Island Retreat – for Choral and Solo Singers, Jersey, 27th July to 2nd August 2023

Following our first Island Retreat in 2022, we are delighted to announce our second retreat for professional solo and choral singers, recent graduates and undergraduates who want to investigate their voice with expert guidance in a beautiful environment. Applications are welcome from professional and student singers (recommended age 20 – 30)

Island Retreat – for Choral and Solo Singers, Jersey, 27th July to 2nd August 2023

Following our first Island Retreat in 2022, we are delighted to announce our second retreat for professional solo and choral singers, recent graduates and undergraduates who want to investigate their voice with expert guidance in a beautiful environment. Applications are welcome from professional and student singers (recommended age 20 – 30)

Concert opportunities

Including Compline Service, Public Classes and a Vocal Recital

Workshops, one-on-one sessions and Repertoire coaching

Shared conversation and exploration around the voice

Vocal Technique, Manual Therapy, Feldenkrais and Mindfulness

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A retreat, not a course

Led by us and guided by you, an intimate gathering of 20 to 25 singers and leaders that provides a safe, relaxed environment to experiment, explore and develop your own individual style and technique. We take our time, and balance immersive and collaborative coaching sessions, presentations, workshops, conversations and one-to-one tuition, with plenty of time off to de-stress and recharge in Jersey’s beautiful landscape.

The programme is designed to develop advanced singing skills that support both solo performance and choral participation but also to develop confidence and help with forging professional pathways. We work with a variety of levels of experience, blurring the lines between the teaching and the studying. Some of our advanced young professional attendees may like to present on topics, and take a lead in some sessions, and our staff have work collaboratively together and come as learners too.

No part of the course is compulsory, although we do strongly recommend that the participants engage in the ensemble singing, which is forms a huge part of the formation of the group for the week. Each participant has the opportunity to enjoy:

  • Technical and performance workshops
  • Evening choral and close harmony sessions
  • Coaching on repertoire with an experienced piano coach
  • Participation in technical and performance workshops
  • Evening choral ensemble sessions
  • Lunchtime performance and an evening Compline in two of Jersey’s ancient churches
Nicki Kennedy Voiceworks - Voice Communication, Vocal Health, Singing Lessons and Choirs

Plenty of opportunities to relax, explore the beautiful sandy beaches and discover the beautiful and varied coastline of Jersey

Most importantly, we encourage lots of time off to think, talk, bond, laugh, and we make sure there is plenty of opportunity to explore, swim, walk and talk.

Plenty of opportunities to relax, explore the beautiful sandy beaches and discover the beautiful and varied coastline of Jersey

Most importantly, we encourage lots of time off to think, talk, bond, laugh, and we make sure there is plenty of opportunity to explore, swim, walk and talk.

Exploration

From a wide range of options, we decide together the areas you want to explore. For example we might discuss:

  • Performance-related technique and repertoire
  • Advanced and specialist breathing, stretching and vocal techniques
  • Somatic work such as Feldenkrais or Alexander Technique
  • Explorations of repertoire
  • Mindfulness and singing
  • Vocal health and anatomy
  • Confidence in performing, beating anxiety
  • Strategies for singing healthily in choral situations
  • Nutrition and fitness for singing
  • Manual therapy from trained and fully insured members of the team
  • Counselling-informed and trauma-aware staff
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 Beautiful settings in which to explore techniques

Nicki Kennedy Singing Lessons

Discussions in beautiful settings

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Nicki working with Albie

Nicki Kennedy Singing Lessons

Repertoire Session

“A truly collaborative environment”

“World-class teaching, the freedom of a sparser schedule, a truly collaborative environment between staff and participant. You wake up in a mansion, have an eye-opening singing lesson, go swimming, sing some Victoria with your new friends, and then natter over cheese and wine. What’s not to love?”

Ed

“It really was a life changing experience.”

“The course is something I know I will look back on as a launching point for my career as a singer and be so glad that I took part, for many years to come. My confidence has grown so much from just five days spent in such an amazing environment. It really was a life changing experience with so many beautiful moments.”

Orla

The team

We have invited leading experts in the industry to help you get the most out of our Retreat

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Robert Rice

Robert Rice enjoys a varied career as a performing baritone and singing teacher. Well known for oratorio, consort singing and contemporary music, he has sung in the majorUK venues and widely abroad. His most recent performances include premières of Errolyn Wallen and Howard Goodall, while ongoing projects include a collaboration with composer Jill Jarman, Chelys Viol Consort and percussionist Evelyn Glennie. In addition to a thriving private studio, Robert teaches at Clare, Jesus and King’s Colleges of Cambridge University, King’s College, London and Lincoln Cathedral. A vocal coach for the London Symphony Chorus, he also gives workshops, adjudicates singers and arranges for voices.

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Anita Morrison

Anita is particularly known for her teaching of trebles and taught the choristers of Westminster Cathedral for nearly 30 years (from 1990-2019). She was awarded anHonorary ARSCM in 2017 in recognition of her outstanding work in this area following the publication of her vocal health for choristers book ‘The Chorister and the RacingCar – A Guide to High Performance Singing’. She currently teaches the choristers at St.George’s Windsor Castle, St. John’s College Cambridge, London Oratory Schola Cantorum and Cardinal Vaughan Schola Cantorum. She also teaches the choral scholars of Selwyn College Cambridge, is a vocal coach to The London SymphonyChorus and has a busy private teaching practice.

