Music and Health

Catch a Choir Day and BIG SING! for choirs in Ballincollig for Mental Health Week in October 2017

~ Caz ~ Leave a comment

The next West Cork BIG SING! event is well into it’s planning stages now as we prepare for a collaboration with Ceol na Laoi – Ballincolligs’ Community Choir, to mark Mental Health Week on Saturday 14th October. Local choirs with a focus on mental health and inclusive singing will be performing their songs for free in a number of venues around Ballincollig to promote singing as an inclusive activity for community wellbeing. Further information on the choirs and locations they can be heard in will be confirmed soon. To follow, the participating choirs will enjoy an evening of performing for each other and share in a BIG SING! together to close the day.

Catch a choir day.png

Singing Picnic at Myross Wood Retreat Centre July 2017

~ Caz ~ Leave a comment

I have only recently discovered the beautiful venue of Myross Wood and am delighted to be welcomed to hold this event there. As well as a picnic, the day will encompass workshops and the opportunity to hear something of some of the choirs local to the area. This is the first West Cork BIG SING! Singing Picnic and the hope is to hold more in various locations around West Cork…. and further afield.

Programme of the day:

11am: Tea, coffee and chat about the West Cork BIG SING! project and it’s possible future direction and activities.

12pm: Songwriting workshop, “What singing (and/or being part of a choir) means to me”.

1pm: Singing Circle – a warm up session singing short and easy songs with Jane Goss.

2pm: Picnic – bring a chair, blanket and food and drink to share. Choirs sing!

2.30pm: Childrens’ Singing Session with Lisa Canty (under 5’s to be accompanied by an adult)

3.30pm: Singing Workshop – a combination of larger songs from the existing BIG SING! collection plus some new ones with Caz Jeffreys.

5.00pm: Social: A chance to drink tea, chat and to take the time to walk around the grounds, enjoying the beautiful trails before you leave.

Suggested donation of €10 per person

In the event of bad weather the event will continue with ample sized indoor spaces to meet, sing and picnic together.

Children are welcome and parents must take full responsibility for their safety.

If you need to bring your dog, please ensure that they are kept on a lead.

WCBS Summer Singing Picnic(2)

Little Sings at the Friday Club, Skibbereen – October 2016

~ Caz ~ Leave a comment

Starting back our monthly ‘Little Sings’ at the Town Hall this week…Friday 21st, from 11am-12 midday. These sessions are open to anyone wanting to come along…we hope you will want to join in, but all are welcome to simply come along and listen. Tea and coffee available too! So drop in to this Free monthly get together and come and meet some new people. This initiative is supported by HSE.

little-sing-poster

Workshop on ‘Working with harmonies and Arranging Songs for A-Capella – Nov. 2016

~ Caz ~ Leave a comment

The next workshop I am offering takes the time to look at how to bring voices together to create the sound you want and looking at identifying songs for arranging for un accompanied singing. This workshop will be of interest to anyone who enjoys harmony singing – whether they are leading others in song or simply wishing to develop their skills.

working-with-harmonies-and-arrangements

Drums and Brass for the BIG SING! – Oct. 2016

~ Caz ~ Leave a comment

Things are getting really exciting for us as we are heading into the last phase of preparing for our next BIG SING! event on Saturday 15th October for World Mental Health Week at the FeelGood Festival in Bantry. The programme of events for the day looks fantastic, with a parade before we kick off!

As well as adding Brass into our songs we have been working with a group of drummers lead by Jonathan Barlow to produce a sound which will get us all dancing and rocking on the square!!

There are two more public workshops…one this Thursday 6th in the Mealagh Valley Community Hall at 7.30pm and the other on Saturday 8th at the Bantry Christian Fellowship Hall at 3pm.

Next we pray for a dry day for Saturday the 15th…but not that it will put us off as we have the Parochial Hall at the side of Bantry Square at the ready so that we can sing away regardless of the weather.

COME ALONG AND JOIN US!!

drummers

Community Singing Workshops ready for the next BIG SING! event.

~ Caz ~ Leave a comment

We have now finalised our programme of ‘open’ community singing workshops which will be delivered in a variety of locations surrounding Bantry in preparation for the next BIG SING! event to be held at the FeelGood Festival on Saturday 15th October. Our thanks goes to Cork Mental Health Forum for their support through the part funding of these workshops. If anyone feels able to give us a hand with distributing posters and flyers in the areas they are located then please let us know! An extra hand or two would be very welcome! Private sessions are also available for groups by arrangement, so if you would like us to come to you location or group then get in touch. Please share this information and help us to gather a lovely large number of singers to enjoy our next BIG SING! Thanks and hope to sing with you at one of these places soon!

Orange Copy of Workshops Programme_Poster FeelGood Festival 2017

New Workshops and Training Days

~ Caz ~ Leave a comment

I have been developing these three workshops and will be looking to deliver them in West Cork, Cork City and Limerick over the coming months. If you would like to see one in your own area then please get in touch and let’s see if we can organise it! I am also offering them to private groups. So if you are a member of a singing group, choir or work in a health care setting, you may be interested in developing your own skills and those of your colleagues. Sessions can be designed to suit the needs of your group or project.

Leading Groups in Song -workshops offered(1)

 

Watch the video fromthe BIG SING! event at Clonaikilty Wellness Week here! June ’16

~ Caz ~ Leave a comment

Our thanks go out to the Cork Mental Health Foundation and Cork ETB for their funding support for the delivery of workshop to various groups within the community, and also to the continued support of the West Cork Mental Health Services.

And also of course to that great team at the Clonakilty Wellness Committee, all the singers and choirs who participated and to YOU the public for coming along and joining us!!