Sing & Stay
Next course dates tba
Lickey Hills, Worcestershire, UK
A weekend of solfa, study and socialising inspired by the Kodály Approach
You love Kodály-inspired music but...
- You wish you could sing solfa with other people who love it too
- Your family are fed up with you asking them to sing in canon
- You want to improve your own musicianship skills but never find time
- You have lots of questions about teaching using the Kodály Approach
- You want to make friends with other solfa geeks
- You deserve a weekend away that will relax and rejuvenate you
Introducing Doremi Sing and Stay
- Feel welcomed by our friendly tutors and guests
- Experience that special buzz of singing solfa in harmony
- Develop your own musicianship and improve your skills and confidence
- Have fun learning new singing games for all ages
- Quiz our tutors on solfa, music theory and teaching techniques
- Enjoy socialising with people who love solfa as much as you do
- Regain your energy and enthusiasm for teaching
- Relax and enjoy the beautiful Worcestershire countryside
Fees from £65 (Day) & £159 (Weekend)
Hi, I'm Helen Russell!
I founded Doremi Connect to help teachers like you feel supported and confident integrating the Kodály approach into their teaching.
In August 2023 we celebrated our 3rd Birthday with our first IN PERSON weekend retreat! It was so successful we decided to organise TWO weekends in 2024! I’ve teamed up with Kodály specialist Anne Ralph to create some wonderful weekends of solfa and fun.
I can’t wait to welcome you to my beautiful home county of Worcestershire. The birthplace of Edward Elgar, with countryside that inspired CS Lewis’ Narnia and JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth. Plus the home of the oldest choral festival in the world, the Three Choirs Festival, where Kodály himself premiéred his Missa Brevis in 1948. And of course our very own Sarah Glover is buried here.
Hillscourt Hotel
Hillscourt is a beautiful former Victorian schoolhouse nestled in the heart of the idyllic Lickey Hills in Worcestershire, just south west of Birmingham. B45 8RS
Helen chose this beautiful venue especially for its socialising opportunities because connecting with other people is such an important part of this weekend.
So in addition to our activity rooms, we will be able to hang out in a lovely tea room in our breaks, or there are beautiful gardens with picnic tables and amazing views if the weather is nice.
There’s a bar and bistro where we will be eating our lunches and evening meal. In the evening we can choose to stay in the bar, sit outside, or return to our activity rooms if we want to make music together.
Of course you’re allowed to find some quiet space if you need a break from the fun, but our aim is for everyone to socialise together in an inclusive and welcoming environment. Tutors and guests together. (We want to make new friends too!)
What to expect from the course
Sing Together in Harmony
Start each day singing together with Doremi tutors Helen Russell and Anne Ralph.
There’s nothing quite like singing, but what’s even better? Singing with others, in unison, in harmony, in parts, in canon, whilst tapping your head and rubbing your tummy..?
A relaxing and fun start to the day for all abilities and the perfect way to warm up for a day of music making.
Improve Your Musicianship
The most enjoyable way to develop your musicianship and musical literacy skills. Every day, Helen and Anne will pick their favourite songs and activities to help you…
- improve your intonation – that’s singing in tune!
- become brilliant at dictation without freaking out
- sight sing without needing an instrument
- develop your inner hearing – a real superpower
- experience and understand harmony in a whole new way
- co-ordinate your mind and body
Enjoy Singing Games
What do we miss when we deliver training online? It’s the excitement of pushing back the tables and getting stuck in to some fun Singing Games for all ages.
Are you looking for ideas to take back to the classroom? Or do you just want to have some fun yourself? It doesn’t matter! Anne will tick both boxes and we can all have some traditional fun.
Learn Teaching Techniques for Piano and Music Teachers
Integrate the benefits of Kodály musicianship into your piano and music lessons with guidance from Helen, the author of Doremi Piano and Doremi Teach Music.
Whether you’re new to using Kodály in your lessons or you’re already fully immersed in Kodály teaching, we will give you advice and ideas that suit you.
Pop Solfa
Helen has spent a decade using solfa in her pop choirs. It would be madness to meet up and not enjoy some of her favourite songs with a solfa twist. The hardest part will be choosing from the hundreds of choices. But that’s her problem. You can just turn up and enjoy yourself!
Schedule
Saturday
Registration at 9:30am
Sessions start at 10:00am
Sessions finish at 5:30pm
Evening meal at 7:00pm
Socialising and informal music making until… whenever you like!
Sunday
Breakfast from 8:00am
Check out by 10:00am
Sessions start at 10:00am
Final sing at 5:30pm
Course close at 6:00pm
Food and Drink
Helen loves her food! Especially a full cooked breakfast. So you know that a lot of thought has gone into the food options for the weekend. It is also really important to us that we offer the best value for money, and the most flexibility.
