I been enjoying coming in to sing songs and explore percussion with a group of between 30-40 elderly folks on a monthly basis this year. Last week, as a special addition to our sessions to mark Bealtaine, we wrote a song together all about Cara House and what they share together there.Lovely to hear their stories and songs.
I have been bringing guests in with me too…people interested in seeing how I work and in developing their own ideas and skills. The group really enjoyed their visitors too.
We had a great sing yesterday at the Friday Club in Skibbereen. The weather was so inviting and so we had to come out and sing on the street!!
The ‘Little Singing Sessions’ welcomes new people to come along to meet people in a relaxed place over a cuppa and a song from 10.30-11.30am on the second Friday of every month. The Friday Club is funded through HSE and run a variety of weekly sessions and activities – all of which are free. These are all in acknowledgment of how joining in and meeting people is good for our personal and collective wellbeing. So take a break and come along and meet us sometime!
After arriving at Emmet Square for 7.30am in order to secure a good parking spot, the rain looked to be setting in for the day and so the decision was made to re-locate our event to The Venue in O’Donovans Hotel. We set up in the covered beer garden, decorating the area with all things orange…balloons, banners and bunting.
Despite the weather around 200 people gathered for the event which proved to be a most beautiful and moving experience….with many hugs and tears towards the end. In fact when I said, “Oh we’re nearly at the end-what a shame”, someone called out, “Let’s start at the beginning again”!
Among those gathered were participants from workshops which had been delivered previous to the event to a number of local community groups to include: Co-Action, The COPE Foundation, Pine Lodge Asylum Seekers, both Clonakilty secondary schools, The Friday Club in Skibbereen and The National Learning Network – who also provided the addition of drumming along to some of the songs.
Additionally there were people from choirs and singing groups all around the area to include: Acapellabella from Ballydehob, Dunmanway Community Choir, Kinsale Voices, Ceol Na Laoi – Ballincollig Community Choir and the Sunshine Singers from Union Hall.
Prior to the BIG SING! was a performance from the West Cork Inclusive Dance Project along to music provided by The Happiness Ensemble. A beautiful concoction of movement, music and colourful shades of blue in which many individuals’ with special needs participated – including an individual in a wheelchair, who was obviously delighted with being a part of it.
We thank all those who helped to make the day so special..to include the Clonakilty Wellness Committee, Liam the Sound technician , the O’Donovan family for letting us use their wonderful venue which held us all so well, Lee for all the ‘hands on’ site assistance, all the drummers, singers and dancers…and all of you who helped in any way, be it tying up balloons or moving benches.
We are now preparing and exploring proposals for the next BIG SING! event which will be held in Bantry at the FeelGood Festival on Saturday 15th October. Please do get in touch if you would like to join in!!
Singing workshops are now lined up under way with the National Learning Network’s drumming group, the COPE Foundation and Co Action groups and the secondary schools in Clonakilty. This BIG SING! event is set to be even more exciting with the inclusion of drummers and the Happiness Ensemble – a Clonakilty based ‘open’ community music group.
There are many sessions which are open for people to come along and learn some of the songs. Below are the sessions booked to date…come along and meet us!!
April
Mon. 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th 7.30-9pm Family Resource Centre, Dunmanway Community Choir €5
Mon. 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th 8.30-9.30pm Blue Haven Cafe, Kinsale Voices €5
Tues. 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th 7-9pm Colaiste Choilm, Ballincollig, Ceol Na Laoi €5
Thurs. 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th 9-10pm Ballydehob Community Hall, Acapellabella €5
Friday 8th , 29th 10.30-11.30am Skibbereen Town Hall (Friday Club) FREE
Saturday 9th 3-5pm Bantry Christian Fellowship Hall €8/€10
May
Tues. 3rd 7-9pm Colaiste Choilm, Ballincollig, Ceol Na Laoi €5
Weds. 4th 7-9pm O’Donovans Hotel, Clonakilty FREE
Thurs. 5th 9-10pm Ballydehob Community Hall, Acapellabella €5
Fri. 6th 10.30-11.30am Skibbereen Town Hall (Friday Club) FREE
Great music session on the Cumascu Wellness bus with secondary students from Clonakilty, Bantry, Dunmanway and Schull. Drumming, body percussion, singing, shakin’, guitar playing….they were such an enthusiastic group! Fantastic. Also working alongside WCMHS arts and mental health coordinator Kevin Shanahan and Nick on his music technology and wacky experimental vocals!! Great to be in a team and hope to be doing more of that in the future.
The Cumascu bus is getting re-vamped and we will hopefully be able to do more music projects based from it this year.
The next monthly singing workshop will be held between 2-5pm in the Christian Fellowship Hall, behind Cinemax. We are enjoying wonderful rhythms and harmonies and preparing our songs for the next West Cork BIG SING! event on Saturday 7th May as part of the Clonakilty Wellness Week. All are very welcome to come along and join us in an informal and fun singing session. Cost is €10 / €8
We will be running an ‘open’ workshop as part of the Wellness Week programme on the Wednesday evening to which all are invited to come along to learn some of the songs which we will be singing on the day. Times and venue tbc. Watch this space!!
For another opportunity to learn the songs you are welcome to come along to the “Little Singing Session” which takes place at the Friday Club in the Town Hall, Skibbereen from 10.30-11.30am on the second Friday of every month. Come along and meet and sing with others over a cup of tea or coffee. This event is FREE!
If you would like a workshop to be brought to your group then get in touch!
This year I aim to bring focus to passing on the skills I have gained from all these years of leading groups in singing through the delivery of training, support and mentoring packages to those who are new to this work, and also to singing groups and community choirs who would benefit from my experience.
This first Training Day is designed as an introduction to leading groups in singing and would be useful for anyone who would like to gain some basic skills with groups of any age or ability. This training is not just for the keen singer or new Community Choir facilitator, but also for school teachers, youth workers, carers and anyone who may like to bring singing into groups. Bringing music into groups can be rewarding and fun. We will work together through a relaxed yet focused approach.
You don’t need to be some kind of ‘music maestro’ to take part although you must be a confident singer who can hold a harmony line on your own. Feel free to get in touch to find out more or to discuss whether this Training Day will be suitable for you. A more intensive Training Programme will be on offer in the autumn 2016. Bookings by 1st March please to: cazjeffreys@gmail.com
Really looking forwards to this day of Social day of Singing! which will be co-facilitated by myself and Jane Goss. Here is an opportunity for the growing West Cork BIG SING! community to come together and share the songs we have been learning, learn a few more and simply get some time together to get to know one another a little more. We will be looking at a new set of songs which we are preparing for the next BIG SING! event due to take place in Clonakilty in May as part of the Clonakilty Wellness Week. People new to the project are also very welcome to come along.
The event will be held in the Bantry Christian Fellowship Hall on Saturday 13th February from 11am-4.30pm. Please bring food to share for lunch. Hot drinks will be provided. The cost is just €20. The West Cork BIG SING! aims to keep it’s activities as accessible as possible. Although the hall is upstairs there is a lift in this building, so please let me know if you will be needing to use it and I will check that it is functioning! Spaces are limited so you need to get in touch and book your place in advance so as not to be disappointed.
Hope to see you there!!
Caz Jeffreys 