Retreat to the Harp 2012

Friday 6th – Sunday 8th July 2012
Escape to the beautiful countryside of East Sussex for a weekend of total harp immersion with friendly tutors, delicious meals, inspiring concerts and peaceful surroundings.

About the course

Retreat to the Harp is a weekend of tuition for pedal and lever harpists of all ages and abilities lead by lively and experienced harpists Keziah Thomas (Concert Harp) and Hannah Phillips (Clarsach).

The weekend offers a chance for beginners to advanced harpists to work on many aspects of playing including technique, ensemble work, arranging improvising and performance in a relaxed and encouraging environment.

As well as working in groups (divided by ability) on Classical and Folk music, the weekend will also include a concert by Hannah and Keziah, a musical party and a Yoga session. There will also be the opportunity for walks in the South Downs or an individual harp lesson (limited availability).

About the venue

The venue for the weekend is Gayles Retreat, a small retreat centre in the South Downs, five miles from Eastbourne and fifteen from Brighton. There are excellent train services from the nearby towns that provide direct travel to and from London Victoria, Gatwick, Ashford International, Brighton etc. Gayles is just a one-and-a-half hour drive from London.

The accommodation is in comfortable, single sex, dormitory style rooms with shared bathrooms. Delicious vegetarian meals will be provided by the staff at Gayles Retreat. Should you prefer individual accommodation, there are a number of nearby B&Bs. Although under 16’s cannot be accommodated overnight, they would be very welcome to participate in the weekend’s workshops.

Practicalities

Participants are required to bring their own harp, stool, music stand and tuner. There will be a very limited number of harps available to borrow on a first come first served basis.

The course will run from 5pm on Friday 6th July 2012 until 4.30pm on Sunday 8th July 2012. There will be a public concert given by Hannah and Keziah on Friday 6th July at 7.30pm to which parents/friends/relatives are welcome to attend.