Matt Ford Swing Era Vocal Workshop

Matt Ford Swing Era Vocal Workshop30th September 2023

St Leonards Hotel, Ringwood, BH24 2NR.

Matt Ford Swing Era Vocal Workshop30th September 2023

St Leonards Hotel, Ringwood, BH24 2NR.

On 30th September 2023 AB Workshops hosts a Swing Era Vocal Workshop with the incredible Matt Ford.

Matt Ford is the UK’s most experienced and in-demand Swing Era vocalist. A veteran of over 2000 Big Band concerts, with the likes of The Syd Lawrence Orchestra, BBC Big Band, Len Philips Swing Orchestra and John Wilson Orchestra, Matt’s career spans 4 decades, and shows no sign of slowing down.

Matt has featured in 4 BBC Proms concerts (2011, 2013, 2016 & 2019), with live broadcasts of these on BBC Two, BBC Four and BBC Radio 3. Other TV and radio credits include; Friday Night is Music Night (tributes to Irving Berlin, The Gershwins, Alan J Lerner & Gene Kelly), BBC Big Band Special (30th Anniversary Special), SKY Arts 1 & 2 (Cole Porter in Hollywood & 100 Years of Big Bands), BBC Four (The Sound of Song), BBC One (The One Show), ITV (Titchmarsh) and BBC Radio 3 (In Tune).

On the orchestral circuit, over the last 20 years Matt has performed
regularly with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Halle, CBSO, RTE Concert
Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, Philharmonia, John Wilson Orchestra,
Ulster Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Scottish Symphony and
Irish National Symphony Orchestras.

Matt has performed at many of the UK’s most prestigious music festivals, including Henley, Aldeburgh, Petworth, Malling, Thaxted, Cheltenham, Newbury, Harrogate and Newry. International festival credits include Grafenegg (Austria) and Musikfest (Berlin).

As a recording artist, 2022 saw Matt release ‘From Abbey Road’, a live Big Band album recorded at the iconic London venue’s Studio 2. The single release from the album, ‘I Wanna Be Like You’, not only reached #1 in the iTunes Jazz Chart, but placed in the Official UK Singles Chart Top 40.

2023 will see Matt perform again with The Halle (Music of Bond), travel to Dubai (Vienna Ball with LPSO), and to Portugal (Glenn Miller Orchestra UK). In March Matt will once again pay tribute to Frank Sinatra, with the Manchester Concert Orchestra, as he headlines Simply Sinatra at The Bridgewater Hall.

On 30th September 2023 AB Workshops hosts a Swing Era Vocal Workshop with the incredible Matt Ford.

Matt made his US Debut in October 2013 in Los Angeles with the John Wilson Orchestra alongside Seth MacFarlane, Anna Jane Casey, Sierra Boggess and Julian Ovenden, and followed this in 2016 with his debut in France, presenting a live broadcast on French national radio with his own show from the ‘Auditorium de la Maison de la radio’.

On the orchestral circuit, over the last 20 years Matt has performed regularly with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Halle, CBSO, RTE Concert Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, Philharmonia, John Wilson Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Scottish Symphony and Irish National Symphony Orchestras.

Matt has written a complete teaching methodology based on a breakdown of the performance skills required to perform the songs of the swing era with stylistic accuracy. The skills can be addressed individually or collectively, and layer up to form the ‘complete’ performance. Using his high-level extensive, unrivalled experience of over 2000 Worldwide concerts, with line-ups ranging from 2 to 110 piece ensembles, live TV, radio and internet broadcasts, Matt has developed what he terms the SingSwingSing! methodology.

Matt analysed Swing Era performances from the likes of Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Matt Monro, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, and other master interpreters of the Great American Songbook, and identified the stylistic ingredients that made them so successful as singers. SingSwingSing! layers these essential stylistic skills carefully and gradually, to build the complete performance. Specifically aimed at the Swing Era and Big Band repertoire Matt guides participants through the six key elements:

– The Importance of Words
– Singing The Correct Melody
– Connection With The Audience
– Body Language & Movement
– Dynamics
– Emotional Content

Course content will include:

– General introduction with Matt detailing his methodology
– Vocal warm ups/maintenance exercises
– Each active participant will get 20 minutes individual tuition (in front of the group), bringing with them something prepared and ideally know the lyrics from memory
– Final performance from all singers
– This is an opportunity as a small group (maximum of 10) to understand, work with and perform with Matt Ford
– There are also 12 observer places available (see below)

This workshop is for everybody!

– Professional vocal performers looking to step to the next level

– Vocalists preparing for a final recital, first big concert, recording session, singing exam, or other important performance

– SingSwingSing! is also designed for people who perhaps feel lonely, or still a little nervous about getting out and about, and who have an interest in singing, and a love of Big Band/Swing Era music

– Non singers – There are spaces for ‘audience’ members, who will provide moral support and feedback to the singers, while also learning from watching the process unfold, and enjoying the social aspects of being in a group of like-minded people

You don’t have to be a great singer. We’re not looking for the next X factor finalist! You just need a love of the music and a willingness to commit to the workshop

Would you like to…

Become a confident singer
Increase strength, power and range
Improve tone and control
Work on stylistic expression
Develop emotion and delivery in songs

Then this workshop is for you!

Based at St Leonards Hotel in beautiful Dorset, with excellent facilities
Aimed for everyone!
Workshop runs from 10am – 4.30pm, with two 20 minute breaks and a 1 hour lunch break
Optional: A Hot lunch (including requirements such as vegetarian, gluten intolerance etc)
Refreshments; Tea, coffee (including freshly made filter coffee), juices, a variety of biscuits, fresh pastries
Prices range from £50-£112.50 for the one day workshop
FREE parking
Safe, simple, secure. We have now set it up for you to be able to book easier than ever before, simply BOOK ONLINE

Level from: Non singers and singers welcome!

Voice.

None, just yourself!

Price for this one day workshop is £100 for participants, and £50 for observers. Lunch can be purchased for an additional £12.50.

A hot lunch is included if you choose that option when making the booking (including requirements such as vegetarian, gluten intolerance etc).

Refreshments; Tea, coffee (including freshly made filter coffee), juices, a variety of biscuits, fresh pastries.

Times for the workshop are as follows:

Arrive: 9.30am onwards
Session one: 10am – 11.20am
Morning break: 11.20am – 11.40am
Session two: 11.40am – 1pm
Lunch: 1pm – 2pm
Session three: 2pm – 3pm
Afternoon break: 3pm – 3.20pm
Session four: 3.20pm – 4.30pm

Participants of all ages are welcome. Please note: Participants under 18 will need to provide parent/ guardian contact details.

BOOK ONLINE