Comfort of Voices ‘songference’ is an inspiring professional development event to support Scotland’s singing leaders. It will be valuable to song leaders at all levels of experience and across all musical genres and types of singing group.
Join us for a day of song sharing, discussion, and networking, facilitated by the Scotland Sings steering group. This will be a great opportunity to meet and learn from other song leaders from across the country, to discuss the issues that affect you as singing leaders and to share your thoughts about how the network can support your professional development and your work.
Read about the presenters here.
Date: Saturday 28th March 2026
Time: 10.30am-5.15pm
9.00am: Join us early to sing at the historic Birnam Oak.
9.30am: Registration and hot drinks.
Venue: Birnam Arts Centre, Station Road, Birnam, Dunkeld PH8 0DS
Google maps link
What three words location
See travel and access info below
Capacity: 100 people in person, unlimited online. We’ll keep a waiting list if places fill up and will ask everyone to reconfirm their attendance in February in case your plans haved changed. If you can’t attend in person, you can join online.
Cost: This event is FREE for song leaders working in Scotland. There are bursaries available to support travel, accommodation and access needs. Please tell us what you need on the booking form.
What’s included: Soup & sandwich lunch, and snacks and hot drinks will be provided throughout the day.
Donations: If you would like to support the project with a donation, we will send you a link to do that with your booking confirmation.
Watch the 2022 Comfort of Voices film to get a feel for what the day might be like.
Travel & access info
Scotland Sings is funded by Creative Scotland and we have an access budget. If you need assistance with travel, accommodation, child care or other costs so you can attend, please tell us on the registration form. Please ask us if you would like us to help you plan your travel – we’ll be happy to help.
Access
Lift: The lift at Birnam Arts Centre is unfortunately out of action. We have worked closely with the venue team to ensure accessibility requirements are fulfilled to the best of our ability including relocating all upstairs sessions to rooms downstairs and reorganising our catering areas. Please get in touch if you have any concerns.
Entrance: Using the touch pad, enter via the large glass doors to the right of the main entrance.
Toilets: There are two accessible toilets within the venue, one on each level. There are toilets upstairs as well if you are able to use the stairs.
Lift: There is a lift between the ground level and first floor.
Ramps: There are ramps situated throughout the building to enable easy access from the Café to the Box Office and Shop. Ramp access to the Beatrix Potter garden is via the main front entrance.
Baby changing: Facilities are available on the ground and first floor within the Accessible Toilet. High chairs are located within the cafe.
Parking: There are two accessible parking spaces directly in front of the venue, however these cannot be reserved in advance as they are Council spaces. There is a gentle slope from street level up to the accessible entrance. If you would like assistance on arrival, please call our team on 07742 977 600 and someone will come out to help.
Sound: There is a hearing induction loop in the main auditorium, where we will be holding our larger sessions.
Quiet rooms: There are two quiet spaces available backstage all day, however they are not wheelchair accessible spaces. If you are a wheelchair user, please ask the team.
Catering: All food and drinks will be served downstairs and people who can use the stairs can eat at the chairs with tables on the first floor as well as in the main cafe area.
The floor plan of the venue can be viewed on the Birnam Arts website.
Travel – By Train
It is possible to arrive at Dunkeld & Birnam station around 8.30am from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness. There are later trains which arrive at 10.18am from all of the above except Inverness.
You can find your exact traing times and buy tickets on the Scotrail website: https://www.scotrail.co.uk/
Dunkeld & Birnam station is a 4 minute walk away from the venue.
Travel – By Car
Parking
There is free on-street parking on Station Road right outside Birnam Arts. Once full, there is ample free parking along Perth Road.
There are two accessible parking spaces directly in front of the venue.
Travelling from the north
Travel on the A9 until signposted for Dunkeld & Birnam.
Turn left off the A9 onto the A923 and then right onto Perth Road through the town and turn right onto Station Road.
Travelling from the south
Travel on the A9 until signposted for Dunkeld & Birnam.
Turn right off the A9 onto Perth Road, continue on Perth Road through the town and turn left onto Station Road.
Local area info
Local shop in Birnam – Birnam Village Shop open 6.30am-9pm, less than 1 minute walk from the venue.
Local cafe in Birnam – Birnam Oak Cafe open 9.30am-4.30pm, 2 minutes’ walk from the venue.
Dunkeld has more cafes and shops, the Aran Bakery comes highly recommended!
There are a few B&Bs and small hotels located nearby in Birnam and Dunkeld.
The nearest larger chain hotels are located in Perth with a Travelodge and Holiday Inn Express approximately 30 minutes’ drive away.