Vocal Week at Augusta Heritage Center

02/04/2025

We've announced the line-up of teachers and classes for this year's Vocal Week in-person gathering July 13-18 on the campus of Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, WV. There's an enticing mix of familiar faces, favorites returning after several years, and folks new to Vocal Week!

Hit the link below to get to the Vocal Week section of Augusta's three-week summer programs, then use the menu in the left side to see the classes in Periods 1, 2, or 3!

https://augustaartsandculture.org/all-workshops-2025/genre_-vocal/week_-week-2-july-13-18-2025/

12/13/2024

Augusta's next Spring Sing is coming up April 10-13, 2025, once more returning to the friendly facilities of Blackwater Falls State Park Lodge.

And in addition to the phenomenal 'home team' of Ginny Hawker, Valerie Mindel, and Emily Miller, the inspiring duo Robin and Linda Williams will be on hand as well!

More info is at: https://augustaartsandculture.org/spring-sing-2025/

12/13/2024

We learned today of the passing of Ethel Caffie-Austin, who was a powerhouse vocalist, choir leader, pianist, and piano teacher. Ethel had a profound impact on anyone who was lucky to encounter her.

She taught classes in African-American Gospel music and gospel piano styles at Augusta starting in the 1970s. And once Augusta established its Vocal Week program, Ethel was a frequent presence in our instructor ranks from 1986 to 2008. Over the years after that, she faced health issues which kept her away from Augusta.

She toured with her Ethel Caffie-Austin Singers across the USA and in frequent visits to Europe in her earlier years, but always returned to her home base of West Virginia.

In 2020, she was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame, and part of that ceremony included an excellent video vignette about all the ways Ethel Caffie-Austin had shaped West Virginia music. (She's second from left in this picture.)

Produced by Brainwrap ProductionsScript by Michael LiptonNarration by Larry GroceResearch Gavin Wissen

10/30/2024

Augusta has released its planned dates for in-person gatherings on the campus of Davis & Elkins College in the summer of 2025. And Vocal Week is nestled in its accustomed spot right in the middle of the pack, once again paired with Bluegrass Week!

Mark your calendars, and stay tuned as we assemble the roster of instructors and plan the classes!

🗓 July 6-11: Cajun & Creole Week + Classic Country Week

🗓 July 13-18: Bluegrass Week + Vocal Week

🗓 July 20-25: Blues Week + Old-Time Week

If you have any questions, you can call Augusta at 304-637-1209, or email [email protected] .

07/23/2024

Last week, after many years of playing pied piper to a couple of generations of wonderful singers at the Augusta Heritage Center's Vocal Week at Augusta Heritage Center, I graduated into emeritus status from my coordinator/advisor role in the program. I'll still be around in future years, in a more relaxed role leading classes and creating jams, or just getting to be a student myself.

As a gift to mark the transition, Augusta commissioned a stained glass pane hanging that evokes the intense hues of the campus Chapel's walls. In the distance here you can see that pattern in the outside of the actual building. But, just like the singer-friendly acoustics and the supportive neighborly vibe, you can't appreciate the magic of that space until you step inside.

I plan to return to that space whenever I can, and I'll have this replica as a reminder. Thanks to all of you who have joined me there in the past years, and I invite singers of every stripe to come try out these friendly confines in the future!

07/22/2024

We have wrapped up Vocal Week for 2024! And it won't be long before planning commences for 2025!

There's one transition happening for upcoming Vocal Weeks. Flawn Williams is wrapping up his role as Advisor (formerly Coordinator) for this Augusta program.

Flawn has been at the helm since the year 2000, after sharing the duties with Ginny Hawker from 1997 through 1999. And counting his work on Augusta concerts from 1981 through 2003, he's been with us for 44 years, and has been singing here since before the first Vocal Week in 1984!

Flawn plans to still be around in future summers, sometimes as an instructor, sometimes as a jam inspirer, and at other times as a student. And he's continuing to run monthly online Singers' Circles and Segue Sessions in case you'd like a booster shot of singing between our in-person programs.

Taking on the Advisor role as we start planning for Vocal Week 2025 is Valerie Mindel. Val has been teaching at Vocal Week for many years, starting in 2004, and before that she and her family were enthusiastic students here!

She's got a strong love of old time and country harmonies, but her repertoire and interests also reach far beyond the h***y tonks, and she's been a consistent supporter of Vocal Week's diverse range of genres and traditions.

Welcome Val!

07/10/2024

Penny Anderson will be teaching a class in Shape-Note Singing at next week's Vocal Week. To whet your appetite for this class, take a look at some of the recordings from singings around the country and overseas! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIhWyvtanBKoUTH8nmIV6cdboq8FnXxTm

07/08/2024

Today marks the first class meetings in the first week of Augusta's summer in-person programming. And Vocal Week starts this coming Sunday, July 14!

Enrollment is up from last year, but if you're a spur-of-the-moment vacationer, we still have room for more singers of all stripes!

Vocal Week's festivities will run from July 14-19 in person in Elkins, WV. For more information on classes and other details, go to https://augustaartsandculture.org/all-workshops-2024/genre_-vocal/week_-week-2-july-14-19-2024/ .

Summer Heritage Workshops 2024 Summer 2024 General Info Explore All 2024 Workshops Register Now Filtered (21) Filters Reset all × Week 2 (July 14-19, 2024) × Vocal × Week Genre Instrument/Craft Period Instructor Skill Level Show (21) Cancel VocalVocal Warm-Ups with Penny AndersonSinging | Penny A...

02/16/2024

Here's a glimpse of the class offerings in store at Augusta's Vocal Week gathering this coming July 14-19!
If you'd like an overview of everything that will be on offer at Augusta's in-person summer sessions, including class descriptions and instructor bios, surf over to : https://augustaartsandculture.org/all-workshops-2024/
This year Vocal Week is again sharing the class with Bluegrass Week, and students who register in either of these programs can mix and match classes in the three daily periods.
We look forward to singing with you this summer!

11/04/2023

Upcoming in-person events for singers at Augusta in 2024:

Next year’s Spring Sing will be held April 18-21, 2024, at Blackwater Falls State Park Lodge near Davis, WV. This will be the third year for this event, and we can attest that last year’s was a lot of fun, and the Blackwater site is beautiful in the spring!

And Augusta's three-week summer session will return to the campus of Davis & Elkins College, with Vocal Week smack dab in the middle!

July 7-12 will be Cajun Week and Classic Country Week
July 14-19 will be Vocal Week and Bluegrass Week
and July 21-26 will be Blues Week and Old-Time Week, followed by the Augusta Festival on Saturday July 27.

07/25/2023

Vocal Week 2023 finished off with a resounding Class Sampler session featuring nearly twenty different class groups showing off what they'd been doing during the week. Here Dr. Kathy Bullock led her African American Gospel Songs choir to close the session.