Choir Camp 2025 with Maureen Nolan

Following the success of previous weekends with special guests including Suzi Quatro, Kiki Dee and Dana, Choir Camp is back for the seventh time, returning to the idyllic Dunfield House.

Commencing on the Friday evening, a delicious buffet of home-cooked food is served as you mingle and settle in. You then sing a range of musical and vocal styles; conductor Matthew Jones is already writing six-part arrangements for the occasion. After some songs around the campfire and a nightcap or two, it’s ‘lights out’ before waking up to a full English breakfast, setting you up for a busy Saturday of music-making.

The group has the exclusive run of the 19th-century mansion and its fifteen-acre grounds of rolling Welsh Border countryside. Requisitioned during World War II for American forces, Dunfield House was a bolthole for Winston Churchill for high-level meetings and elaborate dinners. Nearby Hergest Ridge inspired Mike Oldfield’s 1974 album of the same name and, according to local folklore, the chilling legend surrounding its Court was drawn upon by Arthur Conan Doyle for his classic The Hound of the Baskervilles. There’s time during the day to take a swim or wander through the labyrinth. In the evening, you don your glad rags and dance the night away, after a champagne reception and gala dinner.

A Sunday roast breaks up another day’s singing, culminating in a very special afternoon session with Matthew’s favourite Nolan, Maureen. Part of the Anglo-Irish girl group The Nolans, Maureen and her sisters got their first break on Christmas Day 1973 at The Cliffs Hotel in Blackpool. Numerous television appearances on the likes of It’s Cliff Richard and The Two Ronnies followed, and they even toured Europe with Frank Sinatra. Their 1979 breakthrough single “I’m in the Mood for Dancing” was the siblings’ first of seven UK Top 20 hits, including “Attention to Me”, “Who’s Gonna Rock You” and “Gotta Pull Myself Together”. They amassed over 30 million record sales worldwide, outselling The Beatles in Japan. Having been in every lineup of the group since its formation, Maureen is the longest-serving member. A gifted actress, she has also starred on stage in musicals such as Blood Brothers and Footloose, and will soon join the cast of Menopause the Musical 2.

Friends and family have the chance to enjoy a showcase of your efforts and join you for cream tea, before you say your goodbyes, until 2026. As far as Matthew’s concerned, there is no activity more inclusive than group singing, so whether you’re a complete beginner or seasoned professional, he invites you to join him in what promises to be yet another unforgettable experience.

For more information, call 01922 915 230 or email info@saintececile.co.uk