2008 Camps and Workshops
Oregon Cascades Adult Camp
Friday, August 29 - Sunday, September 7
St Benedict’s Lodge, McKenzie, Oregon.
Led by Amity Baker, Frank Kane, Dessislava Stefanova
Tuition: $725
The locus of this camp will be at St. Benedict’s Lodge in McKenzie, Oregon (about an hour east of Eugene, and three hours from Portland) on the McKenzie River at the edge of the Willamette National Forest. Set in the heart of the Cathedral Forest, St. Benedict’s is an inspiring setting for singing. This will be our second in what is assuredly going to become a long succession of Labor Day week singing camps at the lodge—it is a truly marvelous setting for Village Harmony! Be prepeared to sing, feast and be merry!
Add to the idyllic setting a wonderful trio of veteran Village Harmony teachers, and you’ll not just be in a Franciscan getaway, you’ll be in heaven! Amity Baker, leader of the Burlington, Vermont-based ensemble Social Band, will lead the group in an eclectic array of American choral songs, ranging from traditional New England shape-note singing to hot-off-the-press contemporary arrangements. Frank Kane, an American singer living in Paris, France, is the founder of the Georgian music ensembles Marani and Irinola and sought-after workshop leader; he will bring a set of folk and sacred songs from Caucasus Georgia to teach the group by ear. And Dessi Stefanova, currently living and teaching in the UK but native of Bulgaria, will teach a stunning set of Bulgarian two- and three-part songs; Dessi will also put together a dance band with those of you who (please do!) bring your instruments along.
Camp participants can also look forward to close encounters with Oregon’s famous old-growth fir trees, off-hours hikes to waterfalls, lava flows, wildflower meadows, and forever-view peaks within close range of the retreat center. The McKenzie river is swift, clear, and cold but there’s fine swimming to be found with a short expedition to nearby lakes, and relaxing soaks to be savored in natural hot springs.
The session begins with supper on Friday and will end with concerts on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.
St. Benedict’s Lodge
Located on the McKenzie River at the edge of the Willamette National Forest, St. Benedict’s is an inspiring setting for singing, with close encounters with Oregon’s famous old-growth fir trees, off-hours hikes to waterfalls, lava flows, wildflower meadows, and forever-view peaks. There is fine swimming to be had in nearby lakes and creeks, and relaxing soaks in natural hot springs. There’s a big lawn in front - perfect for volleyball, frisbee, and dancing.
Faculty
AMITY BAKER directs Burlington, VT’s Social Band, a singing
group that specializes in commissioning new choral works by Vermont composers.
In addition, she leads adult and children’s choirs throughout central
Vermont, teaches voice and leads community singing workshops. She sings with
a variety of ensembles, performing everything from ancient music to honky-tonk.
Amity is known for her powerful voice, her up-beat and easy going leadership
style and her ability to incorporate singers of all experience levels into
joyous music making. This is Amity’s fifth year leading Village Harmony
sessions.
FRANK KANE first heard Georgian songs in 1982 and traveled to Georgia for
the first time in 1984. This was the beginning of a long-standing
passion which led him to found the Kartuli Ensemble in the United
States and later the Marani and Irinola ensembles in
France. His teaching approach uses exercises with vibration, the
raw material of our voices and our selves, to shed light on the principles
that underlie this singing. Working with the essence of the voice as revealed
in Georgian song brings insights that can enhance any form of singing and
the speaking voice and offers a rich path of self-discovery. This
will be Frank’s fourth year working with Village Harmony.
DESSI STAFANOVA from the UK, moved to England in 2000
straight from the world-famous Philip Koutev National Folk Music and Dance
Ensemble in Sofia, Bulgaria. She was immediately in demand to teach the unique
Bulgarian singing style so decided to stay and set up singing workshops - a
project which quickly developed and led to the establishment of the London
Bulgarian choir. The choir which now has twenty members, meets at the Bulgarian
Embassy and trains singers not in classical but in the Bulgarian natural style "from
the chest and the heart".
Dessi was born in Stara Zagora and started her (western) classical musical training at the age of five. But the formal and restrictive style did not suit her and it was not long before she was experimenting in other creative directions at the Children's Folk Music and Dance Company, Zagorche. While at Sofia University, Dessi successfully auditioned for the Philip Koutev Ensemble and continued her career as a professional singer.
Since her arrival in London, Dessi has recorded a CD, "Wild Wind - A Course in Authentic Bulgarian Singing" and worked on two soundtracks for Warner Brothers: "The Red Planet" and Walt Disney's "Atlantis". She is currently leading the London Bulgarian Choir, singing with story-telling company "A Spell In Time", spearheading vocal trio "The Dessibelles" and bringing together renowned Balkan musicians in the Orpheya project.