Choir Camp 2023 with Dana at Dunfield House
Friday 02 June 2023 17:00 - Sunday 04 June 2023 18:00
(2 nights)
From £124.00
Listed by Spice West Midlands
Overview
Following the success of previous weekends with special guests including Kiki Dee, Russell Thompkins, Jr. and Sheila Ferguson, Choir Camp is back for the fifth time, and we return to the idyllic Dunfield House.
Commencing on the Friday evening, a delicious buffet of home-cooked food is served as we mingle and settle in. We then sing a range of musical and vocal styles; conductor Matthew Jones is already writing six-part arrangements for the occasion. After some songs around the campfire and a nightcap or two, it’s ‘lights out’ before waking up to a full English breakfast, setting us up for a busy Saturday of music-making. There’s also time during the day to take a swim or wander through the labyrinth. In the evening, we don our glad rags and dance the night away, after a champagne reception and gala dinner.
We have the exclusive run of the 19th-century mansion and its fifteen-acre grounds of rolling Welsh Border countryside. Requisitioned during World War II for American forces, Dunfield House was a bolthole for Winston Churchill for high-level meetings and elaborate dinners. Nearby Hergest Ridge inspired Mike Oldfield’s 1974 album of the same name and, according to local folklore, the chilling legend surrounding its Court was drawn upon by Arthur Conan Doyle for his classic The Hound of the Baskervilles.
A Sunday roast breaks up another day’s singing, culminating in a very special afternoon session with Eurovision legend Dana. The original Derry girl, she shot to fame in 1970 as Ireland’s first winner of the song contest with “All Kinds of Everything”. She went on to score chart hits worldwide with the likes of “Please Tell Him That I Said Hello”, “Fairytale” and “It’s Gonna Be a Cold Cold Christmas”. Having sung for two popes at several papal Masses, Dana’s music transcends pop. During John Paul II’s historic visit to the US in 1987 she performed the self-penned title track of her album Totus Tuus, to a youth rally of some 80,000 at the New Orleans Superdome. In more recent years, a career in politics has seen her serve as a Member of the European Parliament and run for president twice in the Irish elections.
A Choir Camp first, assisting Matthew Jones is the outrageously funny Lorraine Bowen. Also known as “The Crumble Lady”, the Britain’s Got Talent contestant — golden-buzzed by David Walliams — and star of TikTok will lead us in warm-ups and intermittent frivolity: a welcome break from the maestro!
Friends and family have the chance to enjoy a showcase of our efforts and join us for cream tea, before we say our goodbyes, until 2024. As far as Matthew is concerned, there is no activity more inclusive than group singing, so whether you’re a complete beginner or seasoned professional, he invites you to join him in what promises to be yet another unforgettable experience.
All artists correct at time of publication and subject to change without notice.
Final payments are due by 21st April 2023 and there are no refunds for cancellation after this date, unless we resell your place
Includes
Residential: 2 nights, full board with same sex, hostel-style accommodation.
Non-residential: All activities except swimming pool access included, without meals or accommodation.
Location & Itinerary
This is not a Spice exclusive event and there will be members from Matthews choir there too. Mathew will endeavour to introduce Spice members to one another and keep us together in the bedrooms/dorms though.
Travel & Stay
Dunfield House: We have the exclusive run of the 19th-century mansion and its fifteen-acre grounds of rolling Welsh Border countryside. Requisitioned during World War II for American forces, Dunfield House was a bolthole for Winston Churchill for high-level meetings and elaborate dinners. Nearby Hergest Ridge inspired Mike Oldfield’s 1974 album of the same name and, according to local folklore, the chilling legend surrounding its Court was drawn upon by Arthur Conan Doyle for his classic The Hound of the Baskervilles.
| Type | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Member Non Residential | £124.00 | Sold Out |
| Member Residential | £199.00 | Sold Out |
| Guest Non Residential | £174.00 | Sold Out |
| Guest Residential | £274.00 | Sold Out |
Not enough spaces left for you? Join the waitlist
Host & Everything Else
· Thank you for a great weekend. Will definitely be booking for next year. The sound you achieved was amazing – lovely to be part of it. Have decided to start to go for higher notes and push myself out of my comfort zone -we’ll see where it goes! Will be coming to your Cadogan Hall concert with my three sisters. One is a massive Northern Soul fan – hope she does Picture Me Gone.