- Full cooked breakfast on Sunday morning
- Tea, coffee and biscuits for morning and afternoon breaks
- Chilled water
Lunch and dinner are à la carte in the Bistro, giving you the most flexibility on food choice and cost.
- Soup of the Day and two bread rolls £4.40
- Glazed Goats Cheese Salad £9.50
- 6oz Burger with skin-on-fries £10.00
- Lunch Only: Sandwiches with salad or skin-on-fries £6.50
- Dinner Only: Sweet Potato Curry £9.00
- Dinner Only: Fish and Chips £12.95
- Hot Waffles, Fudge Cake or Crumble £5.50
Accommodation
Again, one of the advantages to our lovely venue is the quality and affordability of the bedrooms. We don’t believe you will get better value anywhere else.
- En-suite shower room with shower gel
- Tea and coffee facilities
- Hairdryer
- Combination safe
- Freeview TV (not that you’ll need it)
- Telephone
- Free Wi-Fi
What do our attendees think?
Flexibility
This weekend is totally flexible. You can pick and choose which parts to attend, and the cost will be adjusted accordingly.
- Attending for one day, with or without the evening meal
- Attending both days but without accommodation
- Stay the night before, or the night after, or both!
- Share a twin room to save money
- Bring your partner or family
- Anything goes! Just ask.
Here's how it works
Step 1: Get your place reserved
Reserve your place with a £10 deposit.
This enables us to reserve you a place on the course and a bedroom for the Saturday night. We have limited bedrooms so get pencilled in, even if you’re not sure if you need one yet. You can cancel it later.
Plus, the sooner you sign up, the more chance you have of influencing the course content.
Step 2: Decide which days or nights you want
Now your room is reserved, you have time to consider your options. Do you want to attend the whole weekend or just a single day. Maybe you need some wrap around nights. Chat to Helen about the options and prices or scroll down to our FAQ.
Step 3: Share your background and interests
This is your chance to help mould the course to your needs. We want to know your solfa and teaching experiences, and what you’re hoping to get out of the course. If you are only attending for one day, make sure you let us know which.
Step 4: Pay the balance
Your event fee balance is due one month before the course date to maintain your reservation. You can pay in as many instalments as you prefer between now and the due date.
If you need flexibility on payment timings then please get in touch.
Step 5: Get excited!
It’s time to start getting excited! You’re going to have an amazing weekend and we can’t wait to meet you.
If you do have any dietary, medical or other special requirements, make sure you let Helen know as soon as possible.
Doremi Sing and Stay
Next course dates tba
Lickey Hills, Worcestershire, UK
A weekend of solfa, study and socialising inspired by the Kodály Approach
Fees from £65 (Day) & £159 (Weekend)
Generous cancellation policy
Discounted rate for Doremi Members
Hassle-free 14 day money back guarantee
- Doremi Member Sing and Stay £159
- Doremi Member Day Rate per day £65
- Non-Member Sing and Stay £209
- Non-Member Day Rate per day £90
- Become a Doremi Member before 6th March 2024 to gain the member discount
- Memberships must run for a minimum of one month to qualify
- Scroll down to the FAQ for more cost information
CANCELLATION POLICY
When you register for Doremi Sing and Stay you are fully protected by my 14-Day Guarantee. If you change your mind for whatever reason in the next 14 days, I will refund your £10 deposit.
After 14 days, the £10 deposit is non-refundable.
Any further payments made towards the balance will be refundable in full if you cancel before 6th March 2024.
For cancellations received on or after 7th March 2024, refunds will not be guaranteed and will be considered on a case by case basis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sing and Stay is being hosted at Hillscourt, Rose Hill, Lickey, Birmingham B45 8RS, UK
https://www.hillscourt.co.uk/
Free parking on-site and close to the M42 Junction 1 & M5 Junction 4
Public Transport
Closest station: Longbridge – 2.5 miles
Closest major station: Birmingham New Street – 9.5 miles
Closest Airport: Birmingham International Airport – 20 miles
Saturday 6th April 2024
Registration at 9:30am
Sessions start at 10:00am
Sessions finish at 5:30pm
Evening meal at 7:00pm
Socialising and informal music making until… whenever you like!
Sunday 7th April 2024
Breakfast from 8:00am
Check out by 10:00am
Sessions start at 10:00am
Final sing at 5:30pm
Course close by 6:00pm
Sing and Stay Weekend is £159 for members, £209 for non-members
Starts at 9:30am on Saturday 6th April
Finishes at 6:00pm on Sunday 7th April
Price includes accommodation, breakfast but excludes lunches and dinner
Day Rate (per day) is £65 for members, £90 for non-members
Price excludes lunch and dinner
Can I book an extra dinner?
