Singing in the Southern US Shape Note Tradition
Saturday 18 May – Wednesday 22 May 2013
Laurieston Hall, Castle Douglas, DG7 2NB
Over the past twenty years, many people here in the UK have been attracted to the vibrant
harmonies and soaring poetry of The Sacred Harp, a shape note collection of 573 songs that has
been continuously in print since 1844. The music is almost exclusively sacred.
Shape note music is a form of four-part a capella harmony singing which has been traditional in the
American South since the nineteenth century, using a distinctive shape note notation, which makes
it particularly easy to learn.
This music – the oldest American a capella harmony tradition – is also noted for its community
spirit and fellowship. You can expect four days of luscious harmonies and full voice singing in great
company.
We welcome everyone: those who think they can’t sing (you will find you can sing shape note
music), experienced singers and everyone in between, just as we welcome those of any faith or
none.
We will focus on songs in The Sacred Harp but will also sing from other collections of shape note
music.
There will be a singing school each day if you are new to singing or shape note music or would like
a refresher, covering voice work and singing techniques and cultural background to this form of
music. It will be led by Michael Walker and Helen Brown, who have been singing and teaching
shape note music for many years. They are regular visitors to the Southern US, the heartland of
traditional Sacred Harp singing.
If you would like to offer or suggest a singing workshop, e.g. Taize, gospel, rounds, world music; let
us know and bring your music: we’ll do our best to find a space.
In addition to the singing, there will be dancing to the house band, song and tune swaps round the
fire, perhaps a late night singaround... The only limitations will be your energy and vocal cords!
Cost: £160, which covers full board and accommodation, and all activities
How to book: please use the Booking Form attached
1
About The Event
The event takes place at:
Laurieston Hall
Castle Douglas
Dumfries and Galloway
DG7 2NB
Tel: 01644 450 263
Laurieston Hall sits in an area of rolling countryside, of forest and farmland, dotted with lochs. A
few miles to the north are the high hills of the Southern Uplands, while to the south is the Solway
coastline of sand, rocks, cliffs and caves. For those who seek solitude or wildness, it can be found
a few yards from the house.
Cost – £160, which covers:
 accommodation
 breakfast, lunch and dinner each day: all meals will be vegetarian and freshly prepared
 snacks throughout the day: the urn is always hot, and there are a variety of drinks, breads,
cereals, oatcakes and spreads, fruit, available on a serve-yourself basis. Ground coffee is
available to purchase for those not wanting instant – or bring your own favourite blend!
 all singing activities
 use of all Laurieston Hall facilities for recreation / free time, e.g. snooker and pool, table tennis,
an outdoor volleyball court, a wood-fired sauna by the pond, swimming and boating in the loch,
camp fire, pianos, fancy dress etc
 in the evening, dancing to the house band, self-organised socials, and a choice of
refreshments in Cupboards.
To book – please use the booking form and send a non-refundable deposit cheque for £50
payable to Laurieston Hall People Centre Ltd.
Arrival and departure times – please arrive between 5 - 6pm on Saturday 18 May. If you are
bringing a tent, it's fine to arrive at 4pm to set it up. Supper is usually at 6.30pm but food can be
saved if you arrive later – please let us know if you will be late by ringing 01644 450 263.
The event will end after breakfast on Wednesday 22 May. Please vacate bedrooms by 10am and
be away by 11am.
Paying for the event – please bring cash or a cheque for the remaining amount of your payment –
the nearest cash machines are in Castle Douglas, seven miles away!
What to bring – when the weather is good, the lawn, fields and woods are lovely, but please also
come prepared for wet weather. You may find the building colder than you're used to, so bring a
woolly sweater or fleece! Other good things to bring: a towel, torch, midge repellent, sun screen.
Mobile phone reception is improving, but you may need to rely on the payphone in the house: Tel
01644 450 263.
2
How to Get to Laurieston Hall
Laurieston Hall is about 25 miles from Dumfries and seven miles from Castle Douglas, the nearest
town. It is easily reached by public transport. To find out which option suits you best, use a journey
planner such as Traveline Scotland:
http://www.travelinescotland.com/staleData.do
Road – the village of Laurieston is about seven miles north west of Castle Douglas in Dumfries
and Galloway, south west Scotland. It can be reached from the south or east via the M6 and A75;
and from the north via Ayr and New Galloway on the A713. If you can offer a lift, or would like a
lift, please let us know on the Booking Form and we will do our best to put people in touch with
each other.
