£145.00. Includes 6 x 2 hour sessions
Each Thursday from the 8th October to 12th November
An in-depth and practical exploration of the Estill Voice Model, focusing on the principles and structures that directly contribute to vocal production.
How the Course Works
This is a six-week live online group course, led by Kris Manuel in a relaxed, lecture-style format combining explanation, demonstration and practical exercises.
Each session will last up to 2 hours and for most of each session, Kris will lead the group through the week’s topic, explaining the principles behind the technique, demonstrating how they work and giving you exercises to try for yourself.
You’ll normally follow along with your microphone muted, so you can experiment with the exercises privately and without feeling that you’re performing in front of the group.
At certain points, Kris may invite individuals to participate in an exercise or demonstration. This is always optional—there is absolutely no requirement to sing or demonstrate anything individually unless you want to.
At the end of each session, we’ll open the floor for questions and practical troubleshooting. This is your opportunity to ask about anything covered during the session or bring a vocal issue you’re experiencing in a song you’re currently working on.
The course is designed to be informative and practical rather than a traditional singing lesson. You’ll learn more about what’s physically happening when you sing, experiment with different vocal choices and gradually build a toolkit you can apply to your own voice.
Please note: Sessions wil be recorded and made available via streaming for a limited time should you be unable to make any of the dates.
The Six Weeks
Week 1 — Recap & Reconnect
We’ll begin by revisiting the Estill work already introduced on retreat.
This session will refresh the key principles of Estill, reconnect you with the exercises and terminology you have already encountered, and make sure everyone has a solid foundation before we move into more detailed work.
We’ll explore how awareness and control of individual vocal structures can give you greater choice, consistency and confidence when singing.
Week 2 — Effort & Onsets
How much effort are you actually using when you sing?
We’ll explore effort levels and how unnecessary tension can affect vocal production, before looking at different vocal onsets—the way the vocal folds come together as a sound begins.
You’ll experiment with different approaches to starting a note and discover how small changes can affect clarity, tone, control and style.
Week 3 — False Vocal Fold Retraction & Body-Cover
This week focuses on creating space and freedom within the voice.
We’ll explore false vocal fold retraction and learn to recognise the difference between constriction and retraction.
We’ll then introduce body-cover, exploring how different vocal fold configurations influence the weight, intensity and quality of the sound you produce.
The aim is to give you more control over vocal colour without simply relying on volume or muscular effort.
Week 4 — Thyroid & Cricoid Tilt
This week we look more closely at two important Estill figures: thyroid tilt and cricoid tilt.
We’ll explore how these different configurations influence vocal quality and how singers can use them to create contrasting sounds.
Through practical exercises, you’ll begin to recognise these sensations in your own voice and understand how they can contribute to different styles of singing and emotional choices within a song.
Week 5 — Sirens, Larynx Height & Twang
We’ll use sirens to explore range, flexibility and smooth movement through the voice before examining the effect of larynx height on vocal quality and resonance.
We’ll then introduce twang—what it is, how to find it safely and why it can be such a useful tool for singers.
You’ll experiment with combining these elements to create different vocal colours and discover how relatively small physical adjustments can produce surprisingly significant changes in sound.
Week 6 — Twang, Velum & Putting It Together
Our final week develops the work on twang and introduces control of the velum (soft palate).
We’ll explore how different velum positions influence resonance and nasality and how they can be used deliberately rather than happening accidentally.
We’ll then begin bringing the different elements of the six weeks together, looking at how singers can make conscious vocal choices according to the song, style and sound they want to produce.
Open Floor
We’ll finish each session with time for questions, discussion and practical troubleshooting.
If you’re working on a song and there’s a note, phrase or particular sound that isn’t working for you, bring it along. Kris can explore what’s happening and demonstrate how the techniques covered during the course might help.
The aim isn’t simply to learn Estill terminology. It’s to understand your instrument better and give you more choices when you sing.
Restrictions – Only available to previous SER guests
Get in touch with a member of our team
We’ve got you covered! Travel feels uncertain right now—we know!
That’s exactly why we’ve introduced our Peace of Mind Booking for all bookings from today.
If your flight is disrupted due to major travel issues, you won’t lose your retreat.
We’ll simply move your experience to another date—no stress no hassle!
The choir wanted to give the group:
Fresh musical energy
Deeper expressive singing
Time to reconnect as an ensemble
What they didn’t want was a conventional choir course.
They were looking for something serious enough to develop musically — but uplifting and enjoyable at the same time.
Thirty-six singers travelled to southern Spain for a five-day Sing Eat Retreat.
Each day balanced focused musical work with time to relax, explore the landscape and enjoy being together outside the rehearsal room.
The musical programme was led by West End musical theatre professionals, working in close collaboration with the choir’s own leadership to support the choir’s artistic goals.
Together they explored:
Vocal technique
Expressive storytelling in music
Ensemble balance and blend
Performance confidence
There were also smaller sectional sessions and coaching, allowing singers to explore their voices in more depth.
Despite several hours of singing each day, the experience never felt heavy.
“We worked hard — really hard — but it never felt tiring.
It was energising.”
The real change came midweek.
As the singers relaxed into the environment and coaching style, something shifted in the ensemble sound.
Voices became freer.
Phrases became more expressive.
The choir began singing with greater emotional connection.
“Suddenly we weren’t just singing the notes anymore —we were telling the story.”
The retreat concluded with a relaxed public concert for locals.
There was confidence, connection and joy.
“It felt like we were singing together again.”
By the end of the week the Duffers & Gruffers Choir reported stronger vocal confidence, improved ensemble blend and a renewed musical energy. But the biggest change was emotional.
“It re-ignited the joy of singing.”
Since returning to the UK, the impact has continued. The choir has embraced more expressive repertoire, rehearsals feel more relaxed and energised, and members describe the group as “better and happier” — a powerful shift for a choir that had been together for more than two decades.
Several elements made the difference: collaborative musical leadership from the SER coaches, time together beyond the rehearsal room that strengthened the choir’s sense of community, and a carefully curated programme working towards a final performance that gave the week focus and momentum.
Many choirs reach a point where they want to refresh their sound, reconnect as an ensemble, and give members a meaningful shared experience.
Sing Eat Retreat designs private, fully tailored retreats for UK choirs, supporting and enhancing the work choir directors already do. We collaborate closely with each ensemble to create a programme that fits its repertoire, goals and singers — whether classical or contemporary.
If you would like to explore what a retreat might look like for your choir, we would be delighted to talk.