Programme

Comfort of Voices 2026

Please note, the online programme will show the Auditorium sessions only, as starred *

Tea, coffee, biscuits & snacks available throughout the day, and lunch is provided.

UPDATE: The lift is out of order at Birnam Arts. We have relocated sessions to take place downstairs. Please speak to the team on your arrival at the registration desk if we can assist you further.

0900-0930 – Sing: Dawn Chorus, Birnam Oak Tree

Adelaide Carlow leads the world premiere of her new song, commissioned especially for Comfort of Voices 2026, at the historic Birnam Oak tree. There will be a group leaving Birnam Arts Centre at 8.45am to walk over to the tree, or you can join us there. Please note it isn’t possible to park right next to the tree, and the terrain leading up to it is not paved and uneven in places. We will send more information about access to those who have booked with our pre-event email, but do get in touch if you have questions before then.

0930-1030 – Arrive at the venue, network & drink coffee

1030-1040 * – Welcome, Auditorium

1040-1115 * – Sing, Auditorium

Kat Brooks and Seraph Davidson kickstart the day with an energetic soul-gospel singing session.

1115-1200 – Session choice:

You will sign up for your session choice on arrival at the registration desk.

* The anatomy of the warm-up, Auditorium
Christine Sjolander and Dr Katy Lavinia Cooper lead an exploratory session on the vocal warm up, what works and why.

Intergenerational singing, Community Room (capacity 25 people)
Ula Weber leads an interactive session focussed on intergenerational singing.

1200-1215 – Break

1215-1315 * – Honouring songs from across traditions, Auditorium

Penny Stone, Robyn Stapleton and Maisarah Maidin lead an interactive session exploring how we learn and share songs from different traditions with respect, the challenges and opportunities, and our responsibilities. This session will include song sharing as well as rich conversation and exchange of ideas.

1245-1315 – 4 x 15-minute mentor taster conversations, Café

For those curious about how a mentoring conversation works, sign up for a taster with trained mentors Dr Jo Miller or Mary Ann Kennedy. Space to confidentially discuss a project, a challenge, or a decision.

1315-1415 – Lunch (provided), Café and Mezzanine Level

1330-1700 – Warm up booth open, Dance Studio (upstairs)

If you offered to record a warm-up for Scotland Sings’s warm up resources, you will be contacted in advance of the event with instructions and allocated a slot at the recording booth in the Dance Studio during this time period. Please note the Dance Studio is located upstairs. We can accommodate a downstairs recording, please let us know on arrival at the registration desk.

1415-1450 * – Sing: Gaelic sang in the gairden, Auditorium moving to the Beatrix Potter Garden

Join song leader and Scotland Sings steering group member Mary Ann Kennedy to perform a Gaelic song together, an easy first step into Gaelic singing for non-Gaelic speakers. We will start inside the auditorium and move out to the Beatrix Potter Garden. Online attendees, please join for the song learning part at the start if you’d like to.

1450-1530 – Session choice:

You will sign up for your session choice on arrival at the registration desk.

* Scotland Sings National Strategy Thinktank, Auditorium
Scotland Sings is a national sector-led network and programme funded by Creative Scotland. Experienced strategists Baz Chapman and John Joe MacNeil lead an interactive session that will help us continue to develop a shared vision and national strategy for our song leading sector across Scotland.

Singing through the Menopause, Community Room (capacity 30 people seated)
Specialist researcher and song leader Dr Kathleen Cronie leads a session on singing through the menopause, hosted by Ali Burns. Our voices are affected by hormones throughout our lives and during menopause many singers struggle with vocal change. In this session, find out what happens to the menopausal voice, and what you can do to support your singers and your own voice during this transition.

1530-1545 – Break

1545-1645 * – Fair Work – Action and Advocacy, Auditorium

Caroline Sewell from the Musicians Union, Alice McGrath from Queen Margaret University and Alison Reeves from Making Music discuss the freelance song leader sector ecology, exploring work and rights around fair pay and advocacy.

1645-1700 * – Sing, Auditorium

A couple of songs to end the day.