An intrinsic belief in the importance of good body use led Anita to train as a Feldenkrais Practitioner. She teaches regular classes and workshops and has given Feldenkrais workshops for singers at the GSMD, Leeds College of Music and for VoiceWorkshop and the British Voice Association.

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Nicki Kennedy

Nicki Kennedy has enjoyed an extremely varied career as a singer. As a soloist she has performed and recorded with many of the leading ensembles in the baroque and classical field, such as the Musiciens du Louvre, Netherlands Bach Society, the Parlement de Musique, the Academy of Ancient Music, the Orchestre des Champs–Elysées, Modo Antiquo and the choir of King’s College, Cambridge.

As a session musician Nicki sang with London Voices and Metro Voices and can be heard on the sound tracks of Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Hobbit and many, many others.

Nicki has taught and given masterclasses in Spain, France and the Czech Republic and is a regular vocal teacher and consultant for the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, and for the Rodolfus Foundation.She has been Head of Singing in two UK schools and has taught Choral Scholars at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities. She is a specialist in vocal health and rehabilitation.

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Shivani Rattan

Shivani is a rising star in the choral world. She is a British Indian Choral Conductor and Mezzo-Soprano, and graduate of Royal Holloway where she held a Choral Scholarship and directed The Founder’s Choir. Whilst at University, she wrote her dissertation on the lack of diversity in the classical music industry and has since been outspoken in spreading awareness about access and opportunity in music education. Her Three Indian Celebration Songs were published by Sing for Pleasure.

Shivani works for Brent Music Service, The National Children’s Choir of Great Britain (Assistant Conductor), Tenebrae (Singing Schools Workshop Leader), and Sing for Pleasure (Trainee Tutor, Communications & Social Media lead). With The National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, Shivani was a Fellow in 2021 and has since enjoyed working on NYCGB courses, with London Youth Choirs, Ark Schools, and Farnham Youth Choir. In 2023 Shivani will join Papagena, the all-female a cappella quintet, as their mezzo.

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Elizabeth Hayley

Elizabeth’s career has taken her all over the world, including appearances in Sweden atThe World Clown Congress, in Canada giving masterclasses & recitals, in Jamaica as music educator, touring Ireland as Assistant MD for ‘Side by Side’ by Sondheim, in the UK as soloist in piano concertos & conducting award-winning choral/operatic societies, playing with world-renowned groups such as The Pump Room Trio in Bath and The PasadenaRoof Orchestra.

As a former Classical and Jazz Examiner for ABRSM she enjoyed frequent work across Asia, and as a sought-after and versatile accompanist has performed with acclaimed artistes such as trumpeter Crispian Steele-Perkins, trombonist GordonCampbell, singers Benjamin Luxon, Rupert Charlesworth, Elizabeth Watts, & worked onstage with actress Dame Harriet Walter. She is passionate about teaching and coaching young musicians, and works at St Catherine’s School Bramley and Eton College.

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John Bowley

An accomplished tenor, John Bowley appeared both as soloist and chorister with many of the most important orchestras and choirs on today’s concert platform. John was a full-time member of the BBC Singers, and has sung all over the world from Sydney Opera House to The Royal Albert Hall, singing in Japan, Australia, South Africa, USA and all over Europe with many of the most significant conductors such as Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Simon Rattle and Harry Christophers. In addition, John has sung on many of the Film soundtracks recorded in London, such as Harry Potter, Shrek, Pirates of the Caribbean and more.

John has now devoted himself to teaching and choral music, and is now Head of Music at Jersey College for Girls. He has always worked with young choral singers including working for the Eton Choral Courses (now the Rodolfus Foundation).He is founder and Director of the Jersey Youth Choir, and regularly works as vocal coach for the Royal Schools of Church Music’s ‘Millenium Choir’. He is proud to be the Chair of Aureole Music, a charity set up in the COVID pandemic which provides music in care settings.

“It really was an absolutely wonderful experience, as I said, the perfect mix of singing and adventures. I definitely want to come back to Jersey!”

Jessie

“There was a really strong emphasis on taking your time and not to rush your progress. From this retreat, I have learnt the importance of giving yourself a break and allowing the brain to digest information.”

Natalka

“It was the perfect space to ask for advice from the teachers and to really learn from them, as they were so encouraging and open.”

Clara

What you need to know

Our subsidised retreat is incredible value.

The total cost per student is £290 plus flights and one supper out.

A deposit of £100 will be required to secure a place, and the balance by 1st June 2023.
Payment plans can be arranged.

Fly over on the morning or early afternoon of Thursday 27th July to check-in, and have a swim at one of the nearby beaches, ready to meet together and start the course from 3pm. (Fly from numerous locations with EasyJet, Blue Islands or BA). Course ends after lunch on 2nd August, or extend your break into the weekend at a local hotel and have a Jersey adventure!

Please fill in the application form and wait for confirmation to pay the deposit.

Nicki Kennedy Voiceworks - Voice Communication Coaching

The stunning venue of Chateau Vermont, Jersey, is set in a peaceful and private countryside location, yet just a short drive from town.

Nicki Kennedy Voiceworks - Voice Communication, Vocal Health, Singing Lessons and Choirs

Fine-tune your voice and performance so that you can communicate with a confidence and passion that makes your audience sit up and listen. Nicki Kennedy is an energetic and enthusiastic communicator. She is a skilled diagnostician with much knowledge and experience, which she uses with commitment and vitality to help executives, young professional and aspiring professional singers and youngsters to develop their vocal technique and performance skills. > Find out more

Vocal Habilitation Professional, Nicki Kennedy
Vocal Habilitation Professional, Nicki Kennedy

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