· I have been involved in Am Dram and choirs for many years but I have never experienced that adrenaline rush that I got from the weekend and the ultimate run through of the three songs with Russell and of course yourself. You produced a truly wonderful sound and you should be very proud of yourself. I have signed up for next year and would be very happy if we had Russell again The Stylistics had more wonderful songs to learn. I know the group of friends I made and myself are getting tickets for your show and will be lovely to see you again. Well done again
· Thank you for you lovely email. A few of us have got a WhatsApp group going and have all been saying how much we missed it coming home after such a great weekend, and the songs just kept popping out every so often. I’m sure my kids thought I was bonkers suddenly bursting into Betcha by golly wow. I have listened to The Stylistics on YouTube and realised then what a great arrangement you did for us, so thank you. I don’t get away much these days and this w/e has been a highlight for me. From my perspective I didn’t find you hard on us and it didn’t upset me, possibly upset you more, so file it away in the past. A group of us are trying to get together to come to see Madeline Bell in February. I hope to return next year and have already put my name down. I look forward to seeing the excerpts and the photos.
· Thank you, Mathew for another wonderful Choir weekend and for all the hard work you and your colleagues put into it.
· Choir Camp was much more than could be anticipated. I went alone knowing no one and I was also was not in a choir, indeed have only been in a choir at school ( too many years ago to mention) and also briefly, over a decade ago, in a community choir. I was definitely a shower singer ! So, whilst driving up, I did begin to doubt what I had let myself in for. I was made to feel so welcome by everybody, particularly by my neighbour, sat next to me in the choir whose encouragement was wonderful. The place was glorious, and the food was fine ( am veggie) . The shared accommodation, bunk beds. I think I was the only one to go swimming, but can say that it was very refreshing.Choir camp was quite life changing. Over the weekend we had around 16 hours of tuition from Matthew, who is clearly a gifted person. His dedication to enabling our newly formed choir to develop and sing with Russel Thompson Jnr was awesome. I developed confidence and friendships at this unique event. Russel was delightful. Everybody involved in staging this event was thoughtful, skilled and professional.
· I have already booked for next year. Beautiful venue, lovely people, sixteen hours of song, champagne reception, all meals , accommodation, yes definitely value for money”
· I know you didn’t organise this weekend yourself I think it was Steve Dell, but I wanted to let you know and please pass on to him that Chris and I had a wonderful weekend at choir camp. It was very different. I don’t belong to a choir though of course Chris does but that didn’t prevent me enjoying it. Matthew Jones the musical director is such a character, we laughed a lot, and the gala evening was great fun. We met some lovely people from across the UK and of course got to meet and sing with the lead singer from the original Stylistics.
Were the joining details clear? Yes
Did the hosts make you feel welcome and introduce you to others? Yes
Did you enjoy the food? Yes
What did you think of the accommodation general? It was a very large bunkhouse so similar to other venues spice use, so it was fine
Was the weekend value for money? Excellent value
Did you enjoy the weekend as a whole? Very much
Would you book this type of event again? Definitely
How could we improve this event for next time? Give someone a spice sign so we can identify each other earlier. Matthew does mention spice specifically to welcome us but as some people don’t put their names on the booking we can’t identify them. Also with other groups i usually get contact details for the others and you can organise car shares or travel if you have this info beforehand
· I would reiterate it was brilliant I do sing in a choir so I really understood how amazing it was. Definately would book to go again next year and Russell from the Stylistics was fantasticgoosebump moment for me.
· Hi Claire, I really enjoyed the event. It was definitely value for money and something very different to do. Matthew and his team plus the staff at Dunfield house worked very hard to make this a great event. Loved the singing and met some interesting people and singers from around the country. It was fabulous to sing with a professional such as Russell Thomkins under Matthews expert instruction and the 6 part harmony sounded fabulous. The black tie ball was lovely. The accommodation was fine. There were only a few Spice people on this event, which was fine, but as there wasn't a formal Spice coordinator it was difficult to establish who the other Spice people work but I managed. Hope this feedback helps.
· Can you let Matthew know that I have sent very positive feedback (all true) about the weekend to both Spice London and Spice Midlands and as promised one of the pictures we took at the gala evening telling them what a wonderful time we had. I am happy for him to quote me if he speaks to them again in the future. It was lovely to meet you all and thank you for all your help over the weekend.
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