What a wonderful experience. In one week the gentleness, humanity and skill of Alex, Temi and Matt helped me to improve my confidence and ability as a singer to a degree I wouldn’t have believed possible. The welcome at Fonte Antica, the picnics, the walks, the conversation and the sheer fun which we had as a group were something which I will remember always. I would recommend to anyone and will be back next year I hope.
- Gill Quille
What a brilliant holiday! Still can’t believe how much was crammed into one week . Yoga sessions, singing rehearsals and the opportunity for a lesson with a great vocal teacher, walks in beautiful countryside the list is endless and I expect I‘ll leave something out.The accomodation in Norcia was stunning with delicious food and copious amounts of wine. It was really easy to get to know the rest of the group (I was a bit nervous going on my own) but after the welcome glass of Prosecco and our first evening meal together it was clear that the holiday was going to be great fun.
Our singing teacher and conductor Robert Dean was wonderful. He had a great sense of humour and was extremely encouraging. The picnics prepared by Alex and Temi, and enjoyed in various beauty spots were wonderful.
Some of the highlights were hearing the Benedictine monks singing their evening Compline service, singing Mass ourselves on the Sunday morning, visiting a cheese factory (fascinating), enjoying a candlelit barbecue in the cloisters of an old church… The list is endless! However there was still time to relax with my new friends over a coffee or a glass (or two) of wine and wander around some of the towns and villages.
Alex and Temi were brilliant hosts and I really can’t wait to do it again!
- Barbara Foster
We enjoyed every minute of this holiday. The charming Alex, Temi and Robert worked hard, while joining in the fun with all of us. It was like staying with good friends. There were some magical times:rehearsing with the rain pouring down outside, the barbecue in the candle-lit church porch at Campi, singing at Mass in Spoleto, the wine-tasting picnic, learning how Ricotta is made…need I go on?- Frances and Terry Bailess
… was marvellous! the places, singing venues, music, direction, food, drink, sights and company were ridiculously good. Thanks, Alex & Temi (and Ben).
- Ian Williams
An amazing weekend! Alex, Temi & Ben all worked so hard to ensure that we had a good time. The welcome and hospitality were second to none.Ben worked us really hard and got us to a higher standard than we had thought possible. We rehearsed and sang in some very interesting churches and even a lovely garden. The masses that we sang in the basilica and Sta. Maria Infraportas were the highlights of a wonderful weekend.
- Jonathan and Margaret Butchers
Fun, educational, inspiring, companionable, laughter filled, challenging, supportive, gastronomic, simple, relaxing, revelatory, good for the soul… It’s difficult to know where to start.Singing this beautiful music with just seven others in magical locations ranging from the grandest churches to a campfire under a starlit sky was profoundly moving. The memory of hearing our voices dying away as we sang for an elderly priest in the magnificent cathedral in Spoleto still makes me shiver with pleasure, just as I smile when I remember pilgrims to the shrine of San Eutizio stopping to hear our rehearsal before crawling underneath the altar to touch the saint’s relics!
Our group comprised experienced choristers and a complete novice and by the end of the week we were producing music that surprised us all, not least because of the encouragement and support of Ben, Alex and Temi in bringing out the best in all of us. Their skill, their humour and, above all, their passion for music making, made sure that we couldn’t help but have what, for me, was one of the best holidays I have ever had, anywhere.
And if proof is needed, I returned to sing at Assisi in June 2011 and am looking forward to a week in Umbria with Robert Dean in July.
- Dermot Kirk
I felt as if I’d been transported to another time and place within those Umbrian hill towns. Only two sleeps and yet we sang in six different churches, sometimes warming up under the wide open firmament in cobbled courtyards.There was a camaraderie and conviviality quickly established with our first alfresco meal under a midnight blue sky. Walking to and fro, up and down, as well as round and round kept us fit, healthy, inspired and invigorated. We were refreshed with the best local food and wine, guided and directed when it was needed. It fulfilled all my expectations and more. I flew home on a high.
