I originally devised the series of Voice-works Study Weekends to kickstart the academic year of 2024. We began with Eight English Greats. Since then, we’ve explored The Origins of Opera, Oratorio and Song, and spent time with Eight French Greats.

My intention has always been to build a more detailed map of vocal repertoire possibilities — and to show how helpful a clear theme can be. It gives focus, a framework, and invites curiosity. And now, as I look ahead to a new year, it feels the perfect moment to turn my attention across the Atlantic, to the New World, and to delve into Eight American Greats.

America’s vocal tradition is younger than ours. That is part of the appeal. There’s less inherited weight and more room for a mix of influences. Classical technique sits alongside the theatre. Jazz rubs shoulders with art song. Operatic writing is there too, but it often carries a different kind of storytelling. I find that fascinating. It changes how you sing, how you phrase, how you li...

We’re heading back to Winsham in Somerset this September — not simply because it’s a beautiful village with the marvellous acoustics of The Jubilee Hall, but because, quite frankly, they asked. After Love Your Voice in March, several locals and friends of The Voice School quietly inquired, “When will you be back?” It’s always a lovely sign when the question arrives before the invitation is extended.

So here we are, returning on the weekend of Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th September, offering two distinct and artistically valuable experiences for classical singers who are ready to return to their voice with intention. These two days are independent of one another — you may attend either or both — but together they form a meaningful beginning to the new academic year ahead.

Two Days, Two Invitations

Each day holds its own energy and purpose.

On Saturday, 13th September, we begin with The Vocal Refresh. This is a quietly focused day for a small group of classical singers to work in de...