No problem, just decide on the day. Dinner is á la carte in the Bistro so you just pay for what you order.
It’s open 6:00pm to 9:00pm every evening.
The weekend guests will be eating at 7:00pm on the Saturday.
Want to cut costs by sharing a twin room?
There are a couple of twin rooms, but more common are the family rooms with one double bed and one double sofa bed. If you want to share that with another guest then you could save money. Email Helen.
Want to stay for additional nights?
We can arrange additional nights either side of the weekend
Bed and Breakfast rate is £68.50 for a single occupancy en-suite room
Want to bring partners or children?
Hillscourt has double, twin and family rooms so you can bring more guests. Email Helen for a quote.
Included in your fees are tea, coffee and biscuits at our morning and afternoon breaks.
Lunch and Dinner are not included, but will be available in the Bistro Bar. We will pre-order in the morning so that we can all eat together. If you’re a resident then you can add your drinks and meals to your room and pay on check-out. Day visitors just pay at the bar.
Even the most expensive Bistro meals are cheaper than the set menu options so this saves money for all the guests and also gives you more choice.
Sample Bistro Lunch Menu
Sample Bistro Dinner Menu
A full cooked breakfast plus cereals and pastries is included in the weekend Sing and Stay fees.
If you have any dietary requirements, please let me know when you book so that I can pass that onto the venue.
Oh yes!! So much to do. It’s such a beautiful place to explore.
- The Lickey Hills Country Park and the Beacon Hill Toposcope are each a 10 minute walk away
- Cadbury World and its beautiful village of Bourneville is 6 miles away and on the train line
- Visit Worcester Cathedral, where Kodály premiéred Missa Brevis. It’s just 20 miles away and accessible by train
- Worcester is also one of the three cathedrals that host the Three Choirs Festival. The oldest choral festival in the world. And frequented by all the great English composers. In fact there are photographs of Holst, Vaughan Williams and Elgar enjoying walks together on the Three Choirs Way, a national footpath between Worcester, Hereford and Gloucester Cathedrals that goes straight across the peaks of the Malvern Hills.
- Visit Elgar’s Birthplace Museum, now owned by the National Trust – 24 miles away but you’ll need a car
- See what inspired Elgar, JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis (look out for the gas street lights from Narnia) by visiting Great Malvern or the Malvern Hills 28 miles away. Plus Sarah Glover is buried there but I haven’t tried to find where.
- Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick Castle are also each only 24 miles away
No problem. When you sign up for Sing and Stay we will ask you about your prior skills.
However, if you’re a Doremi Member – why not work though the Solfa from Scratch course in the Musicianship Roadmap. Then you’ll be all set!
If you’re not a member, join now and get discounted rates on the Sing and Stay course.
Not at all.
As long as you’re willing to give it a try, we are here to support you.
Nope. The course will be accessible for all, and you’re not alone. Lots of musicians and teachers are worried about their own reading skills.
However, if you’re a Doremi Member – why not work though the Solfa from Scratch course in the Musicianship Roadmap to start your reading journey.
If you’re not a member, join now and get discounted rates on the Sing and Stay course.
75% of our course sessions will be suitable for non-teachers. So provided you don’t have a teacher phobia you should still have a great time. So feel free to come along, develop your singing and musicianship skills, and enjoy being part of a community of like-minded musicians.
Get in touch here or hit reply on any of my emails and I’ll be glad to help.
Doremi Sing and Stay
Next course dates tba
Lickey Hills, Worcestershire, UK
A weekend of solfa, study and socialising inspired by the Kodály Approach
Fees from £65 (Day) & £159 (Weekend)
Generous cancellation policy
Discounted rate for Doremi Members
Hassle-free 14 day money back guarantee
- Doremi Member Sing and Stay £159
- Doremi Member Day Rate per day £65
- Non-Member Sing and Stay £209
- Non-Member Day Rate per day £90
- Become a Doremi Member before 6th March 2024 to gain the member discount
- Memberships must run for a minimum of one month to qualify
- Scroll back to the FAQ for more cost information
CANCELLATION POLICY
When you register for Doremi Sing and Stay you are fully protected by my 14-Day Guarantee. If you change your mind for whatever reason in the next 14 days, I will refund your £10 deposit.
After 14 days, the £10 deposit is non-refundable.
Any further payments made towards the balance will be refundable in full if you cancel before 6th March 2024.
For cancellations received on or after 7th March 2024, refunds will not be guaranteed and will be considered on a case by case basis.