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About Us
The Sing Your Socks Off team are highly experienced harmony singing workshop leaders.
The Core Group of teachers are Dee Jarlett, Ali Orbaum, Chris Samuel, Fran Bolton and Elaine Wilson and sometimes they invite other colleagues to teach with them.
We have all been members and workshop leaders in the acclaimed acappella group Naked Voices, a 15-piece group who have won 3 Sell-out Show awards at the Edinburgh Fringe and entertained audiences at Arts Centres and theatres all over the UK.
The Sing Your Socks Off team offer various packages of day, half day, weekend or week long harmony singing workshops. These can lead to performances by the participants, and can also include a performance by the teachers' own acappella quintet The Barefooters.
Creating memorable singing experiences.
We have great fun combining singing workshops with all kinds of other activities. For example, singing holidays, afternoons of walking or swimming and "barefoot picnics". Everyone is welcome, whether you have sung before in a choir or band, or haven't sung since school.
We believe that everyone can sing and encourage beginners to join our workshops as well as those who are more expert and experienced. No music reading is required as everything is taught by ear.
It's amazing how quickly a big bunch of people can sing in harmony when they are supported by these experienced teachers. You will be uplifted and have a lot of fun!
About the Team
All the teachers have led workshops for Naked Voices around the country during the past 8 years.
Dee and Ali have been working together for 12 years. Co-directors of Bristol's Gasworks Choir since 1997together with the spin-off Gasworks Singers and co-founders and directors of the well-loved 15-piece accapella group Naked Voices, they also used to sing and teach together as members of the 4 piece female accapella group Sweet Soul Sisters.
Chris and Fran run another big choir called Bristol Voices. Chris runs several community choirs of his own in Wiltshire including Village Voices and Harmony Junkies (click here for more info) and Fran runs an all-female choir called Stepford Singers.
The team have also run Sing For Water events in Bristol since 2006, and several singing holidays together in Austria and Italy, France, Scotland, Wales and England. They are popular for the ease and speed with which they get people singing in harmony, and for their light-hearted, accessible and friendly approach.
Elaine gives private singing lessons in the Bristol area and also arranges songs for community choirs. She is classically trained, but is happy to teach any style of music. She believes that one of the most important things about singing is having fun, with a little bit of technique thrown in for good measure. To find out more about singing lessons or song arrangements, please contact Elaine singinglessonsbristol@gmail.com.
Ilse Hambrook has been Naked Voices chief volunteer for years and sorts out the practical details and finance for some of the SYSO holidays. Contact Ilse if you are interested in joining us on one of our holidays. ilse.hambrook@yahoo.co.uk
So the next time you're planning a concert, or looking for something fun and freshto do with the singers in your choir, how about considering a Sing Your Socks Off event? A workshop in the afternoon to learn a couple of gorgeous new songs, followed by a chance to perform them, plus a set from your own repertoire at an evening concert, supported by the Barefooters quintet.
Our Barefooters performance set has been going down a storm and includes uplifting fun and funky acappella songs from Britney to Elgar. We could be the support act for your choir, or you could sit back and let us entertain you.