- Kathleen Dormer
A transformational experience! Such a richness of good company, good singing & yoga, beautiful countryside, great grub and grog, plus the peace and love you all shine with. Amazing!- Laurence and Miriam Wood
I have run out of superlatives to describe this holiday. An amazing experience. Thanks you for all your hard work.Delightful, welcoming accommodation in stunning location, the only sounds being birdsong, the chirping of the crickets and of course some of the time our lovely singing! Delicious picnic lunches and dinners washed down with plenty of red wine. Yoga was a great way to start the day, really relaxing and a good preparation for singing. The music chosen was lovely. There were two wonderful walks among glorious flowers and amazing mountain scenery. The company was great. In all an incredible and memorable experience.
- Ann Stephens
This was no less than an explosion of music! I doubt there is any holiday like it. I found myself in an entirely non-judgmental and nurturing environment, where everyone wanted to have a great holiday and share their passion for making fabulous music.From the moment I spoke to Alex to enquire about the holiday I could tell I was in safe hands and that I could relax. I levelled with him and said I had never sung in a choir, nor could I read music, but I desperately wanted to give it a go if they would have me. If it didn’t work I wouldn’t be upset if they asked me to listen instead of sing with them; Umbria’s food, wine, churches and mountains would be more than enough to keep me happy. Alex assured me all would be fine, and that I should definitely come along. So I did. He expertly took over from there and deftly removed all the hassle of holiday planning for me, as he did for all of us. He booked my flights, emailed me the boarding passes and met me at the airport. It was a 5 star service and from that moment on our every need was met.
Alex and his partner Temi (and their very good natured Old English sheepdog/Newfoundland called Maggie) are simply two of the most gorgeous and caring people you could ever meet. Alex gave individual singing coaching, and Temi led the daily group yoga and individual classes. They were joined by their charismatic and multi-talented friend Ben who, like them, is also a graduate of Guildhall. He skilfully led and coached us through “Marian” music from the 11th to 17th century. His style was at times refreshingly cheeky and as a consummate impersonator (nobody was immune from this!) he often had us in fits of laughter, but at all times he was kind, inspirational and energising. My favourite instructions were about the correct facial expression to adopt, such as for the William Byrd piece, when I and my fellow tenor were instructed to have a relaxed and loose jaw while, in the eyes adopting a definite expression of “mildly surprised by something sweet” or “imagining someone is tickling your coccyx.” (I still work on perfecting this when I am brushing my teeth – it is surprisingly easy to tip from surprised into manic…)
What really worked for me on this holiday was that it was devoid of music snobbery. Everyone was accepting of each other whether they had grade 8 and above under their belt, were longstanding soloists or members of choirs, good sight readers or simply an enthusiastic rank amateur, uninitiated in how to spot a demisemiquaver or the vital musical shorthand instructing one to repeat the phrase. Singing in a small choir of seven proved to be a great leveller, and skills of listening, cooperation, kindness and the sheer determination to give it a go with gusto counted for a great deal.
Fortunately for me, I had little time to become too worked up or terrified as we launched straight in to singing after the yoga had warmed us up nicely with a few “Omms” (so at least we were not so embarrassed by our voices.) Instead of everyone laughing at me (for which I had prepared myself by packing a good supply of books and a corkscrew just in case) or asking me with some awkwardness if I would like to sit this one out, I was invited to try a bit of alto/tenor (or “talto” as I came to think of it) to accompany the only male tenor. Then, for a spot of Hildegard I became a soprano and felt the music soar across some haunting runs.
But this was far more than a singing holiday. We visited some amazing churches and joined an order of Benedictine monks for Compline; often, we were lucky enough to rehearse in the Abbey of Sant’Eutizio. I nearly whooped for joy one day when we were up in the organ loft practising, and some tourists came in. Hearing us, they started to listen and photograph us!! I felt a real singer for a moment.
