SATURDAY 13TH OCT - Fringe Theatre Malvern Youth Centre WR14 2YH
Tel: Owen Morgan - 01684 572447 for singing workshop bookings/details.
Workshop £5 - - or - - Workshop plus Evening Concert £13 (save £2)

ABBIE LATHE - SINGING WORKSHOP

"Abbie is a multi-instrumental singer/songwriter...likened to Suzanne Vega, Judy Tzuke and such-like.
She has worked alongside Steeleye Span's Maddy Prior for several years as one third of 'maddy and the girls" and shared the stage with many other wonderful performers, such as Karine Polwart, Chris While and Julie Matthews, Jaquie Dankworth, to name a few.

Her emotive and atmopspheric voice is often heard on BBC T.V wildlife programmes.
Abbie is an inspiring singing teacher and her nationwide workshops are very popular with singers and non-singers alike. She has a unique gentle and encouraging way of helping you get the best from your voice and people are always amazed at what they can achieve in a short space of time.

TEACHING
Abbie has spent several years teaching the many facets of voice and performance privately and in schools. She enjoys studying the finer details of vocal technique and the fascinating psychological elements to singing and performing.

"I believe that understanding the fears we have, regarding our voices, allows us to conquer them, enabling us all to sing with freedom and passion. This new found confidence permeates into so many other aspects of life."
ABBIE LATHE

Singing in Shropshire - REVIEW
I've just started a new voice training venture with Anna Gillions and our first night was Sep 22nd.
It was a wonderful evening with 20 budding singers from around shropshire. The usual response when I ask people how they are feeling at the beginning of the session is 'quite scared', and this, indeed, was the case. After a series of carefully prepared enjoyable excercises (physical and vocal), everyone felt so much better and were already wondering what there was to be afraid of. Then we immersed into simple harmony songs and, as always at these events, the sound was fantastic. People were amazed that they were part of something that sounded so good.
There's a simple joy in combining voices (good and not so good, it really doesn't matter) that lifts the spirits immeasurably and takes away self-consciosness and fear of incompetence.
There wasn't a person in the room who didn't feel uplifted by the experience; and many of them had believed they weren't good singers at the beginning of the evening.
'Sing from the heart' I say and all will be well. - Abbie Lathe

Singing Workshop review by Andy Rushton
"Sixteen souls (and a cat) to carnforth fared, to stand all day in a cold church hall. Abbie lathe soon took the chill off with a series of progressive workouts for the body, voice and muse. The struggle continued. Somehow, in steps so small that no-one would refuse, we grew from a silent anonymous assembly into a smooth singing machine. The struggle was over by midday, and four part harmony broke out across the whole hall. (there were attempts at five and six part harmony, some intentional, but that seemed a bridge too far).
We lunched on stew and home made toffee-treacle-fudge-and-sugar cake, whilst the cat sat, meditating, on a railway track (or perhaps I just imagined that).
As a frosty morning gave way to a sunny (but still cold) afternoon, the focus shifted to each individual who wanted to perform a solo. Abbie provided expert and positive but perceptive criticism, managing to disembarrass us. I had to make up the word disembarrass. What I mean is, if Abbie told the King he had no clothes, he would smile serenely amd march majestically down with a new confidence in his own royalty. This is a talent well-suited to coaxing improvement from insecure singers.
The finale was a concert-style rendition of the communal and solo songs (every one a winner). Then, after a few exchanges of phone numbers and venue recommendations, we melted away in the cold dark night. A choir that came from the void, shone briefly (not unlike the november sun) then was no more. And what happened to the cat? Well, strange to say, the cat went home with the singers, with each of them and with all of them. Which was odd, because as you know, as a rule, cats don't do that?