (Anthony Blackmore)

The ultimate de-stress! (Val English)

Even if you have performed the work previously, Andrew and Gareth always manage to add interest and put a new slant on the performance (Cathy Nash)

I just wanted to thank you again for the fantastic opportunity you gave me this past weekend to sing. I learnt so much from you. I felt welcomed from the very start and it was wonderful to be surrounded by so many enthusiastic singers. It really came together and sounded beautiful in St. Hilda's Church. It will be a performance that will stay with me forever. Your passion and enthusiasm was really inspirational to me. Again, thank you! (Dennis Maher, aged 18)

For anyone who enjoys music and singing, this is surely one of the best places to come - wonderful people, fabulous music and a super atmosphere, made especially great by an enthusiastic conductor and brilliant accompanist (Alex Cranfield)

It was a pleasure to be here and the weekend was all too short. I have been to several choral weeks but find the atmosphere on these `Come and Sing` weekends better & the people are much more friendly (Anne Wilkinson)

Thank you for the very enjoyable singing weekend. I loved every minute of it. (Jean Thornton)

The weekend is one FANTASTIC package - singing, accommodation, food and friends. It's one of the highlights of my year (Hannah Rodger, aged 12)

I have really enjoyed the `Music Matters` events I have attended - great fun, lovely people, wonderful music, inspirational musical direction (Ruth Turner-Mattingley)

A very enjoyable weekend with an excellent balance of music and social time (Barbara Baker)

Our third thoroughly enjoyable `Music Matters Come and Sing` weekend - hard work but very good fun (Neil Cherrett)

These weekends have so much to offer - a friendly atmosphere, a chance to learn intensively and perform, and to sing with different people. I have learned new skills and have improved my singing (Chriss Webb)

`Come and Sing` does what is says on the tin - plus it is huge fun and leaves you with a real sense of achievement (Caroline Westgate)