The Roaring Water Boys are back!!! This season of sessions will run on Wednesdays from 8-10pm and begin on the 11th April. ALL men are welcome regardless of previous singing experience. It is a place to enjoy singing alongside others, learning to sing harmonies and exploring your own voice. The emphasis is on having fun in an informal environment.
What a brilliant weekend!! A group of ten of us traveled from Cork to join in with this festival under the name of Cork Community Voices….and what a fun time we had! Amazing workshop leaders and such a nice display of different choirs there! We especially enjoyed meeting and singing on the last night in the pub with the Ignite Gospel Choir from Galway!! Hopefully the first of many more visits to choir festivals.
What a fantastic day in Ballincollig with Ceol na Laoi, West Cork BIG SING!, Voices of Cork and the WestGate Choirs….WELL DONE EVERYONE!! And a big THANK YOU to all the support we had, with special thanks to: The Castle Gate Shopping Centre; Librabry, Nosh and Coffee, The Plaza Cafe, Ballincolig Business Association, Rugby Club; Dick O’Reily (photography), Catherine Hassett (Ballincollig Health and Wellbeing), Eoin Nash (Cope Foundation), Ballincollig branches of Downs and Quishes SuperValu stores and Dunne’s Store, and the fantastic team of women who helped getting ready for the big day from Ceol na Laoi….especially Elaine who helped to coordinate the event.
My next visit to Naas, Co. Kildare has now been confirmed for the weekend of 4th/5th November and will include an ‘Introduction to Leading Groups in Song’ Training Day on Saturday 4th from 10am-5pm. This day is aimed at anyone wishing to develop their skills in bringing singing into group work. On the Sunday we will have another Singing Workshop which will include exploring body percussion as well as discussion on the possibility of a BIG SING! event into the area next year!
After the great success of a few taster sessions with a group of guys earlier on this summer, the Roaring Water Boys (named after the bay) will be starting up for men to come together and enjoy singing in an informal and relaxed setting. We will be meeting upstairs in Rosies Bar, Ballydehob on Monday evenings from 8-10pm.
I am really looking forwards to more singing with these guys, which is a real change for me as I feel I have been leading all female groups for so long now.
All men in the area are welcomed to come along to have a listen to what we are up to.
The next GraceNotes Vocal Performance Project will be working with the Clonakilty Jazz Collective to bring together a short set to perform at the Sunday Jazz Sessions in De Barras on 10th December which runs between 3-5pm at the Folk Club. Following an impromptu jam together at the Jazz Session earlier this summer we decided that we’d like the opportunity to share some more music together. This set will touch on blues and soul and will also feature another of my own compositions, ‘Shine a little Love’ which will be sung a-cappella.
Possibly the last run of these songs before the project re-opens for members and launches it’s new collection of songs and workshops.
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.
Really looking forwards to heading up country and leading a weekend of singing with Sarah Garden from Leitrim in Blacklion. We’ll be singing a mixture of songs, some easy and quick, and others more meaty and packed with wonderful harmony. Looking like a great opportunity to sing with a big crowd as choirs in the locality are set to join us. Grab yourself an ‘earlybird’ ticket and come along!
I often hear men say to me that they would like to sing but can’t, or the odd man pop’s into one of the choirs….just to disappear again. Sure, I can see how being surrounded by all those women might feel a little daunting without other men around!
So, I have agreed to lead two sessions for fellas on Wednesday 7th and 14th June upstairs in Rosies Bar in Ballydehob….and we’ll see what happens and who turns up! Whether a new men’s singing group starts or they want to prepare and then enter as a section into the existing choir in Ballydehob we will see!! Or maybe it’ll just get them singing a little more elsewhere…..
Caz Jeffreys 