Teen Traveling Camp I

June 25-July 11, 2026

  • Leaders: Sinead O’Mahoney, Matlakala Bopape, Scott Sexton

  • Rehearsal location: Stump Sprouts Lodge, Hawley, MA

  • Tuition: $1975
    Financial aid is available for this camp, based on need. You'll need to apply first and pay your deposit. Should we not be able to make the finances work for you, you may withdraw your registration with no penalty.

  • A $250 deposit is required when you register online. The balance of tuition will be due in two parts: March 1, 2026 and May 1, 2026.

Register online now

Our first teen traveling camp of the 2026 summer will be led by Village Harmony alumna/teen camp coordinator Sinead O’Mahoney; South African choral director Matlakala Bopape; and Alabama musician Scott Sexton.

Repertoire will include American traditional & shape-note repertoire, dance songs from South Africa, folk music from Bosnia and more.

Village Harmony’s 17 day-long teen traveling camps are open to young singers ages 12 to 18. Auditions aren’t required to attend our Village Harmony (VH) camps. If you like singing full force and galumphing about the countryside performing for appreciative audiences, these summer camps are for you.  

Like all VH teen camps, we will begin with a week of rehearsal in residence at a retreat center. This summer’s rehearsals will be held at one of our favorites—Stump Sprouts Retreat in Hawley, western Massachusetts, followed by a 10-day tour around New England.


Meet the leaders

  • Sinead O'Mahoney

    A native of Montpelier, VT, Sinead O’Mahoney has been singing with Village Harmony and Northern Harmony since she was in her mid-teens. She has traveled abroad with Village Harmony in Corsica, France, Switzerland, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and has made three trips to Caucasus Georgia, including an intensive Georgian language course. Sinead has been praised for her sure command of rhythm and clear and efficient teaching style.

    Active in Sacred Harp and other shape-note singing throughout New England, Sinead became a co-director of VH’s community choir Boston Harmony in 2018. She has been in charge of programming Village Harmony’s teen programs since 2023.

    Sinead earned her bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Vermont in 2016 and is currently working toward her masters in choral conducting at Boston University. She currently lives in Boston, Mass. USA.

  • Matlakala Bopape

    Matlakala Bopape, of Polokwane, South Africa, is the director of internationally-renowned Polokwane Choral Society—a community-based group whose aim is nurturing musical talent in African society.

    As a director, Matlakala is committed to drawing out musical excellence from her singers, as well as exposing them to musical cultures of the world. Her limitless patience, careful attention to vocal technique, and rich repertoire of folk and contemporary South African choral music make her a formidable teacher.

    Matlakala’s has been collaborating as a teacher with Village Harmony nearly every year since her first VH program in Italy in 2000, which followed a fortuitous initial meeting with Patty & Larry at Festival 500 in St. John, Newfoundland the previous summer.

  • Scott Sexton

    Scott Sexton is on the music faculty of Troy University in Troy, Alabama, where he leads three choral ensembles and teaches courses in music education. Before Troy, he spent a decade teaching elementary music and secondary choir in Mississippi. He earned degrees from Troy University (Bachelor of Music Education), the University of Mississippi (M.M. in Music Education), and Auburn University (Ph.D. in Music Education). His recent dissertation explores the intersection of global music education, singing, and peacebuilding.

    Scott is known for his work in bringing global singing cultures to his choristers. His experiences include immersive, teaching, and performance opportunities in over 30 countries throughout North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia—including participation in Village Harmony programs in Macedonia, Bosnia, and South Africa, as well as co-leading a couple of VH Teen Camps in New England. 

Residential & rehearsal space

Stump Sprouts Lodge, Hawley, MA:
Hand-built and furnished almost entirely with wood harvested from our land, the Lodge has seven guest rooms, a large living room and a complete kitchen and dining room. Everywhere there are large windows taking in the magnificent view. Lofts, cozy nooks, art work, plants, and a fireplace.

Not exactly a hotel, motel or B&B, Stump Sprouts is in a unique category of its own. In keeping with the owners’ simple philosophy, overnight guests share bathrooms and bring their own sheets, blankets, pillows & towels (there will be a limited number of sets for rent if you cannot do this for some reason).

All rooms have a double bed in them and most have a single or bunk bed as well. Rooms are decorated with original art, barn board, old farm implements, etc.

Village Harmony’s rehearsal space will be in a beautifully refinished barn, with superb cross-ventilation and large windows looking out over a gorgeous mountainscape.