Welcome
Golden Chamber Music at Sleepy Hollow is a twice-yearly weekend gathering of adult chamber musicians who play "for the love of it." The weekends take place at the Sleepy Hollow Resort in South Haven, Michigan.
Anyone who enjoys playing chamber music can attend. Most participants are string instrument players, but other instruments are welcome to form "strings plus" ensembles, including pianists and wind players.
The Weekend Program
The weekend consists of seven sessions: Thursday evening; Friday morning, afternoon, and evening; Saturday morning and afternoon; and Sunday morning. Sessions last about two hours and take place in the Sleepy Hollow condos or the community room. Players commit to play any or all sessions. The program coordinators arrange players into different groups for each session. Players then gather at their appointed locations and decide what to play.
Saturday night, players gather as a small string orchestra for an unrehearsed play-through of music that is fun, short, and easy.
Repertoire
Players bring music from home that they want to play or share. In addition, the coordinators and other participants bring a collection of music that can be borrowed for any of the sessions.
For those who wish to prepare specific works in advance, optional "works of the weekend" are announced. While it is not guaranteed that you will play one of the "works of the weekend," because players decide among themselves what to play at each session, these pieces will be an obvious choice. Please see "Optional weekend works" in the schedule listed above.
Housing and Costs
Most people rent condo units at Sleepy Hollow Beach Resort at the off-season rate. To see the facilities and pricing, go to the Sleepy Hollow Beach Resort website. To save money, you can share a unit with one or more other people.
There is no food service at Sleepy Hollow. All the units have fully-equipped kitchens, and the area has many restaurants, cafes, and groceries. Many other accommodations are available in South Haven. There is no requirement for players to stay at Sleepy Hollow.
In addition, participants pay $25.00 for the weekend to offset expenses incurred by the program coordinators.
Reservation and Registration
It is highly recommended to make reservations ahead, as the resort is often fully booked for these weekends. Contact Sleepy Hollow Resort to make a reservation.
A $50 advance deposit (credit card or check) is required for a reservation.
After making a reservation, the coordinators need to hear from you. Contact them to give them your contact information and to let them know what instrument(s) you play and which sessions you intend to participate in.
What to Bring
- Your instrument(s), a stand, and possibly a stand light
- Complete sets of chamber music you want to play and share
- Sleepy Hollow has no food service. Bring, or purchase nearby, food for the weekend. Also bring a dish or drinks to share at the Saturday potluck dinner. Each unit has a fully equipped kitchen.
- Phone, tablet, etc. The Sleepy Hollow grounds and individual units have wi-fi.