Join us on 15–16 September 2012 at the Winnersh Community Centre, New Road, Wokingham RG41 5DU, for the 2012 United Kingdom Sacred Harp Convention:
Two full days of spirited singing, vibrant fellowship, good food, and memories to cherish.
Contact Michael Walker, Steve Fletcher, or Martin Williams for more information.
And now… Area attractions! We have updated this page on our Convention website with all kinds of interesting places to see and things to do in the region. Please check them out on our page “Area Attractions” and begin planning your trip.
Hello again from the UKSHC 2012 committee…
We have now updated and expanded the accommodation information on this site for your convenience. If you should have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at ukshc2012@gmail.com!
Michael Walker here, your Convention chair for the 2012 UK Sacred Harp Convention. My UKSHC committee – Steve Fletcher, Martin Williams and I – are pleased to welcome you to our Convention website and hope that you will find it helpful as you plan your trip. We know that some of you are coming via “trains, planes and automobiles” from distant places, and perhaps you are going on to Poland for the first-ever Camp Fasola Europe, which follows on immediately after our Convention this year. We are eager to respond to any questions you may have about getting here, staying here, singing here and then packing up and going on to your next destination.
Some of you may have wondered about the recent change of venue! In 2010, when we first made the proposal for Hurst, our assumptions based on attendance trends were that just over 100 people would be there, and the hall was ideal for this number.
But much has changed since 2010. First of all, it would almost be an understatement to say that since 2010, there has been exciting growth in Sacred Harp singing in Europe, with singing communities springing up in Cork, Dublin and Belfast in Ireland, Poland and Germany. Attendance at our 2011 Convention was at record levels, with over 130 on the Saturday. And – most importantly – the Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association decided late last year to hold a session of Camp Fasola in Poland immediately following UKSHC 2012. All of this meant that we would be expecting many more singers this year, so we needed a bigger venue!
We were very fortunate to secure the Winnersh Community Centre, only 2 miles away from the old venue. A minor miracle, and kudos to Steve and Martin for finding it. The Winnersh venue will easily accommodate the anticipated numbers, and it is more convenient for motorways, hotels and public transport.
We look forward to welcoming you there in September for the Convention – and if you are anywhere in the vicinity on 17 March 2012, please come to the special all-day singing we are having there to acquaint singers with the venue. For more information, please have a look at our flyer.
Finally, our Convention website is designed to be user-friendly and comprehensive, and will develop further over the coming months. Please sign up to the RSS feed to be alerted to new information. If you have questions or suggestions for us, please e-mail us at ukshc2012@gmail.com or call Michael Walker at 07770 210067 (or++44 7770 210067 if calling from overseas).
Sing on!
