Studio 5: The Festive Intermezzo 2026

Welcome!

As we approach the end of the autumn term, I'd like to invite you to join me for another Intermezzo, this time during the three weeks leading up to Christmas.

Our August Intermezzo gave us some fascinating conversations about singing, and particularly about all the things we can do to develop our musicianship beyond the time we spend actually singing.

I'd like to build on that experience in December.

The Festive Intermezzo is an opportunity to keep in touch with your singing between the autumn and spring terms, with some useful things to listen to, think about and explore for yourself.

Each week I'll share a festive greeting, a short Voice School teaching video and a few ideas you might like to try with your own music.

We'll be looking at what motivates us to sing, what we can learn through musicianship and how we can make better use of the knowledge and experience we already have.

And, of course, we'll make time to meet online for a coffee and a chat! These informal get-togethers were such a valuable part of August, giving us the chance to exchange ideas, ask questions and enjoy talking about our singing together.

There's no particular amount of work to do, and no need to keep up with a schedule. Everything will be there for you to explore in your own time.

It's a way of keeping our singing connected through December, with something worthwhile to carry forward into the new year.

Each week offers something different to explore, but the intention remains the same throughout: to keep your singing part of your life, even when you're not actually singing, and carry that connection into the new year.

I'll be around once a week for a festive online coffee and chat. Nothing formal, just a chance to get together, exchange ideas, ask questions and enjoy talking about our singing as we approach Christmas.

If you can't join us live, you can still share your thoughts or questions during the week. I'll pick them up as part of our continuing conversation, so everyone can take part in their own way.

During the Festive Intermezzo, I'd love you to send a little musical Christmas postcard whenever something catches your attention.

It might be a favourite Christmas carol, a beautiful performance you've discovered, a piece of music you're getting to know, or something from one of our weekly teaching videos that has given you food for thought.

Your postcard doesn't need to be anything elaborate. A link, a recording, a photograph of a score or simply a few words in our group chat will do nicely.

One of the pleasures of our August Intermezzo was discovering how much we could learn from one another's observations and experiences. I'd love us to continue that exchange in December, building a little collection of musical discoveries, questions and ideas to enjoy together.

And remember, you don't have to be practising your singing every day to be actively involved in your musical life. Listening, noticing, thinking and sharing are all part of the experience.

The whole idea is that the Festive Intermezzo sits rather informally alongside the preparations and pleasures of Christmas.

It's an opportunity to keep our musical curiosity alive, enjoy sharing a few discoveries and make time for our singing in ways that fit naturally into the festive season.

So when January comes around, rather than feeling you've left your singing behind at the end of the autumn term, you'll have kept that musical connection alive, with fresh ideas and enthusiasm to carry into the spring term.