18th Century Singing School Weekend
Make A Tuneful Noise! Please join us for a weekend of harmony, singing and history. A workshop for absolute beginners and experienced singers alike. Tim Eriksen and Allison Steel will share their contagious love of singing with students as they delve into the Shape-Note style of singing used in The Sacred Harp, a song book first printed in 1844 and still actively in use today.
Participants will learn the basic rudiments and explore the cultural and stylistic traditions of Sacred Harp-style singing, uplifted by a community of singers. Specific workshops will explore local 19th-century tune book “The Easy Instructor,” work of local composers, Abolitionist hymns, contemporary composition (write your own tunes), and more!
18thCentury Hearth Cooking Instructor Becky Hendricks will have Briggs Tavern humming all weekend with a welcome dinner on Friday night, a traditional feast on Saturday night, and lunch spreads throughout the workshop. We will each have an opportunity to lend a hand in the kitchen for this distinctive experience. Immerse yourself in 18th century song, accommodations, and food in a way you can only enjoy at Historic Eastfield Village.
Duration: 2.5 Days
Dates: June 27th - 29th 2025
Includes:
Friday Night Welcome Dinner
Saturday Night 18th C Traditional Feast
Lunches throughout the weekend
Limited to: 30 Students
More: Workshop Information
All workshops begin at 9:30am on the first day of the program.
All participants must be 18+ years old.
Make A Tuneful Noise! Please join us for a weekend of harmony, singing and history. A workshop for absolute beginners and experienced singers alike. Tim Eriksen and Allison Steel will share their contagious love of singing with students as they delve into the Shape-Note style of singing used in The Sacred Harp, a song book first printed in 1844 and still actively in use today.
Participants will learn the basic rudiments and explore the cultural and stylistic traditions of Sacred Harp-style singing, uplifted by a community of singers. Specific workshops will explore local 19th-century tune book “The Easy Instructor,” work of local composers, Abolitionist hymns, contemporary composition (write your own tunes), and more!
18thCentury Hearth Cooking Instructor Becky Hendricks will have Briggs Tavern humming all weekend with a welcome dinner on Friday night, a traditional feast on Saturday night, and lunch spreads throughout the workshop. We will each have an opportunity to lend a hand in the kitchen for this distinctive experience. Immerse yourself in 18th century song, accommodations, and food in a way you can only enjoy at Historic Eastfield Village.
Duration: 2.5 Days
Dates: June 27th - 29th 2025
Includes:
Friday Night Welcome Dinner
Saturday Night 18th C Traditional Feast
Lunches throughout the weekend
Limited to: 30 Students
More: Workshop Information
All workshops begin at 9:30am on the first day of the program.
All participants must be 18+ years old.
Make A Tuneful Noise! Please join us for a weekend of harmony, singing and history. A workshop for absolute beginners and experienced singers alike. Tim Eriksen and Allison Steel will share their contagious love of singing with students as they delve into the Shape-Note style of singing used in The Sacred Harp, a song book first printed in 1844 and still actively in use today.
Participants will learn the basic rudiments and explore the cultural and stylistic traditions of Sacred Harp-style singing, uplifted by a community of singers. Specific workshops will explore local 19th-century tune book “The Easy Instructor,” work of local composers, Abolitionist hymns, contemporary composition (write your own tunes), and more!
18thCentury Hearth Cooking Instructor Becky Hendricks will have Briggs Tavern humming all weekend with a welcome dinner on Friday night, a traditional feast on Saturday night, and lunch spreads throughout the workshop. We will each have an opportunity to lend a hand in the kitchen for this distinctive experience. Immerse yourself in 18th century song, accommodations, and food in a way you can only enjoy at Historic Eastfield Village.
Duration: 2.5 Days
Dates: June 27th - 29th 2025
Includes:
Friday Night Welcome Dinner
Saturday Night 18th C Traditional Feast
Lunches throughout the weekend
Limited to: 30 Students
More: Workshop Information
All workshops begin at 9:30am on the first day of the program.
All participants must be 18+ years old.
Instructors
Allison Steel
Alison Steel is a Sacred Harp singer and shape-note composer who has been teaching singing schools all over the country and the world for more than 20 years. Worked as an Interpreter of history and music at Old Sturbridge Village.
Tim Eriksen
Tim Eriksen is acclaimed for transforming American tradition with his startling interpretations of old ballads, love songs, shape-note gospel and dance tunes from New England and Southern Appalachia. He is currently serving as musician in residence at Historic Deerfield and as a visiting professor at Dartmouth College. Known for extensive contributions to films including the Oscar winning “Cold Mountain” and 2023 cult horror phenomenon “The Outwaters,” his current projects include writing songs for Alison Krauss, performing with Bonnie “Prince” Billy and creating new works with pianist Omar Sosa for a follow-up to their twice GRAMMY nominated 2009 collaboration “Across the Divide.”