World Harmony Singing workshop by Northern Harmony March 17, 2009

Vermont based Northern Harmony Quartet will lead a singing workshop for any interested singers featuring a thrilling range of traditional harmony singing from across the world.

Larry Gordon and Patty Cuyler are the founder and co-director of Vermont-based Village Harmony singing camps and the renowned touring choir Northern Harmony, and for twenty years their inspirational teaching has introduced thousands of singers to these thrilling vocal traditions. Patty is a powerful, passionate singer with a wide range and Larry's rich bass anchors the ensemble. Suzannah Park and Nathan Morrison are among the most talented and charismatic of the younger generation of Village Harmony leaders, having toured and performed with Village Harmony and Northern Harmony since their early teens. Suzannah has a rich low voice and particularly distinctive command of ornamented Appalachian singing style. Nathan is a beautiful tenor and also a jazz keyboard and banjo player.

Their unusual repertoire includes a wide range of singing styles: hearty and rhythmic South African songs and dances; ancient sacred and secular songs from Caucasus Georgia, featuring a dark, sonorous sound and startling, dissonant harmonies; oral tradition songs from Corsica, with two highly ornamented upper voices over a harmonic bass; lively and contrapuntal traditional and contemporary American shape-note songs; 1930's tight harmony quartet gospel; ornamented Appalachian harmonies; and medieval motets.

The Tuesday workshop especially features South African folk and struggle songs and dances, Appalachian harmonies, and perhaps a Georgian or Corsican song or two. The teaching is particularly efficient with the four Northern Harmony singers there to lead each vocal part. Close attention is paid to the distinctive vocal style of each singing tradition.

$12 at door.

Official Website: http://www.villageharmony.org