In addition to the singing we had delicious picnic lunches washed down with some splendid local red (especially the Sagrantino) that may have assisted in warming up the old vocal chords, walks in the clear, clean air of the Sibillini mountains, yoga and breathing/chanting, outings and just plenty of chatting and laughing.
Quite simply I have never had such an uplifting and exciting experience as standing in the cathedral in Norcia for our concert of eight pieces with my six fellow choristers and Ben. Alex and Temi joined us in the choir and we felt very much a team. We were all involved and each of us had an important role to play and part to sing. Standing in front of the altar before a wonderful congregation, I had the magical experience with my lead tenor, Paul, of singing the unaccompanied opening bars of William Byrd’s “Look down O Lord” and then we were off – in came the sopranos and basses and we were all transported by the music. It was an all-absorbing experience, and, somehow, thanks very much to Ben’s conducting, it all came together. There were some mistakes of course, but mostly there were moments of real emotion as we hit the right notes, in the right order, at the right time, to produce some beautiful harmonies. I can only marvel at how Ben managed to whip us into sufficient shape in five days to be let loose in a Cathedral with a real congregation. He has a very great gift. At the end of our concert, Ben took to the organ and played some rousing Frescobaldi.
The yoga was a revelation, especially the individual lessons. With their expert eyes, Alex and Temi diagnosed for each of us the matters holding us back (breath/posture etc) and gave immediate and practical help. This fed into the singing directly, and I noticed the impact very quickly. Reflecting on this holiday I feel I have achieved in a week what could have taken me a lifetime to accomplish – if at all – namely to feel able to unleash my voice. I felt entirely at home and nurtured and accepted by everyone, and at no time criticised, and that made it possible. It was humbling to be with such utterly gifted, decent and generous folk. And I am truly inspired to continue where I left off.
From my heart, thank you all, and arrivederci!
- Ann Northover
As a ‘singing widow’ I decided to tag along with my husband for this weekend and I’m so glad I did!
Alex & Temi certainly know their stuff – we stayed in an amazing hostel which was cheap but beautiful, and had some glorious meals in local restaurants, plus delicious lunchtime picnics prepared by the couple themselves. They gave the impression that nothing was too much trouble for them and were always friendly and relaxed.I had plenty of time when the singers were rehearsing or performing to explore Foligno and Assisi – armed with tips from Alex on the nicest cafes etc! – and it was obvious when we met up again that the singers were having a great time, singing in several very lovely churches.
- Sarah Williams
Thank you very much for a lovely week. I love you all.- Margreet Hoogendijk
Thank you all for a super holiday. Love you all. God bless.- Sonya Grove
Having been disappointed by a previous singing trip I was careful to curb my expectations in the weeks leading up to Singing Holidays ‘Sing amongst Flowers’.On arrival at Il Casale degli Amici, however, I soon realised that my reservations were unfounded. The stunning surroundings, excellent accommodation and superb hospitality were second to none.
I have never tried yoga before and found that it blended with the singing in a most helpful way. It really made you think about how you breathe and ‘feel’ what you’re singing rather than just singing it.
The rehearsals were light and enjoyable, not too long, but sufficient to learn what we needed to in time for the performance.The glorious Umbrian countryside made even the Lake District look dull. Rolling meadows of lentil blossom provided the most breathtaking backdrop for our picnic lunches and bracing walks.
Every corner turned during the week revealed a new and exciting experience. It would have been easy to imagine that it was not the first of the Singing Holidays; even when things didn’t go quite as planned there was always an equally acceptable alternative to ensure the smooth running of the day’s events.
It’s hard to think of anything to criticize, but the only thing I can think of, from a personal point of view, was that we barely had any time to ourselves, because so much was crammed into the week. Given more time in between activities, access to a swimming pool would have been a bonus.
- Anne Turpin