Rail – the nearest railway station is Dumfries. Advance Tickets can make the rail journey
reasonably priced: in May 2012, it was possible to go from London Euston/Dumfries for £16.50 and
Dumfries/London Euston for £24, i.e. a total cost of £40.50. See:
www.thetrainline.com
There are regular buses from Dumfries to Castle Douglas, where you can be picked up by
Laurieston Hall but please tell us that you will need picking up on the Booking Form:
http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=9465&p=0
Taxis from Castle Douglas are also available and, if shared, are reasonably priced. There is also a
less frequent bus service from Dumfries directly to Laurieston village: see:
http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=11139&p=0
and ask the driver to put you down at the entrance to the Hall.
Coach – National Express runs coaches from across the UK to Dumfries. Other bus companies
run regular buses from cities such as Glasgow, Edinburgh, London and Manchester to Carlisle.
From Carlisle, you can catch a local bus which will take you to Dumfries: use the Traveline
Scotland journey planner link above to find out more.
Air – the closest airport is Glasgow Prestwick International, with regular inbound flights from
London, Stansted and Derry. There are train connections from the airport to Dumfries. Scotland’s
two main airports, Edinburgh and Glasgow, with flights from all the main UK and Irish airports, are
also possibilities.
Sea – ferry crossings run from the Northern Irish ports of Larne and Belfast, to Stranraer and
Cairnryan.
If you need more information about:
 payment / travel / any other organisational matter, contact Werner Ullah:
Tel 07905 145 896 / e-mail [email protected]

anything musical, contact Michael Walker: Tel 07770 210 067
e-mail [email protected]
3
Laurieston Hall
... is home to 23 adults, one teenager and two children. We have a large house which a few folk
live in. There are also cottages and caravans, where the other residents live. Most of us have parttime paid work. Each adult pays rent to the housing co-op, and for the most part each adult or
family is domestically and economically independent. For most of us, coming here is about making
positive changes in our lives. There is little that we do, or attitudes we hold, which do not affect, in
some way, everyone else’s life here.
Much of what we eat is home produced. There’s a large fruit and vegetable garden, though the wet
summers are having an effect on what we can produce in this area. We also keep cows, calves,
hens, bees and pigs (several of us eat meat). We have our own small shop for bought-in food. Our
heating is all from woodstoves and we have our own hydroelectric scheme which, when it rains,
provides all the lighting, most of the other power and some of the hot water. We try to use as little
electricity as possible from the main grid.
A lot of work is needed to keep us functioning in the way we want to live; we’re committed to
sharing out this work as equitably as possible. ’Work share’ is the name we give to regular,
unwaged work. We spend two-three days each week on this work. Work share might be: being on
several of the committees (dairy, garden, land, finance, maintenance, wood, cows etc..) and
individual tasks e.g. the shop and bees. We have a weekly co-op meeting, which we are all
expected to attend, and make decisions by consensus. All the residents take part in our
maintenance weeks. The People Centre is a workers' co-op, through which we employ ourselves
to organise and host events.
Singing in the Southern US Shape Note Tradition
Saturday 18 May – Wednesday 22 May 2013, Laurieston Hall, SW Scotland
Booking Form
First name
Last name
Address
City
Postcode
e-mail
Telephone
Special diets - all food is vegetarian: if you are a vegan
please tell us. If you have any other dietary needs or food
allergies, please tell us so that we can consider whether
we can meet your dietary needs before we confirm your
booking.
Do you have any other needs we should know about to
make your stay go well?
Travel to Laurieston Hall - if you are coming by car, can
you offer a lift? Please give details here.
Will you need to be picked up from Castle Douglas?
Sleeping accommodation is in shared, single gender
rooms for 4-10 people. There are some smaller rooms for
people with special needs – if this applies to you, please
tell us here.
If you cherish privacy, you can camp, either in a LH tent or
you can bring your own: you use all the facilities as
everyone else, but cross the lawn to go to bed! Would you
like to stay in a LH tent?
Will you be bringing a copy of The Sacred Harp? (we
can provide loan copies)
Would you like to suggest or offer a singing activity?
Please give details here.
Is there anything else you would like to tell us?
Please return this form with a non-refundable deposit
cheque for £50, payable to Laurieston Hall People
Centre Ltd, to:
Laurieston Hall (SH13)
Castle Douglas
DG7 2NB
If you do not have a sterling bank account or would
like to pay another way, please indicate here when
returning the form: